Annotated Bibliographies
Reference Department
Albert S. Cook Library
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations with descriptions of the particular work
(book, article, or document). The citation is followed by a short paragraph: a summary and
evaluation of the individual work. The annotation is descriptive and critical, usually 150
words or less. The annotation helps the reader decide if the material cited is appropriate to
their research needs.
Writing Annotations
Information may include the following:
AUTHOR: what are his/her qualifications, experience and background to write on the
topic: "Based on a ten year study conducted at XYZ University, Drs. Z. and D…."
AUDIENCE: to whom is the article/book addressed: teachers, administrators, scholars,
students: "This review will be appreciated by scholars in the field of…"
SOURCE: is the information used in the article based on new research or a review of
studies previously done: "The authors….use data from the NES to support their
hypothesis…."
BIAS: what is the authors’ viewpoint: "The author has chosen to explore in depth some
little known historical aspects…."
SPECIAL FEATURES: does the work have exceptional illustrations, extensive indexing,
testing devices, maps, etc., that particularly enhance the article/book?
FINDINGS, RESULTS: Are the author’s conclusions justified based on the research?
Sample Annotated Bibliography
The following two examples use the APA (American Psychological Association) format for
a journal citation and a magazine citation*:
Doe, J. T. & Williams, W. R. (2007). Parental supervision of television
viewing and aggressive behavior in children. Journal of Television and
Violence 51, 534-540.
The authors, researchers at Western State College, collected data from a group of 8-yearolds to test their hypothesis that the amount of violence children saw on television relates
to the aggressiveness of their behavior. They found that children who were allowed to
watch evening police dramas and "made for TV" specials with abusive situations
demonstrated increased aggressive behavior over children who were not permitted to
watch these programs. The researchers did not find a connection between aggression in
children and television violence as displayed in cartoons and news programs. The article
by Doe and Williams is one of the few studies that examines aggressive behavior as it
relates to different types of television programs.
Quayle, D. (2007, June). Marijuana: No medicinal value. Reefer Madness
Monthly, 77, 8-12.
According to Quayle, president of "Just Say No To Drugs," scientific evidence proves that
marijuana is not effective for medicinal use. He states that his claim is based on results of
a survey conducted by his organization. Public opinion supports his position that marijuana
should continue to be banned. The author does not provide references for the survey and
for his statement on public opinion. Quayle's article is an editorial expressing his views and
those of his organization and does not contribute any documented information to the
literature on this controversial subject.
___________________
*Adapted from:
Savage Library. (2004) How to prepare an annotated bibliography.
Western State College of Colorado. Retrieved March 24, 2009 from
http://www.western.edu/lib/guides/annbib.pdf
The following two examples are of MLA citations for an article available via a subscription
database and an article found in the Cook Library print collection.
Lukkas, Lynn Tjernan. "Oculus: Crossing Boundaries in Cyberspace, Art,
and Consciousness." Art Journal, Winter 2000. Academic Search Premier.
EBSCO. Albert S. Cook Lib., Towson U, Towson, 8 February 2009
<http://web.ebscohost.com>
The project is described as "....an on-going series of digital and interactive works of art-performances, interactive installations, digital Iris prints, and a dedicated website with live
webcam transmissions--that explore the merging of body and technology and its possible
effects on consciousness and the self." From Iceland to Vietnam, Dr. Lukkas has traveled
and recorded sounds and images from her visits using GPS to exactly pinpoint her
position.
Che, Cathay. "Avant Garage." Advocate 43 (2008): 831-834
Reviews a new project (2007) that highlights work done by the late Keith Haring and the
influence the Paradise Garage had on his work. Included in the article are two pieces of his
artwork. This particular article would be useful for describing the different ways an artist
important as Keith Haring can be remembered posthumously.
Additional Resources
Many college libraries and writing centers have guides to help you prepare
annotated bibliographies – here are just a few websites:
Memorial University of Newfoundland Libraries
http://www.library.mun.ca/guides/howto/annotated_bibl.php
James A. Gibson Library Brock University
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/AnnotatedBibliography.html
University of Minnesota - Crookston
http://library.umcrookston.edu/annotate.htm
Connelly Library, LaSalle University
http://www.lasalle.edu/library/LibraryInstruction/annotatedbibliography.pdf
For research help on this or any other research project, please contact a
reference librarian here: http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/librarianHelp.cfm
Albert S. Cook Library, Towson University
3/09 annotated.doc