SCAND 330: Scandinavian Mythology: Writing Bibliographies

A bibliography is a list of sources one has consulted in their research on a topic. Sometimes a bibliography may be referred to as "References" or "Works cited", and these types of bibliography will only include sources directly cited in a paper (and not works that might have been consulted or otherwise used, but not necessarily cited). A bibliography includes bibliographic information (author, title, publication place and date, etc.) about a work so the reader can identify, locate, and consult the source described. Bibliographies may be comprehensive or selective, depending on the purpose. Their format is typically prescribed by various style guides (MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.)

An annotated bibliography is a bibliography that includes annotations (notes) summarizing and/or evaluating each source, in addition to the source's bibliographic information. Annotations may be short or long, depending on the intended purpose of the bibliography, but should be stylistically similar throughout the document. Researchers often compile annotated bibliographies informally for their own use, in order to keep track of sources and their utility to the research in question. Annotated bibliographies may also be published for a broader audience in order to assist researchers and scholars in a particular field.