A bibliography is a list of works (books, articles, films, etc.) on a particular topic. An annotated bibliography includes a paragraph following each citation that summarizes the work. An annotation can help the reader determine the value of each work on the topic and the contribution it might make to his own research.
Check with your instructor to determine what he/she wants to be included in annotations. In general, an annotation should inform the reader of the quality and relevance of the source. Annotations are detailed but succinct, typically about 150 words, and include:
a brief summary (2-4 sentences) of the article, including the author’s name and what you think is the author’s primary point or thought;
For more information, see:
This information was adapted with permission from How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography, Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame.
An abstract
is a summary of the main points or topics the article will discuss. The abstract is written by the author of the article, or an editor, and is intended to help you decide whether or not the work is relevant enough for you to read in full.
Annotations serve a different function from that of abstracts.
Annotations are evaluations of sources written by someone researching a topic. An annotation will describe the work and may give the background of its author, but they also critique the resource and explain its strengths and weaknesses.
To sum up:
Move Trailer VS Movie Reviews
When a movie is released, the movie studio puts out a trailer (and some billboards) that advertise the movie to us. These previews aim to give us a taste of what the movie is about in order to encourage us to go see the entire film. A movie trailer is the film world's version of an abstract.
Movies are also reviewed by columnists at the New York Times and other papers, as well as by movie fans on blogs and on social media. These reviewers provide us with an overview of the film's plot, some background on its director and cast, and a critique of the film as a whole. As a movie review is a description and evaluation of a film, it functions like an annotation.
This information was adapted with permission from the following: Annotated bibliographies, Pierce College Library.
There are different kinds of annotations, depending on what might be most important for your reader to learn about a source. Three common types of annotated bibliographies are Descriptive, Informative, and Critical.
A Descriptive annotation may summarize:
This type of annotation seeks to answer the question, Does this source cover or address the topic I am researching?
This information was adapted with permission rom the following: How to prepare an annotated bibliography Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame.
An Informative annotation:
This type of annotation seeks to answer these types of questions, What are the author's main arguments? What conclusions did the author draw?
Critical annotation includes value judgments or comments on the effectiveness of the work. In this context, critical means evaluative and may include both positive and negative comments. A critical annotation may contain the information found in a descriptive annotation and discuss some of the following features:
This type of annotation seeks to answer these types of questions:
