What Is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is an well-organized list of sources (can include a variety of materials, books, documents, articles, web sites, DVDs, etc.) with a paragraph or two that describes, explains, and/or evaluates each entry in terms of quality, authority, and relevance.
What Is the Purpose of an Annotated Bibliography?
- An annotated bibliography may serve a number of purposes, including:
- Provide a review of the literature on a particular subject
- Provide examples of the types of sources available
- Describe other items on a topic that may be of interest to the researcher/reader
- Identify areas for further research
An annotated bibliography may be selective or comprehensive in its coverage. A selective annotated bibliography includes just those items that are best for the topic while a comprehensive (or exhaustive) annotated bibliography attempts to identify everything available on a subject or topic.
