An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Not to be confused with the abstract—which merely gives a summary of the main points of a work—the annotated bibliography always describes and often evaluates those points.

1. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.

2. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme or idea of the article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited,  (d) explain how this work is relevant to your topic or (e) comment on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the topic being researched and/or your own research project.

Content adapted from: Cornell University.