An annotated bibliography is a list of sources where each citation is followed by a short paragraph — the annotation — describing and assessing that source. It’s a bibliography that does more work: it shows you’ve read and judged your sources, not just collected them. Here’s how to write one.
What each annotation contains
A good annotation (usually 100–200 words) covers three things:
- Summary — what the source is about and its main argument or findings.
- Evaluation — how credible, reliable, or useful it is; the author’s authority; any bias or limitation.
- Relevance — how it fits your project: what it contributes to your research question.
Not every assignment wants all three — check your brief — but most want at least a summary and a note on relevance.
The format
Each entry is a full citation (APA, MLA, etc.) followed by the annotation paragraph, indented beneath it. Entries are listed alphabetically by author, just like a normal reference list.
Susanto, A. (2023). Research methods. Penerbit Andi. This text outlines qualitative and quantitative methods… (summary). It is widely cited and authored by a recognized methodologist (evaluation). It informs the methodology chapter of this study (relevance).
Build the citations consistently with the citation generator, and see our bibliography guide for formatting the references themselves.
How to write the annotations efficiently
- Read the source and note its argument, method, and findings.
- Summarize in your own words — the summarizer gives a fast first pass on a dense article, which you then rewrite in your voice (paraphrasing still needs the citation — see paraphrasing vs plagiarism).
- Add your evaluation and relevance — this is your own analysis, and where the marks are.
Keep annotations tight and consistent
Each annotation should be concise and roughly the same length and structure. Run them through the grammar checker and the readability checker, and tighten wordy ones with the paraphraser on Shorten mode.
Summary, evaluation, relevance — three short moves per source, consistently formatted, and your annotated bibliography shows real engagement with your sources.
AI-powered — please review results before use.