Early Childhood Education: Creating an Annotated Bibliography

An abstract is a direct summary of a text. It is a basic description of an article, book, document, etc. Many of the articles you find will have an abstract already written for you. You may not copy an abstract and hand it in as an annotation.

An annotation is an explanation of a text. It includes a description of the article or book, but also has an evaluation of the reliability and usefulness of a source. It may also include your reaction to the information you have found. An annotation is something you must write in your own words.

• Read your assignment carefully!
• Don't wait until the last minute!
• Look for your instructor's definition of "Annotated Bibliography," if there is one.
• Underline or highlight specific instructions including:
• How many sources you need.
• What kind of sources you need. Books? Articles? Websites?
• Find out if your instructor wants your opinion included in the annotation.
• Figure out what citation format your instructor wants. MLA? APA?
• If you aren't sure about a certain part of your assignment, ask or email your instructor before the assignment is due!

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (articles, books, websites, etc.) being used for research that includes the citation (bibliographic information like title, author, publisher, etc.), a short description of the information in the source, and an evaluation of the source.

The description and evaluation should be written in your own words and contain information about the research method, the source credibility, conclusions about the source, and its usefullness to your research.

Along with the summary of the information, an annotated bibliography describes how the source directly relates to your research and why the source is trustworthy.

A typical annotated bibliography is around 150 words.

An annotated bibliography may be given as an assignment to help you gain a basic knowledge of a topic you are researching. It can also help you figure out if there is enough relevant information on your topic. It is a good first step in the research process because it lays out your sources and how you are planning to use them. Creating annotations helps you to read your sources more critically and carefully and decide if they are useful. By reading several sources on a topic and evaluating them, you can understand the facts, opinions, and issues surround a topic and form your own point-of-view.

If you are given an annotated bibliography as an assignment, think about the long term. Figure out if you will have a research paper due later on that will incorporate the sources you cited in your bibliography. If so, make sure you are reviewing your sources with your future paper in mind. If you do a good job on your annotations, you will know what sources to focus your paper on, and it will save you time later.

Step One: Read your assignment!

Make sure you have a clear idea of how many sources you need, how many annotations you need, and what types of sources you are looking for. 

Step Two: Make sure you have a clear and concise topic to research.

Start with a topic that interests you and falls within the requirements of your assignment. Leave room for flexibility. You may not be able to find enough sources for the topic you want, so be willing to change your topic slightly, if necessary. Look up some synonyms (words that have the same meanings) for your topic.

Step Three: Find books, articles, or websites.

Do the research! Compile a list of sources that pertain to your topic.

Make sure you are looking for full text when searching for journal articles in a database. 

Step Four: Read your sources critically and carefully!

Examine and review the items to make sure you can find the information you need. Take notes so you can use them in your summary. Choose the number of sources your assignment requires. 

   Don't just read the abstract. (For more information on abstracts, see the second box on the left side of this page).

Step Five: Create your annotated bibliography. This can be done right in Noodletools (for more information on Noodletools see the box on the top left side of this page).

1. Cite the source (book, article, etc.) using the style your instructor requested (MLA, APA, etc.).
2. Write a brief summary or description of your article in your own words, in paragraph form.
3. Evaluate your source . Make sure to check for guidelines given to you by your instructor. If there are none, try the CRAAP method:

• Currency: Is this source current? When was it written? Check your assignment for guidelines on dates.
• Relevance: Write one or more brief sentences that draw conclusions about how this source relates directly to your research. Why did you choose this source for your particular topic. How does it make your paper more accurate, credible, and informative?
• Authority and Accuracy: Write one or more sentences that talk about the credibility of the source. This can include information about the background of the author and/or information about the research methods used, and the intended audience of the research.  Who wrote the article or book? Why did they write this? Who is the content written for? Is the information supported by evidence?  Does the information provided conflict with what you already know about the topic?
• Purpose: Write one or more sentences that draw conclusions about the information in this souce. What did you learn from it? Compare this source to other sources. Why is this source important compared to other sources? Why does this information exist?

Remember you are aiming for around 150 words. So be as concise as possible.

For more information on the CRAAP Method, see the "More Information" box on the bottom left of this page.