You get an email. Your professor has just emailed you the assignment for your upcoming paper. You identify the standard requirements as you read through the paper.

Times New Roman, 12-point font, concise thesis statement, and so forth. However, you will notice a couple of strange terms at the very bottom of the requirements: annotated bibliography.

If you were anything like me in English 1, you undoubtedly wondered, "What in God's name is a 'annotated bibliography?'"

Even the greatest students might be stressed out by annotated bibliographies, especially because many students grasp the art of works cited by the time they enter college. 

Don't worry, we'll go through exactly what an annotated bibliography is, why you need to know how to create one, and how to write one.

After reading this, you’ll be writing annotated bibliographies in your sleep.

1. What’s an Annotated Bibliography?

Let's break this down first. A bibliography is a list of sources, sometimes known as a references or works cited page. That's one five-syllable word out of the way.

What exactly is an annotation?

Consider the notes you make in the margins of books (or in the comments section of Microsoft Word or a PDF Reader); you record your thoughts alongside your reading ideas.

Combine the two definitions to form a broad definition of "a work referenced page with comments." Breaking down the term should help you comprehend the basics of annotated bibliographies, but let's hear how academics define them.

"It's a list of secondary sources with complete, bibliographic citations in whatever format you're using (be consistent)," UCLA lecturer Marissa López explained.

Okay, it makes sense. What else is there?

According to UCLA professor Dr. Megan Stephan, "an annotated bibliography contains citations from books, articles, and other sources, as well as some additional information about the source: at the very least, a summary of the source's argument, and likely some consideration of whether (and how) the source is relevant to a particular project or paper."

Awesome! Consider all of the many sorts of sources available to you.

"It identifies all sources found by students when researching essays and references them in the manner specified on the assignment, such as MLA or APA."

"The annotations are basically summary or reference notes on the article to assist students recall what the article was about and why they could utilize it in their essay," Long Beach City College lecturer Anthony Starros explained.

Let's combine all of the definitions. An annotated bibliography is a list of all your sources that includes comments on each source and how you utilized it in your essay.

See?

Doesn't that seem less daunting now?

2. Why Make an Annotated Bibliography?

If you're working on a long project, such as a thesis or dissertation, or even on a topic that is only distantly linked to earlier research, annotated bibliographies will remain beneficial for as long as you continue to study the issue and will keep you from duplicating effort.

Consider spending weeks on a research paper and gathering 20 sources (it happens, trust me).

Finally, on page 22, you come up with the right support to back up your assertion. But you can't recall where you acquired it. What sounds more appealing?

Looking through all sources for the one bit of assistance you require, or browsing through annotations?

Sorry about the works referenced page; I had to agree with Dr. Stephan on this one.

3. How Do You Write an Annotated Bibliography?

We can all guess why you came here.

Let's develop an annotated bibliography now that you've learned everything there is to know about them. To begin, how should you organize your sources?

It depends on the format, just like any other works referenced page. Depending on the assignment, you may be required to write your sources in MLA, APA, Chicago, or another style imposed by the Apostles of Writing.

Don't be concerned about this portion. Your lecturer will advise you on the best style to utilize.

Here's a question you probably didn't expect us to ask: when should your annotated bibliography begin?

Writing your paper last appears appealing since you have greater fish to fry.

Don’t you should ideally begin it before you begin drafting your paper.

Why is this the case?

According to Starros, "an annotated bibliography is a document that organizes information that students may or may not utilize as evidence in an academic essay."

You must list both the sources that you utilize and those that you do not use.

Why, yet again?

Annotated bibliographies, as I said in the last section, do more than merely list your sources.

They keep track of your research.

You must list the sources that almost made it into your paper and explain why they did not. Let's talk about the hardest element of creating an annotated bibliography: the annotation.

What format should your annotations take?

We have some good news—or terrible news, depending on your preference for structure. There is no right method to write annotations unless your lecturer specifies otherwise.

If your lecturer instructs you to write 150 words for each annotation, do so. That doesn't mean you should just write whatever rubbish your fatigued brain comes up with at 3 a.m.

“An unhelpful annotation just lists a bunch of information, doesn’t connect it in a clear narrative and doesn’t address the effectiveness of the piece,” López said.

Remember that the annotations are only for you.

Why squander a chance to assist yourself?

So, let's look at how to create a useful annotation.

"The most basic annotations are summaries of a source's main argument; more complex annotations may also provide summaries of secondary arguments, evaluations of arguments, and other editorial material that indicates not only what the source was about but what the reader thinks of it," Stephan explained.

A good annotation will help you recall the essential elements of a source and what you thought of it when you read it; an unhelpful annotation will contain hazy or ambiguous information about the source, forcing you to return to the source to find out what your annotation means.

Professor López even provided some guide questions.

"What’s the topic, generally speaking?

What question is at issue in regards to the topic?

What position does the author take in relation to the question?

What evidence do they offer to support their position?

Did they convince you?

Did they make a compelling argument?

Why or why not?” López said.

In a few simple phrases, an excellent annotation tells you all you need to know about the source. If you must utilize a source because it contains two competing viewpoints, summarize the two arguments.

Only write about what you require and how it assists (or does not assist). Don't feel obligated to pay attention to minute details; keep things brief. Give yourself enough information so that you don't have to scratch your brain trying to figure out how to incorporate a source into your paper.

Hopefully, this article will have given you a new viewpoint on annotated bibliographies. Think of them as your own research helper rather than an impediment that keeps you from resting after you finish your report.