Problem
The Annotated Bibliography:
You're probably already familiar with a bibliography-a list of sources that appears at the end of a research papers and books, but you may not be as familiar with an annotated bibliography. Annotations are notes that a reader makes in texts while they are actively reading. These notes can include highlighted and underlined items and any writing in the margins, or notes.
When you type your notes with correct source documentation and formatting styles and submit them for publication, you are creating what is known as a formal annotated bibliography.
Purpose:
The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to detail and cite sources that you used in your research even if you do not include those sources in your final draft. The annotated bibliography is a map, or record, of the journey you took during your research. They are also helpful to the writer, who can easily refer to the annotations and pull quotes and examples to support arguments or ideas during the writing process.
Information to Include:
Active reader requires you to interact with the text. When creating annotations, you'll want to ask questions that help you learn more about the source you're working with, such as the author's main points or arguments, the topics covered, the perspective, and even specific information about the historical period of the source, including what events could have influenced the writer.
Other considerations include an evaluation or analysis of the source, whether the material was well researched, and whether it would be useful to you in your own work.
Whatever you read or come across in your research should be included in your annotated bibliography-even if you don't use it in your final draft.
How to Record Your Annotations:
Your annotations should always be written in your own words. Do not copy directly from the source; however, should you wish to respond to a quote in your annotated bibliography, you can write the quote and then respond to the quote in your own words.
Annotations are generally 1 to 2 paragraphs in length, though for longer works they may be several paragraphs in length.
Annotated bibliographies list multiple publications, which should appear in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Different sources, such as websites, periodicals, movies, etc., require different formatting.