Annotated Bibliographies: Overview
Additional Assistance
Have more questions about your annotated bibliography?
- Contact a Librarian for help locating research
- Contact the Teaching and Learning Center for help writing, revising and formatting
What is the Purpose of an Annotated Bibliography?
To help define the focus of your research topic.
To identify research already conducted in your field of interest, find gaps in existing scholarship, and avoid repetition of previous research.
To become familiar with significant earlier research and with current progress and/or controversy in your field of interest.
To assess the experts, theoretical approaches, methodologies, results, conclusions, and possible opportunities for future research in your field of interest.
To prepare for a larger research project.
Annotations vs. Abstracts
Literature Review vs. Annotated Bibliography
Annotated bibliographies and literature reviews are highly useful for constructing your research project. Both provide an examination of relevant scholarly work pertaining to a specific topic, but there are also significant differences between them.
