Students might feel a little intimidated when an instructor assigns them to write an annotated bibliography. However, students should know that writing an annotated bibliography actually creates for them a better understanding of their sources. In addition, it helps instructors see the information that a student has gleaned from her sources and ascertain a level of her understanding.
So what does an annotated bibliography involve and how does a student put one together?
What is the First Step in Preparing an Annotated Bibliography?
A lot of times, instructors will assign students to create an annotated bibliography as part of a larger research project. So the first thing a student must do is choose his topic and begin conducting research.
As he begins to pore over his research materials, reading books, journal articles, and the like, he will begin to gather information about each source. At this point, he probably has enough information to begin putting together his annotated bibliography.
How Does a Student Write the Annotated Bibliography?
When beginning to actually prepare the bibliography, the student will first cite the source just as she would for a "regular" bibliography. That is, she would format the citation as she would for an MLA Works Cited entry, an APA References page, or any other citation style. So, obviously, it helps to have a working knowledge of how to put together a basic bibliography.
Then, just below the citation, the student begins to annotate the cited source; that is, he provides his readers with information about the source. He begins with a short summary of the source and then gives his assessment of the work. He must tell his readers if he felt the source was valuable and why (or tell them if it wasn't helpful). Many instructors will have students keep their annotations at around a paragraph; often, the brevity of the annotation is valued, as it shows that students have a sound grasp on their sources and can sum up and evaluate the information concisely.
An MLA annotated source might look something like this:
Bentley, James. Secrets of Mount Sinai. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1985. Print.
This book details Constantin von Tischendorf’s search for more authoritative texts upon which the Bible is based. It follows Tischendorf’s nineteenth-century discovery of old texts at St. Catherine’s monastery at the base of Mount Sinai, in particular the Codex Sinaiticus. It also contains chapters covering the Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic Gospels and even includes apocryphal texts “The Epistle of Barnabus” and “The Shepherd of Hermas,” as well as a selected bibliography. The book is extremely informative in regard to the discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus and gives readers a solid understanding of more recent history and man's search for the existence of ancient religious texts. This text may lead many readers to question some of their long-held beliefs.
Annotated Bibliographies Aid Both Students and Instructors
Students might feel a little overwhelmed by having to put together an annotated bibliography at first, but it really is a good way for students to work in depth with the texts they are researching. It also allows instructors to see if students are on the right track with an assignment and if they fully comprehend their topic. Annotated bibliographies are also great way to begin assembling a large research paper, and students will likely find them to be invaluable as they write.
Cynthia Jones-Shoeman - Cynthia (“Cindy”) Jones-Shoeman earned her MA in English from Colorado State University in 2007; her thesis was "Toni ...
