Annotated bibliographies

Each source listed in the annotated bibliography has a citation and an annotation

Citation

The citation or reference is the information a reader needs to find the original source. You can find out more about citations in the Introduction to Referencing module. Each citation should be in a consistent format according to the citation style recommended by your course.

An example of a book citation in the Harvard style:

Marmot, M. and Wilkinson, R. (2006) Social determinants of health. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Annotation

The annotation is the descriptive and critical summary of the content of the source. It can be evaluative or reflective. Annotations are different from the abstracts which you find at the beginning of journal articles, which are mainly descriptive, as they include a critical element.

Annotations are usually about 150-200 words long and may contain about 4-6 sentences, but requirements can vary, so please do check your assignment brief.

An annotation by Michelle Crowther

The three key components are:

  1. Description of content - what is it about?
  2. Summary of argument - what is its argument?
  3. Evaluation of its benefit/relevance - why is it relevant?

This may include the following:

  1. A brief summary of the source outlining the focus/purpose of the work.
  2. An explanation of its relevance to your research topic/field of study and/or its relationships to other studies in the field.
  3. The strengths or weaknesses of the argument and/or research methodology.
  4. Information about the authority and credibility of the author.
  5. The conclusions or observations of the author and your reflection or response to this.

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