CMST 230 - Small Group Communication (Bratton): Tips for Writing an Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is a list of books, articles and other sources used in your research. Each entry in an annotated bibliography has two parts:

1. The citation provides the author, title, date and other descriptive details about the source. Your instructor will let you know which style manual (MLA, APA, etc.) to use for formatting citations.
2. The annotation is a paragraph that describes and evaluates the content of the source.

Your instructor may have specific instructions for your annotation, but here's a 1-2-3 step system for writing an annotation:

1. Fill in the blank: This source (article/book/website) is about ___________. Say it out loud as if you're trying to explain it to someone, then write in out in no more than four sentences.
2. The author wrote this source for ________. Write one sentence describing the intended audience.
3. I am confident this is a credible source because  __________________________. Write one or two sentences describing at least two criteria you used the evaluate this source. See link below on evaluating information.

Check with your instructor to determine what they want to be included in annotations. In general, an annotation should inform the reader of the quality and relevance of the source. Annotations are detailed but succinct, typically about 150 words, and include:

• A brief summary (2-4 sentences) of the article, including the author’s name and what you think is the author’s primary point or thought.
• A description of the intended audience.
• An evaluation of the source’s usefulness, reliability, strengths and weaknesses and its value for your research.

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