An annotated bibliography is a list of references with an added feature - a paragraph below each reference called an annotation.

An annotation may include the following information:

• Summary
• Assessment (also called: Evaluation)
• Reflection

Your instructor will explain the details she/he wants included in an annotation for a specific assignment.

The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The length of the annotations can vary depending on the purpose and your instructor's directions.

Information adapted from the Annotated Bibliographies created by the OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Depending on the assignment, the annotated bibliography may serve a number of purposes, including but not limited to:

• A review of the literature on a particular subject
• Illustrate the quality of research that you have done
• Provide examples of the types of sources available
• Describe other items on a topic that may be of interest to the reader
• Explore the subject for further research

Always ask your instructor what she wants you to include and if there are any formatting guidelines she would like followed.