A bibliography is a list of citations put together on a topic of interest.
An annotation is a commentary a reader makes after critically reading an information source.
An annotated bibliography consists of bibliographic information plus one to three paragraphs that summarize, analyze, and evaluate sources for their usefulness in an assignment.
The annotation should focus on three points: summary, analysis, and reflection. Below are some suggestions for how to get started on the annotations. Not all of the questions in each category will be included in each annotation, but they are a useful starting point.
What is the source about? What is its thesis?
What are the main arguments or supporting points in the source?
What is the author’s purpose?
Is this source useful to the current research project?
Is this information reliable?
Is this information objective, or is there bias?
What is the goal of this source: to persuade, to inform, or to do something else?
Is it successful?
Was this source helpful in the research?
Did this source challenge an existing opinion on the subject?
Will it be included in the final paper? How will it be used?
To whom would this source be recommended? Why?
A citation describes a book, journal article, website, or other published item and gives credit to the originator of an idea. Appropriate use of citations prevents instances of plagiarism. In addition, a citation enables the reader of the work to retrieve the item you have referenced. Citations should reflect all of the information a person would need to locate a particular source (e.g. author's name, title of work, publication title, volume & issue number, web address, etc)
In-text citations consist of just enough information to correspond to a source's full citation in a Works Cited list. In-text citations often require a page number (or numbers) showing exactly where the relevant information was found in the original source material.
AppState's University Writing Center has assembled a set of resources on citation styles and is the recommended place to start if you need help.
