Each department/discipline may have different requirements for annotated bibliographies. The following steps are general guidelines on how to create an annotated bibliography:
1. Locate literature that contains useful information on your topic. Try to choose works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
2. Cite each resource using your subject specific citation style (e.g. APA or MLA).
3. Review each item by writing an evaluation of the work and how it is interesting and important to your research. This is the annotated portion and each reviewed item should:
(a) Offer your explanation of the main findings revealed in the article,
(b) Include your reasoning/thinking on how this specific study pertains to your inquiry, questions and/or research,
(c) Provide your assessment of the source reliability and evidence for this,
(d) Use brief and precise language - aim for a short paragraph. Always use your own voice and avoid jargon wherever possible.
(e) Create a list of unfamiliar scientific terms and write their meanings in your own words, and place it at the end of the annotated bibliography.
4. Arrange the bibliography alphabetically as specified by your citation style guide.