Explaining Annotated Bibliography

[David]

“An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents [arranged in alphabetical order]. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.”

An Annotated Bibliography consists of alphabetically organized entries in Chicago (14.64) or MLA, but not APA, style followed by brief comments. These annotations range from a short phrase or sentence to a paragraph of about 100-300 words.
There are few limitations to the types of sources that you can include, and your list may consist of sources that range from books and academic journals to food labels and tweets. When your research is related to a scholastic assignment, you should always verify your instructor’s requirements for the types and number of sources to include, as well as the style you should adhere to when formatting your paper and bibliography.

A descriptive annotation summarizes the source.
A critical annotation evaluates the source and compares it to others.

A descriptive annotation briefly explains the document’s content, coverage or scope. Consider the time and format of publication and the author’s purpose and audience. Choose language that shows how the entry is related to the topic.

Last step - polish!
To revise annotations, use the RACU acronym:

R = Redundancy. Is each source of unique value? Delete those that pad but don’t add! (Don’t worry, they can be undeleted if you change your mind.).

A = Authority. What relevant knowledge or expertise does this author bring to this topic? Identify specialization, not just general credentials.

C = Context. How does the historical context (the time and circumstances of its creation) and/or the publishing context (the process and format of its publication) relate to the topic?

U = Use. Why was this document useful? Indicate it’s unique value for learning about the topic and/or writing the argument or creating the product.