Annotated bibliographies
This assignment type asks you to summarise a source, such as an article or book chapter.
- Use full sentences and paragraphs (unless told otherwise by your lecturer)
- Write one summary per source (often about 250 to 300 words each)
- Provide a full reference at the beginning (not part of the word count)
- Identify the research topic and context
- Identify 2-3 main research findings
- State the overall finding/significance of the research
- Organise the sources in alphabetical order by author surname
Example annotated bibliography entry
Some assignment instructions may ask you to focus on other aspects of the source as well, such as research methodologies.
Video (1:34)
More explanation
Sentence starters
Sentence starters
Related workshops
Each entry in an annotated bibliography begins with a full reference. Each source type (journal article, book chapter, website, etc) has slightly different formatting.
Example full reference for a journal article
APA reference lists: Journal articles video (2:04)
More about referencing
- AUT’s APA referencing video playlist
- Massey University's APA Interactive (easy to use)
- AUT's APA 6th guide
- AUT's Chicago/Turabian guide
Related workshops
Preparing to write annotated bibliographies
A note-taking grid can help you organise content from readings before you start writing your annotated bibliography.
You can create a grid like this for any assignment. Here’s a downloadable template you can use to get started.
Video (0:31)
More explanation
Journals are collections of articles which focus on particular topics. These articles are published periodically, such as four times a year. One common purpose of an article is to report on new research. For an annotated bibliography, journal articles can provide you with up-to-date content on topics you have to write or talk about. To efficiently read journal articles, you need to:
- Quickly decide if the article is relevant for your assignment
- Understand the structure so that you can find specific kinds of information
First page skimming
Information on the first page of the article will often help you decide if you should read further.
Abstracts are particularly good for quickly deciding if the content matches what you need for your assignment. They are usually organised into distinctive parts that provide an overview of the whole article.
Abstract structure
Reading shortcuts
It is not always necessary to read the whole article. Two common shortcuts are:
Scanning: Use section headings of the article to find specific kinds of information.
Top and tail reading: slowly read the introduction section and then the conclusion to get a more detailed overview.
Common sections of a journal article
Journal articles commonly have distinctive parts (eg, Abstract, Literature Review, Discussion…). Each part has a clear function, which helps you to find specific information. (You may not need to read the whole thing.)
An annotated bibliography requires you to paraphrase key content from readings, such as findings in research articles.
Paraphrasing means that you:
- Rewrite something in your own words, and
- Include the author’s surname and year of publication (in an annotated bibliography, you wouldn’t normally do this unless you refer to another source in your summary)
Example of paraphrasing a research finding
Video (1:49)
An example of paraphrasing talked through and explained.
Video (2:02)
Three paraphrasing strategies explained with examples.