MONT 155Q-F01: Laboring Under Illusion (Beard)

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is like an expanded Works Cited list. In an annotated bibliography, you provide a citation for your source and then add an annotation that describes and evaluates the source. Creating an annotated bibliography is an opportunity for you to think critically about your sources and how you will use them in your research. It can also help you keep track of the key arguments and content of each source and identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Parts of an Annotated Bibliography

1. Citation: Start with a complete citation in your chosen citation style. Your sources should be listed in your annotated bibliography in the same order and format as you would list them in a typical Works Cited/References page.
2. Annotation: Each citation is followed by a descriptive annotation. Keep in mind that your annotation is not simply a summary of the source. It should include some analysis and evaluation of the source. Think back to the section of this guide about evaluating sources - those questions may help you form your annotation. Some things to consider are:
   • Arguments: What is the author trying to say or prove? How successful or unsuccessful are they?
   • Comparison: How does this source compare to others you have found? Does it provide a similar perspective to other sources? A different perspective? What is unique about this source's argument?
   • Usefulness: What is useful or not useful about this source? Why would someone want to use it, or why do you want to use it?
   • Other information: What else stands out about this source? What do you want to remember about it?

Annotated Bibliography Tips

• Avoid simply summarizing the source. Use your annotations to think about the main arguments in the source and how it connects to your overall research.
• Think about how your sources relate to each other. Research is a conversation! The sources you find should connect to each other in some way. Maybe they provide different perspectives on a similar theme. Maybe they support each other's findings, or maybe they disagree with each other. Think about common themes and points of disagreement in your sources and how this connects to your research question.
• Consider what is unique about each source. Why would you use this source in your research over another? What new or interesting perspective does it add to the conversation?
• Include what is helpful about a source in the annotation. This can even be with a sentence that starts with "This article is useful for..." Your annotations should work as a tool for deciding how how to use sources in your research. 

Research Notetaking

Take notes while you're reading of any themes, ideas, or questions that come up. The Sample Methods of Research Notetaking document linked below gives some suggestions for how to take notes while you're reading.