Citations and Annotated Bibliographies

Citations

All of the major style guides and handbooks are available at the service desks on all floors in the Information Commons. Copies are available on reserve at the Circulation Desk in Cudahy Library. A simple, accurate tool to help format your citations is the NCSU Citation Builder. Note the tabs across the top of each template that allow the selection of the style of choice (MLA, for example; APA is selected by default). In addition, note that for Chicago style, the citation builder supports only the author-date method. For the complete Chicago Manual of Style, including the complete notes-bibliography method, consult a quick guide or use the library's ebook edition.

Remember that all of the citation styles have a unique form for passages from the Bible. Instructions for citing scripture in each of the major styles are at https://www.messiah.edu/murraylibrary/guides/bible_cite.pdf.

Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies provide a way for authors to summarize and discuss key information in a text as it relates to their research and writing. An annotated bibliography consists of a citation, summary, and for the purposes of your assignment, commentary about the source.

Below is a sample annotation in Chicago Manual of Style formatting:

Davis, Ellen F. 2001. Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cowley Publications.
Underneath, you will add a brief summary of the work that demonstrates your understanding of the work.
Next, you will discuss significant information in your work that contributes to your understanding of the theologian.

Resources for Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated Bibliographies
by Megan Hoppe Last Updated Dec 4, 2023 178 views this year
Citing Sources
by Tracy Ruppman Last Updated Sep 23, 2024 1549 views this year

Loyola University Writing Center
Visit the Writing Center's website to receive in-person or online help for your writing assignment or submit your assignment for asynchronous feedback from a writing tutor. To set up an appointment, you will need to register for an account through My WCOnline
Annotated Bibliographies | Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
This page created by the Purdue OWL, contains a brief description of annotated bibliographies and how they're used in the research and writing process. The page also provides a detailed breakdown of an annotated bibliography, as well as sample bibliographies.
Annotated Bibliographies | University of Toronto
The library at the University of Toronto created a helpful guide to writing annotations.