LibGuides: Annotated Bibliographies: What to Include in your Annotations

Your instructor may want certain elements in your annotated bibliography, so please check their requirements and follow those.

In general, annotations include a citation for your source (using the proper citation style) that is formatted with a hanging indent (the first line is not indented, all lines following are indented .5 inches).
The annotations themselves are usually indented either .5 inches or 1 inch, depending on style used.
Annotations may include:
- A brief summary of the resource.
- A comment on the intended audience for the resource.
- A short comparison to a different resource in your bibliography.
- A description of how the resource could be used in your larger research.

For an additional resource, Chapter Two of Writing Responsibly in Everything's An Argument includes guidance on summarizing resources, as well as a sample annotated bibliography:

Everything's an Argument with Writing Responsibly by Andrea A. Lunsford; John J. Ruszkiewicz; Sherrie Weller
ISBN: 9781319147143

Publication Date: 2022

"This writing guide is designed to help you anticipate and navigate the sophistication and diversity of writing you will engage in ... It is organized around the four forms [of writing] summary, analysis, synthesis, and argument ..." Page 4.

Click here to check out this article on annotated bibliographies from SAGE Knowledge!
This resource gives another explanation of how to approach annotated bibliographies, and how they can be helpful as you move forward with your project.