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Annotated Bibliography Samples

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This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS.

Below you will find sample annotations from annotated bibliographies, each with a different research project. Remember that the annotations you include in your own bibliography should reflect your research project and/or the guidelines of your assignment.

As mentioned elsewhere in this resource, depending on the purpose of your bibliography, some annotations may summarize, some may assess or evaluate a source, and some may reflect on the source’s possible uses for the project at hand. Some annotations may address all three of these steps. Consider the purpose of your annotated bibliography and/or your instructor’s directions when deciding how much information to include in your annotations.

Please keep in mind that all your text, including the write-up beneath the citation, must be indented so that the author's last name is the only text that is flush left.

Sample MLA Annotation

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . Anchor Books, 1995.

Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic.

In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.

Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.

In the sample annotation above, the writer includes three paragraphs: a summary, an evaluation of the text, and a reflection on its applicability to his/her own research, respectively.

For information on formatting MLA citations, see our MLA 9th Edition (2021) Formatting and Style Guide .

Sample APA Annotation

Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America . Henry Holt and Company.

In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles in each situation.

An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreich’s project is timely, descriptive, and well-researched.

The annotation above both summarizes and assesses the book in the citation. The first paragraph provides a brief summary of the author's project in the book, covering the main points of the work. The second paragraph points out the project’s strengths and evaluates its methods and presentation. This particular annotation does not reflect on the source’s potential importance or usefulness for this person’s own research.

For information on formatting APA citations, see our APA Formatting and Style Guide .

Sample Chicago Manual of Style Annotation

Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess . London: Routledge, 1998.

Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of the major roles filled by the numerous pagan goddesses of Northern Europe in everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic arts like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant archaeological evidence, patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous research. The book includes a number of black and white photographs of relevant artifacts.

This annotation includes only one paragraph, a summary of the book. It provides a concise description of the project and the book's project and its major features.

For information on formatting Chicago Style citations, see our Chicago Manual of Style resources.

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Writing an Annotated Bibliography

• Understanding Core Elements
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Annotations

What is an annotation.

An annotation is a short (100-300 words) summary or critical evaluation of a source. Annotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project.

What is an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but it also includes an annotation after each source cited. Annotated bibliographies are a great research tool. 

What Goes Into an Annotation?

Most annotations both summarize and evaluate. Be sure to check with your professors to know what they want in annotations. 

A summary describes the source by answering who wrote the document and their overall argument. You don't need to include every part of the argument; just the parts that are most relevant to your topic.

An evaluation  critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Check for any biases, holes, or particular strengths. Try out this Quick-How-To about  Evaluating Sources  for detailed guidance on assessing a source.

Tip:  Annotations are original descriptions that you create after reading the document. You may find a short summary, often titled "abstract," at the beginning of journal articles. Do not copy the abstract as that would be plagiarism.

Writing an Annotation

Cite the source using MLA style.

Describe the main ideas, arguments, themes, theses, or methodology, and identify the intended audience.

Explain the author’s expertise, point of view, and any bias he/she may have.

Compare to other sources on the same topic that you have also cited to show similarities and differences.

Explain why each source is useful for your research topic and how it relates to your topic.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each source.

Identify the observations or conclusions of the author. 

Tips on Writing and Formatting

Each annotation should be one or two paragraphs and between three to six sentences long (about 100- 300 words total).

All lines should be double-spaced (unless your professor has noted a different format).

Do not add an extra line between the citations.

Try to be objective, and give explanations if you state any opinions.

Use the third person (e.g., he, she, the author) instead of the first person (e.g., I, my, me), unless discussing your own research.

Sample Annotation

London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly , vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 1982, pp. 81-89.

Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He does not refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.

Adapted from: "How to Write Annotated Bibliographies."  Memorial University Libraries ,  www.library.mun.ca/researchtools/guides/writing/annotated_bibl/ .

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Annotated Bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography Template

• MLA Annotated Bibliography Template

This sample annotated bibliography shows you the structure you should use to write an MLA annotated bibliography and gives examples of evaluative and summary annotations.

It can be used as a template to set up your assignment.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

Useful Links for Annotated Bibliographies

• Annotated Bibliographies Overview of purpose and form of annotated bibliographies from the Purdue OWL.
• Annotated Bibliography Sample Sample annotations in an MLA and an APA annotated bibliography. From the Purdue OWL.
• Annotated Bibliography Breakdown An example of an MLA annotated bibliography. From the Purdue OWL.

Annotations

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.

Types of Annotations

 A summary annotation describes the source by answering the following questions: who wrote the document, what the document discusses, when and where was the document written, why was the document produced, and how was it provided to the public. The focus is on description. 

 An evaluative annotation includes a summary as listed above but also critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Evaluative annotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project. The focus is on description and evaluation.

Writing an Evaluative Annotation

• Cite the source using MLA style.
• Describe the main ideas, arguments, themes, theses, or methodology, and identify the intended audience.
• Explain the author’s expertise, point of view, and any bias he/she may have.
• Compare to other sources on the same topic that you have also cited to show similarities and differences.
• Explain why each source is useful for your research topic and how it relates to your topic.
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
• Identify the observations or conclusions of the author. 

Basic Tips on Writing and Formatting

• Each annotation should be one paragraph, between three to six sentences long (about 150- 200 words).
• Start with the same format as a regular Works Cited list.
• All lines should be double-spaced. Do not add an extra line between the citations.
• If your list of citations is especially long, you can organize it by topic.
• Try to be objective, and give explanations if you state any opinions.
• Use the third person (e.g., he, she, the author) instead of the first person (e.g., I, my, me)

Sample Evaluative Annotation

London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly , vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 1982, pp. 81-69. Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He does not refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.

Adapted from:

"How to Write Annotated Bibliographies."  Memorial University Libraries , www.library.mun.ca/researchtools/guides/writing/annotated_bibl/. Accessed 29 June 2016.

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• Last Updated: Nov 7, 2023 5:26 PM
• URL: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/MLA9

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography - MLA Style

What is an annotation, how is an annotation different from an abstract, what is an annotated bibliography, types of annotated bibliographies, descriptive or informative, analytical or critical, to get started.

An annotation is more than just a brief summary of an article, book, website, or other type of publication. An annotation should give enough information to make a reader decide whether to read the complete work. In other words, if the reader were exploring the same topic as you, is this material useful and if so, why?

While an abstract also summarizes an article, book, website, or other type of publication, it is purely descriptive. Although annotations can be descriptive, they also include distinctive features about an item. Annotations can be evaluative and critical and the two major types of annotations included here demonstrate the difference.

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources (like a reference list). It differs from a straightforward bibliography in that each reference is followed by a paragraph length annotation, usually 100–200 words in length.

Depending on the assignment, an annotated bibliography might have different purposes:

• Provide a literature review on a particular subject
• Help to formulate a thesis on a subject
• Demonstrate the research you have performed on a particular subject
• Provide examples of major sources of information available on a topic
• Describe items that other researchers may find of interest on a topic

There are two major types of annotated bibliographies:

A descriptive or informative annotated bibliography describes or summarizes a source as does an abstract; it describes why the source is useful for researching a particular topic or question and its distinctive features. In addition, it describes the author's main arguments and conclusions without evaluating what the author says or concludes.

For example:

Gabbin, Joanne V. "Maya Angelou--The Peoples' Poet Laureate: An Introduction."  Langston Hughes Review , vol. 19, Spring 2005, pp. 3-6.  LION: Literature Online , gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:lion&rft_id=xri:lion:ft:criticism:R04012678:0&rft.accountid=14580. This scholarly article is a critical introduction to the works of Maya Angelou, and the criteria surrounding her success as a poet laureate. The author points out Angelou's literary influences, which include William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Douglas Johnson, Langston Hughes, among others. This article also points out that her poetry lacks cultural boundaries, yet her trademark lies in the secular chants, songs, and games of the black vernacular tradition. The author discusses dialect and vernacular rhythms in several of Angelou's poems, and compares several of her works to the racy dialect of Sterling Brown and Langston Hughes. Also discussed is her political cultural voice and her deep understanding of emotion. This article is distinctive in its discussion of the need for a poet laureate to add to an audience's collective memory.

Please pay attention to the last sentence. While it points out distinctive features about the item it does not analyze the author's conclusions.

An analytical or critical annotation not only summarizes the material, it analyzes what is being said. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of what is presented as well as describing the applicability of the author's conclusions to the research being conducted.

Analytical or critical annotations will most likely be required when writing for a college-level course.

Gabbin, Joanne V. "Maya Angelou--The Peoples' Poet Laureate: An Introduction."  Langston Hughes Review , vol. 19, Spring 2005, pp. 3-6.  LION: Literature Online , gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:lion&rft_id=xri:lion:ft:criticism:R04012678:0&rft.accountid=14580. This scholarly article is a critical introduction to the works of Maya Angelou, and the criteria surrounding her success as a poet laureate. The author points out Angelou's literary influences, that include William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Douglas Johnson, Langston Hughes, among others. This article also points out that her poetry lacks cultural boundaries, yet her trademark lies in the secular chants, songs, and games of the black vernacular tradition. The author discusses dialect and vernacular rhythms in several of Angelou's poems, and compares several of her works to the racy dialect of Sterling Brown and Langston Hughes. Also discussed is her political cultural voice and her deep understanding of emotion. This article is a good resource for those wanting to explore criteria related to the achievement of the award of poet laureate and how Angelou meets the criteria. This article begins to explore the poet's works and suggests her ability to add to an audience's collective memory. The author is a professor of English at James Madison University and has authored a book on Sterling Brown and numerous critical essays.

Please pay attention to the last three sentences. They give information about the author and critique the author's research.

To write an annotated bibliography here are the steps:

• Choose your sources -  Before writing your annotated bibliography, you must choose your sources. This involves doing research much like for any other project. Locate records to materials that may apply to your topic.
• Review the items -  Then review the actual items and choose those that provide a wide variety of perspectives on your topic. Article abstracts are helpful in this process.
• The purpose of the work
• A summary of its content
• Information about the author(s)
• For what type of audience the work is written
• Its relevance to the topic
• Any special or unique features about the material
• Research methodology
• The strengths, weaknesses or biases in the material

Annotated bibliographies are arranged alphabetically by the first author's last name.

Please see the  MLA Examples Page  for more information on citing in MLA style.

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• What Is an Annotated Bibliography? | Examples & Format

What Is an Annotated Bibliography? | Examples & Format

Published on March 9, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 23, 2022.

An annotated bibliography is a list of source references that includes a short descriptive text (an annotation) for each source. It may be assigned as part of the research process for a paper , or as an individual assignment to gather and read relevant sources on a topic.

Scribbr’s free Citation Generator allows you to easily create and manage your annotated bibliography in APA or MLA style. To generate a perfectly formatted annotated bibliography, select the source type, fill out the relevant fields, and add your annotation.

An example of an annotated source is shown below:

Table of contents

Annotated bibliography format: apa, mla, chicago, how to write an annotated bibliography, descriptive annotation example, evaluative annotation example, reflective annotation example, finding sources for your annotated bibliography, frequently asked questions about annotated bibliographies.

Make sure your annotated bibliography is formatted according to the guidelines of the style guide you’re working with. Three common styles are covered below:

In APA Style , both the reference entry and the annotation should be double-spaced and left-aligned.

The reference entry itself should have a hanging indent . The annotation follows on the next line, and the whole annotation should be indented to match the hanging indent. The first line of any additional paragraphs should be indented an additional time.

In an MLA style annotated bibliography , the Works Cited entry and the annotation are both double-spaced and left-aligned.

The Works Cited entry has a hanging indent. The annotation itself is indented 1 inch (twice as far as the hanging indent). If there are two or more paragraphs in the annotation, the first line of each paragraph is indented an additional half-inch, but not if there is only one paragraph.

Chicago style

In a  Chicago style annotated bibliography , the bibliography entry itself should be single-spaced and feature a hanging indent.

The annotation should be indented, double-spaced, and left-aligned. The first line of any additional paragraphs should be indented an additional time.

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For each source, start by writing (or generating ) a full reference entry that gives the author, title, date, and other information. The annotated bibliography format varies based on the citation style you’re using.

The annotations themselves are usually between 50 and 200 words in length, typically formatted as a single paragraph. This can vary depending on the word count of the assignment, the relative length and importance of different sources, and the number of sources you include.

Consider the instructions you’ve been given or consult your instructor to determine what kind of annotations they’re looking for:

• Descriptive annotations : When the assignment is just about gathering and summarizing information, focus on the key arguments and methods of each source.
• Evaluative annotations : When the assignment is about evaluating the sources , you should also assess the validity and effectiveness of these arguments and methods.
• Reflective annotations : When the assignment is part of a larger research process, you need to consider the relevance and usefulness of the sources to your own research.

These specific terms won’t necessarily be used. The important thing is to understand the purpose of your assignment and pick the approach that matches it best. Interactive examples of the different styles of annotation are shown below.

A descriptive annotation summarizes the approach and arguments of a source in an objective way, without attempting to assess their validity.

In this way, it resembles an abstract , but you should never just copy text from a source’s abstract, as this would be considered plagiarism . You’ll naturally cover similar ground, but you should also consider whether the abstract omits any important points from the full text.

The interactive example shown below describes an article about the relationship between business regulations and CO 2 emissions.

Rieger, A. (2019). Doing business and increasing emissions? An exploratory analysis of the impact of business regulation on CO 2 emissions. Human Ecology Review , 25 (1), 69–86. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26964340

An evaluative annotation also describes the content of a source, but it goes on to evaluate elements like the validity of the source’s arguments and the appropriateness of its methods .

For example, the following annotation describes, and evaluates the effectiveness of, a book about the history of Western philosophy.

Kenny, A. (2010). A new history of Western philosophy: In four parts . Oxford University Press.

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A reflective annotation is similar to an evaluative one, but it focuses on the source’s usefulness or relevance to your own research.

Reflective annotations are often required when the point is to gather sources for a future research project, or to assess how they were used in a project you already completed.

The annotation below assesses the usefulness of a particular article for the author’s own research in the field of media studies.

Manovich, Lev. (2009). The practice of everyday (media) life: From mass consumption to mass cultural production? Critical Inquiry , 35 (2), 319–331. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/596645

Manovich’s article assesses the shift from a consumption-based media culture (in which media content is produced by a small number of professionals and consumed by a mass audience) to a production-based media culture (in which this mass audience is just as active in producing content as in consuming it). He is skeptical of some of the claims made about this cultural shift; specifically, he argues that the shift towards user-made content must be regarded as more reliant upon commercial media production than it is typically acknowledged to be. However, he regards web 2.0 as an exciting ongoing development for art and media production, citing its innovation and unpredictability.

The article is outdated in certain ways (it dates from 2009, before the launch of Instagram, to give just one example). Nevertheless, its critical engagement with the possibilities opened up for media production by the growth of social media is valuable in a general sense, and its conceptualization of these changes frequently applies just as well to more current social media platforms as it does to Myspace. Conceptually, I intend to draw on this article in my own analysis of the social dynamics of Twitter and Instagram.

Before you can write your annotations, you’ll need to find sources . If the annotated bibliography is part of the research process for a paper, your sources will be those you consult and cite as you prepare the paper. Otherwise, your assignment and your choice of topic will guide you in what kind of sources to look for.

Make sure that you’ve clearly defined your topic , and then consider what keywords are relevant to it, including variants of the terms. Use these keywords to search databases (e.g., Google Scholar ), using Boolean operators to refine your search.

Sources can include journal articles, books, and other source types , depending on the scope of the assignment. Read the abstracts or blurbs of the sources you find to see whether they’re relevant, and try exploring their bibliographies to discover more. If a particular source keeps showing up, it’s probably important.

Once you’ve selected an appropriate range of sources, read through them, taking notes that you can use to build up your annotations. You may even prefer to write your annotations as you go, while each source is fresh in your mind.

An annotated bibliography is an assignment where you collect sources on a specific topic and write an annotation for each source. An annotation is a short text that describes and sometimes evaluates the source.

Any credible sources on your topic can be included in an annotated bibliography . The exact sources you cover will vary depending on the assignment, but you should usually focus on collecting journal articles and scholarly books . When in doubt, utilize the CRAAP test !

Each annotation in an annotated bibliography is usually between 50 and 200 words long. Longer annotations may be divided into paragraphs .

The content of the annotation varies according to your assignment. An annotation can be descriptive, meaning it just describes the source objectively; evaluative, meaning it assesses its usefulness; or reflective, meaning it explains how the source will be used in your own research .

A source annotation in an annotated bibliography fulfills a similar purpose to an abstract : they’re both intended to summarize the approach and key points of a source.

However, an annotation may also evaluate the source , discussing the validity and effectiveness of its arguments. Even if your annotation is purely descriptive , you may have a different perspective on the source from the author and highlight different key points.

You should never just copy text from the abstract for your annotation, as doing so constitutes plagiarism .

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MLA Style Guide, 9th Edition: MLA Annotated Bibliography

• Works Cited entries: What to Include
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• Formatting Your MLA Paper
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• MLA Annotated Bibliography

What is an annotation?

an•no•ta•tion : n. 1. The act or process of furnishing critical commentary or explanatory notes. 2. A critical or explanatory note; a commentary.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., Houghton Mifflin, 2009.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

A list of citations for books, articles, websites, and other materials where each citation is accompanied by a brief descriptive and evaluative statement, called an annotation .

Annotations are different from the abstracts you will find accompanying journal article citations in online databases. Abstracts are descriptive. Your annotation must extend beyond the descriptive element to include an evaluation of the book or article.

Why Annotations?

An annotated bibliography is a tool for exploring a topic of interest. The process of reading and reflecting on the materials you find in the gathering part of the research process can help you understand the topic, identify multiple perspectives, explore different methods used to investigate the topic, and give you ideas for developing the thesis for your paper.

How are Annotations Created?

• Locate and record the citations for articles, books, and other materials you will use for your paper. You need to gather enough sources to represent a range of perspectives on your topic.
• Create the citation using the MLA Handbook, Ninth Edition . Tools that can help you with this include handouts received in class and in the library.
• Write the annotation directly below the citation, indented one inch from the start of the entry.
• Consider the questions below. Keep it short but be very complete.

Questions to consider when evaluating the item and writing your annotation include:

• What education, experience and/or background does the author have which contributes to their being an authority on the topic?
• Who is the intended audience for the book or article and how does that influence the presentation of the information?
• How does this work contribute to your argument or support claims about your topic?
• What are the main conclusions of the author(s) and what evidence do they use to support them?

The MLA Handbook, Ninth Edition guidelines for an annotation are to indent the annotation one inch from the start of the entry to distinguish it from the half-inch hanging indent of the entry. The annotation is double spaced with no gap between the citation and the annotation.

Annotation should be no more than one paragraph; however, if you need several paragraphs, indent each one but do not add an extra space between paragraphs. Follow your instructor's guidelines on the length and format for your specific assignment. Below is an example of an annotated bibliography in MLA 9th edition style.

Annotated Bibliographies. University Libraries, U of Nevada Las Vegas, www.library.unlv.edu/, 2018.

• MLA 9th Edition Annotated Bibliography Template
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MLA annotated bibliography

An annotated bibliography is a list containing complete information of sources, such as journals, books, and reports, cited in the text, along with a note or annotation for each source. It provides a brief description of each source in about 100–150 words.

Objective of an annotated bibliography

An annotated bibliography can explain the topics covered in the source or evaluate the source. The main objective of giving the annotation is to provide the reader the importance, accuracy, and value of the source. When you add an annotation, do not try to cite evidence, talk about unnecessary points, or quote the author.

Types of annotations

Annotations are of two types:

Summary annotation

Evaluative annotation

A summary annotation provides critical information about the source or a description of it. Summary annotations explain the purpose and the topics covered in the source.

An evaluative annotation, as the name implies, evaluates a source. It examines a source and reveals its quality by evaluating its accuracy. It also recommends the relevance of the source. Additionally, it compares the source with other sources covering the same area. It may even include the advantages and disadvantages of a study.

General rules for creating an annotated bibliography

The annotation is given after the source entry.

Create annotation for each source in about 100–150 words.

The annotation, in general, should be written as phrases. However, they can be complete sentences too.

In general, the annotation of each source runs only for one paragraph. However, if multiple paragraphs are included, indent the second and subsequent paragraphs without any extra line space between them.

Components of an annotated bibliography

An annotated bibliography consists of two parts:

The citation

The annotation

The citation includes all possible elements of a source so as to enable the reader to locate the source easily. For example, the name of the author, title of the book, publisher, and publication date are essential basic elements to cite a book.

Morritt, Robert D. Beringia: Archaic Migrations into North America . Cambridge Scholars Pub, 2011.

The annotation provides all basic information about the source. The information can be descriptive or evaluative.

Descriptive annotation

Gives a summary of all relevant details about the source.

The author studies the migration of cultures from Asia to North America. The connection between the North American Athabaskan language family and Siberia is presented together with comparisons and examinations of the implications of linguistics from anthropological, archaeological, and folklore perspectives. This book explores the origins of the earliest people in the Americas, including Siberian, Dene, and Navajo Creation myths, linguistic comparisons between Siberian Ket Navajo and Western Apache, and comparisons between indigenous groups that appear to share the same origin.

Reflects the author’s view, shows the relevance of the paper, and provides an evaluation of the paper.

In this book, Barbara Ehrenreich shows how harmful the positive thinking movement is, how it means self-blame, victim-blaming, and national denial, inviting disaster. She shows that it wrecks efforts for education, skills, and reforms.

The book analyzes how the school of mindless optimism was born, fed the subprime scandal, and has come to infect mainstream corporate management thinking. Anyone who has sat through a toe-curling session by a motivational speaker at a company off-site will chuckle in recognition.

Arranging annotated bibliographies

Arrange your annotated bibliography entries in alphabetical order similar to how you would order entries in the works-cited list.

The order of the bibliography can be arranged according to the author, title, publication date, or subject.

Formatting the annotated bibliography

Set the left, right, top, and bottom margins as 1 inch.

Write the running head in the top right of the page at 0.5 inches from the top. Use the running head “Surname Page #.”

Title the page “Annotated Bibliography” or “Annotated List of Works Cited.” Use the former title if you also include sources in the list that are not included in your in-text citations.

The title should be aligned to the center of the page.

Write the title in bold.

Use Times New Roman font of size 12 points.

If any entry runs over more than a line, indent the subsequent lines 0.5 inches from the left margin.

The annotation is indented 1 inch from the start of the entry, that is, 0.5 inches from the hanging indent of the entries that run more than a line.

Give double-line spacing.

Example annotated bibliography

The below are examples of an annotated bibliography:

• Annotated Bibliography

The author studies the migration of cultures from Asia to North America. The connection between the North American Athabaskan language family and Siberia is presented together with comparisons and examinations of the implications of linguistics from anthropological, archaeological, and folklore perspectives. This book explores the origins of the earliest people in the Americas, including Siberian, Dene, and Navajo Creation myths; linguistic comparisons between Siberian Ket Navajo and Western Apache; and comparisons between indigenous groups that appear to share the same origin.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America . Metropolitan Books, 2009.

Key takeaways

An annotated bibliography can explain the topics covered in the source or evaluate it.

Summary annotation and evaluative annotation are two different types of annotations.

Title the page “Annotated Bibliography” or “Annotated List of Works Cited.”

Annotations for each source should not exceed 100–150 words.

MLA Formatting

• Block Quotes
• Headings & Headers
• In-text Citations
• Paper Format
• Works Cited Page
• View MLA Formatting Guide

Citation Examples

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th edition)

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• Annotated Bibliography

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

What is an Annotated Bibliography?  from  Kimbel Library  on  Vimeo .

Annotated Bibliography Template

• MLA Annotated Bibliography Template

Please note the Word document on this page are TEMPLATE. It has the framework required for an MLA annotated bibliography assigned paper. You should be able to download the template and then fill it with your own information and variable parts.

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MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: MLA Annotated Bibliography

• Works Cited entries: What to Include
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Annotated Bibliography

• Updated MLA Ninth Edition Annotated Bibliography Template

This template includes a space to add your topic and thesis statement as this is preferred for the annotated bibliography assignments in ENC courses taught at IRSC. Always follow your professor's instructions over any instructions on this LibGuide or inside the MLA Handbook.

Your professor may ask that you create an annotated bibliography in MLA style. An annotated bibliography is similar to the Works Cited page found at the end of a paper. The paper formatting is the same but instead of following a full research paper, the student will write a brief annotation for each source which will directly follow the source's Works Cited entry. The annotations contain descriptive or evaluative comments about your sources. Annotations should be short, typically no longer than one paragraph. Indent the annotation an inch from the start of the entry. Each citation should adhere to MLA guidelines. The title might be 'Annotated Bibliography' or 'Annotated List of Works Cited'.

Below is an example of an annotated bibliography in MLA style. You are welcome to use the template linked above to get you started with the correct formatting.

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MLA Citation Guide (8th Edition): Annotated Bibliography

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Annotations

An  annotated bibliography  is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source and ranges anywhere from 100-300 words. 

A nnotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project. They are a great tool in effective research.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

What is an Annotated Bibliography? from Kimbel Library on Vimeo .

Useful Links for Annotated Bibliographies

• Annotated Bibliographies Overview of purpose and form of annotated bibliographies from the Purdue OWL
• Annotated Bibliography Samples Includes a sample of one MLA annotated bibliography. From the Purdue OWL. Note: Sample annotation is cited using MLA style, 7th ed.
• Annotated Bibliography Example An example of an MLA annotated bibliography, containing two entries. From the Purdue OWL. Note: Sample annotation is cited using MLA style, 7th ed.

What Goes Into an Annotation?

Most annotations both summarize and evaluate. Be sure to check with your professor to know what she or he wants in your annotations. 

A  summary  describes the source by answering who wrote the document and what their overall argument is. You don't need to include every part of their argument; just the parts that are relevant to your topic.

An  evaluation  critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Check for any biases, holes, or particular strengths in their argument. Use the CRAAP Test to evaluate your source!

Basic Tips on Writing and Formatting

• Each annotation should be one or two paragraphs, between three to six sentences long (about 100- 300 words total).
• Start with the same format as a regular Works Cited list, including a 0.5 inch hanging indent for the citations.
• All lines should be double-spaced (though this depends on your professor's preference). Do not add an extra line between the citations.
• Try to be objective, and give explanations if you state any opinions.
• Use the third person (e.g., he, she, the author) instead of the first person (e.g., I, my, me), unless discussing your own research in relation to the source.

Writing an Annotation

• Cite the source using MLA style.
• Describe the main ideas, arguments, themes, theses, or methodology, and identify the intended audience.
• Explain the author’s expertise, point of view, and any bias he/she may have.
• Compare to other sources on the same topic that you have also cited to show similarities and differences.
• Explain why each source is useful for your research topic and how it relates to your topic.
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
• Identify the observations or conclusions of the author. 

Sample Annotation

London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly , vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 1982, pp. 81-89.

Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He does not refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.

Adapted from:

"How to Write Annotated Bibliographies."  Memorial University Libraries , www.library.mun.ca/researchtools/guides/writing/annotated_bibl/. Accessed 29 June 2016.

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• Annotated Bibliography
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What is an Annotated Bibliography & Why Write One

Mla annotated bibliography example.

• Avoiding Plagiarism

What is an Annotated Bibliography

A bibliograph y is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) you used for researching your topic. Bibliographies are called "Works Cited" (in MLA Style) and "References" (in APA Style)  Your bibliography will include the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.) that your reader would need to identify and locate the original source you're citing.

An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation of a source.

Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes your citation followed by a summary and/or evaluation of each of your sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following.

• Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say?
• Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
• Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all of these, or even others.

Be sure to always follow the specific instructions your instructor gives you.

Why Write an Annotated Bibliography

Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis. So, a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view.

Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information.

MLA tells us that, you should cite a source in an annotated bibliography just as you would in a list of works cited and then append an annotation to the end of the entry. Annotations describe and/or evaluate sources. Further, annotations should not rehash minor details, cite evidence, quote the author, or recount steps in an argument. Writing an effective annotation requires reading the work, understanding its aims, and clearly summarizing them.

To learn more about annotated bibliographies click on the link below from Purdue OWL

• Annotated Bibliographies

Sample Annotated Bibliography Using MLA

• MLA 9 Annotated Bibliography Sample

Annotated Bibliography Template

You may also want to use the template below. Just type over the words in the template with your own information, citations, and annotations.

• MLA, 9th ed. Annotated Bibliography Template
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How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

Formats for mla citations.

There is a separate format for citing each of the types of content that contribute to your research. Do not be overwhelmed! Use one of the websites below, and just copy methodically from their examples until you become familiar with the process. Time consuming at first and frankly picky beyond belief, but it will get easier.

• Purdue OWL MLA Works Cited Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) is easy to navigate and very complete instructions.

What is it?

An annotated bibliography consists of two elements : the bibliography and the annotations. These two elements are blended together: each citation is followed by an annotation.

The bibliography is a list of works cited in MLA, APA or another citation style; the annotations describe responses to the content; can be long or short. Their purpose is to make clear to a reader what was in the article or book cited and in some cases, the researcher's response to it.

This response should reflect the researcher's larger purpose in composing the bibliography. A typical annotation consists of:

• a summary of the content  
• relevance of the cited work to the research topic 
• whether the authors of the cited work achieved their goal 
• whether the material was either inadequate or original and groundbreaking, and why.

All these elements are not required however . It is up to you to decide what to include.

The form of the annotation is a piece of prose writing . It may help to think of it as a narrative of your response to the article or book you read.

Make sure you find out from your instructors what citation style they require. Set up your works cited list accordingly, and insert the annotations following each entry.

Examples in MLA Style

The citations and formatting of the bibliography should follow the current MLA Style guide , which is the 9th edition. Your instructor may prefer an earlier edition, so find out before you start.

Annotated Bibliography  

Book by one author: (note, the author's last name is the only text that is flush left.)

Vickery, Amanda.  The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England. Yale University Press,   1998 .

The Gentleman's Daughter provides an account of the lives of genteel women - the daughters of merchants, the wives of lawyers and the sisters of gentlemen. Based on a study of the letters, diaries and account books of over 100 women from commercial, professional and gentry families, mainly in provincial England, this book provides an account of the lives of genteel women in Georgian times. It challenges the currently influential view that the period witnessed a new division of the everyday worlds of privileged men and women into the separate spheres of home and work.

Works Cited List, (bibliography)

Book by one author:

Vickery, Amanda. The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England . Yale University Press, 1998.

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• URL: https://libguides.uml.edu/annotated_bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography

• Descriptive or Informative Annotated Bibliographies
• Analytical or Critical Annotated Bibliographies
• Step 1- Selecting A Topic
• Finding Reference Sources for Background Information
• Reference Databases
• Step 3 - Develop a Search Strategy
• Step 4 - Find Books and Articles
• Step 5 - Finding Additional Materials
• APA Citation Format
• MLA CItation Format
• Chicago Style Citation Format
• Turabian Citation Format
• American Medical Association Style Manual
• American Sociological Association
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Writing the Annotations
• Step 8 - Reviewing and Revising

MLA Citation Format

Where to Start

• MLA OWL (online writing lab)  -  from Excelsior College
• MLA Style Guide  (.pdf) - from the UNCW Learning Center

Other Resources

• MLA  Tutorial  -  from the MLA
• Frequently Asked Questions  - from the MLA
• MLA Handbook, 8th edition  - print book at Randall Library

For Instructors

• "MLA Crash Course" Canvas Module  - from Randall Library
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Annotated Bibliography

• Annotated Bibliography Samples
• Annotation vs Abstract

Choosing Citation Style

Help with annotated bibliography.

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What is an Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography is a list of cited sources from books, articles, documents, or websites. Some annotated bibliography summarize a source and some evaluate or assess a source. Your professor will specify the type and citation style of annotated bibliography they would like.

Sample Annotated Bibliography Entries

The following example uses APA style ( Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 6th edition, 2010)  for the journal citation:

Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults.  American Sociological Review,   51 , 541-554. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

This example uses MLA style ( MLA Handbook , 8th edition, 2016)  for the journal citation:

Waite, Linda J., et al. "Nonfamily Living and the Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults."  American Sociological Review,  vol. 51, no. 4, 1986, pp. 541-554. The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

The content in this box was created by 

Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services Cornell University Library Ithaca, NY, USA

And is used with permission.

Annotation vs. Abstract

An abstract is a descriptive summary of the contents main ideas offered of a book, article, document, or other work. An annotation is often a descriptive and critical summary of the contents main ideas added after a citation of the analyzed source. The annotation may describe the author’s view point and evaluates the source’s authority, clarity, and value.    

Ask your professor which citation style is preferred for the annotated bibliography. Research guides for APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles are noted below.

• APA Citation Style by Marian the Librarian Last Updated Nov 14, 2023 1852 views this year
• MLA Style by Eliot Boden Last Updated Nov 14, 2023 191 views this year
• Chicago/Turabian Style by Eliot Boden Last Updated Nov 14, 2023 78 views this year
• Purdue OWL - Annotated Bibliographies Annotated bibliography information from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (Purdue OWL)

Annotated Bibliography Guide in Library

Webster University's Writing Center

Whether you are an experienced academic writer or this is your first paper, Webster University's Writing Center offers writing support for students. Find help with all kinds of research projects, including "reports; résumés and cover letters; admission essays and personal statements; summaries, critical analyses, and literature reviews; research and term papers; theses and dissertations; and more." Writing Center coaches are available at all stages of the writing process from brainstorming to draft revision and everything in-between.

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Annotated bibliographies.

• Types of Annotated Bibliographies
• Published Annotated Bibliographies
• What to Include in your Annotations
• Want Help with Citations? This link opens in a new window

This page includes basic guidelines and examples from MLA, APA, and Chicago citation styles. Please follow your instructor's requirements above all.

Modern language association (mla) 9th edition.

The following information comes from MLA 9th Edition chapter 5.132 (page 226 in the print edition).

• Your source should be formatted how it would appear in a works cited list.
• Annotations should be indented  one inch  (as opposed to the half-inch hanging indent used in the citation itself).
• Generally, annotations should be one paragraph.

Example, from the MLA Handbook:

The book provides a comprehensive history of Australian print censorship and discusses its implications for questions of transnationalism and the construction of the reader.

American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition

The following information comes from APA 7th Edition chapter 9.51 (pages 307 and 308 in the print edition).

• "Most APA Style guidelines are applicable to annotated bibliographies."
• Include in-text citations if you reference other works within a single annotation.
• Format your citations in alphabetical order.
• Indent the whole annotation .5 inches.

Example, from the APA Manual:

This book chapter provides an overview of the psychosociological concept of work-life balance. The authors discuss findings from studies showing harmful effects of work-life conflict on psychological and behavioral health as well as beneficial effects of work-life facilitation, wherein one role makes a positive contribution to the other. The chapter concludes with a description of work-life balance initiatives that organizations have adopted to help employees manage their dual work and nonwork obligations and some of the key factors influencing their effectiveness.

The Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition

The following information comes from Chicago 17th Edition chapter 14.64 (page 779 in the print edition).

• Annotations are usually started on the line following citations.
• Annotations are usually indented.

Example, from the Chicago Manual:

Concentrates on the postwar period from 1945 to 1960 and presents the work of poets who identified themselves with antiformalist movements or waves, often associated with fugitive publications and little magazines ( Yugen, Neon, Kulchur, Big Table,  etc.): the most prominent groups were the Black Mountain school (Olson, Duncan) and the experimental city poets from New York (like Frank O'Hara, LeRoi Jones, and Gilbert Sorrentino) and San Francisco (the "Beats" Kerouac, Corso, Ginsberg). John Ashbery, James Schuyler, Denise Levertov, and Gary Snyder are also represented... (continues on).

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• Last Updated: Nov 17, 2023 11:00 AM
• URL: https://libguides.luc.edu/annotatedbibliography

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What is MLA?

MLA style was created by the Modern Language Association of America. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.

In MLA, you must "cite" sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

• In the body of your paper where you add a brief in-text citation.
• In the Works Cited list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

MLA Style® Resources from the Modern Languages Association

• MLA Style: Works Cited Quick Guide Learn how to use the MLA practice template to create entries in the list of works cited.
• Behind the Style: MLA Style Blog The MLA Style Blog is a companion to the Modern Language Association Handbook, Ninth Edition. The blog explore what MLA Style is and how it works in a variety of areas.
• Sample Papers Reading these papers will help you learn about organizing an argument, working with & documenting sources, and formatting your paper.

What's New in MLA 9e?

What has changed since MLA 8th edition?    

Not much! MLA 9th edition is an expansion of the 8th edition with new sections on grammar, writing advice, mindful of inclusive language, expansion endnotes & footnotes, and new guidelines for annotated bibliographies.

• Continue: if a DOI is available it is preferred over a URL or permalink.
• DOIs should now include the http:// and https://
• For general websites, copy and paste from your browser, some will include the www. and some will not. Either is acceptable.
• Full URLs are recommended but optional especially for long URLs that are three or more lines long.
• You can shorten URLs to the general site if it is excessively long.
• Don’t use shortening services such as bit.ly.
• Remember, when getting a URL from a library database where you have to log in and is behind a closed paywall; use the permalink or stable URL provided by the database. Do not copy and paste the browser URL.  
• If an article is issued by season (spring, summer, fall, winter) the first letter is now lower case.
• The appendix includes over 30 pages of citation examples listed by publication format.
• Shortening University Press publisher name. If the publisher includes University Press, abbreviate to UP. Example, Cambridge University Press would be shortened to Cambridge UP.

MLA Style Center: What's New with the Ninth Edition  includes information on formatting your research paper, citation practice template, FAQs, sample papers, and quick guide. They also provide citation guideline for  common titles of online works .

Quick Guides

• What's New in MLA 9th Edition?
• MLA Overview
• MLA 9e Quick Guide
• To Cite or Not to Cite

Plagiarism is a violation of Phillips Academy Academic Standards and Policies ( Academic Integrity ) and is defined as intentionally or unintentionally using someone else's words, works, thoughts, or expression of ideas without giving proper credit. Plagiarism also includes reusing one's own content from another assignment without citation or using one assignment for more than one class without authorization to do so.

With thanks to Seneca College Libraries

This guide is used and has been adapted with the permission of Seneca College Libraries . For information about reusing the guide, please contact [email protected] .

Note: When copying this guide, please retain this box.

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Easybib® guides & resources, mla format guide.

This is the total package when it comes to MLA format. Our easy to read guides come complete with examples and step-by-step instructions to format your full and in-text citations, paper, and works cited in MLA style. There’s even information on annotated bibliographies.

Works Cited | In-Text Citations | Bibliography | Annotated Bibliography | Website | Book | Journal | YouTube | View all MLA Citation Examples

APA Format Guide

Get the facts on citing and writing in APA format with our comprehensive guides. Formatting instructions, in-text citation and reference examples, and sample papers provide you with the tools you need to style your paper in APA.

Reference Page | In-Text Citations | Annotated Bibliography | Website | Books | Journal | YouTube | View all APA citation Examples

Chicago Format Guide

Looking to format your paper in Chicago style and not sure where to start? Our guide provides everything you need! Learn the basics and fundamentals to creating references and footnotes in Chicago format. With numerous examples and visuals, you’ll be citing in Chicago style in no time.

Footnotes | Website | Book | Journal

Harvard Referencing Guide

Learn the requirements to properly reference your paper in Harvard style. The guides we have provide the basics and fundamentals to give credit to the sources used in your work.

In-Text Citations | Books | Article | YouTube | View all Harvard Referencing Examples

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• MLA Citation Generator

Free MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

😕 What is an MLA Citation Generator?

An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.

The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an MLA Citation Generator?

MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.

It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.

The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's MLA Citation Generator?

It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for MLA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

• CNX 181: Mountains, Natural Resources, & Water
• Cite Sources
• Find Sources
• Search Tips
• Evaluating Sources

The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format style guide is commonly used to "cite sources within the language arts , cultural studies , and other humanities " ( Purdue OWL ). 

For more information on MLA and examples of citations, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) MLA website  and navigate using the left-hand side menu. Fairfield University also has a helpful guide to MLA Citation found here:  https://librarybestbets.fairfield.edu/citationguides/mla

The American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style is commonly used to cite sources in the natural and social sciences.

For more information on APA style and examples of citations, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website and navigate using the left-hand side menu. Fairfield University also has a helpful guide to APA citation found here:  https://librarybestbets.fairfield.edu/citationguides/apa

The College Library also provides direct access to the  APA Online Handbook . 

Chicago (CMOS)

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS or just Chicago) citation and format style is "most commonly used to cite sources within history and the arts " ( Purdue OWL ). 

For more information on Chicago and examples of citations, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) Chicago website and navigate using the left-hand side menu. Fairfield University also has a helpful guide to Chicago citation. There are separate guides for  Notes/Bibliography and Author/Date . Be sure to check with your faculty member to see which they would like you to use. 

The College Library also provides direct access to the Chicago Manual of Style . 

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Style Guide To Scholarly Communication is commonly used for "research papers in the field of chemistry " ( Williams College ). 

The College Library provides access to the full text of The ACS Style Guide To Scholarly Communication . 

The American Sociological Association (ASA) Style Guide is commonly used to prepare manuscripts for publication in ASA journals.  It is also used by students, researchers, et al., when writing in the field of sociology.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab website offers examples of ASA Style for In-Text (Citation) References  and References Page Formatting.

Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for different kinds of resources: books, articles, videos, and more. Following each citation there is a short paragraph (or annotation) that analyzes the source: its relevance to your research topic, its authorship, its intended audience, its accuracy, and even the methodology used. An annotated bibliography serves as a critical analysis of sources that you are consulting in your research and evaluates their relevancy and purpose. 

• Annotated Bibliography Guide from Fairfield University

Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction

What is citation? Why do we cite? 

Video created by North Carolina State University Libraries.

It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States license.

Citation Management Tools

Citation Management Tools, like Zotero and Mendeley, can help you stay organized when researching by gathering and organizing citation info for your sources. 

There are pros and cons to each tool, but we recommend starting with Zotero, since it's a open-source tool that you can take with you after you leave F&M. For more information on Zotero & Mendeley, visit the links below. 

• Zotero Homepage and Quick Start Guide
• Mendeley Homepage and Help Documentation
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CMLA: Certified Medical Laboratory

• Scholarly, Popular & Trade Sources
• Literature Review VS Annotated Bibliography
• Empirical studies
• Books, eBooks, Video
• Recommended Websites
• Health statistics
• General Searching Techniques
• PubMed Search Techniques
• Anatomy & physiology resources
• APA Help This link opens in a new window
• Evaluating Tutorials This link opens in a new window
• Need More Help?
• Annotated bibliography
• Literature review
• Annotated resource template A sample template for an annotated bibliography
• Sample APA Citation

Difference Between a Literature Review and an Annotated Bibliography

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MLA & APA Style Guide

• Setting Up Your Paper
• MLA In-Text Citations
• MLA Works Cited Page

APA In-Text Citations

• APA Reference Page
• Annotated Bibliography
• Helpul Resources

Anytime you quote OR use information from an outside source, you include an in-text citation, or sometimes referred to as a parenthetical citation, at the end of that sentence to signify where that information came from.

Basic APA In-Text Format

Paraphrasing Information: (Author(s) last name, year published) ⮕ (Fisher & Bishop, 2015).

Direct Quote: (Author(s) last name, year published, page number)  ⮕ (Fisher & Bishop, 2015, p. 21)

I'm Citing A. . .

• Source With One Author
• A Source With Two Authors
• A Source With Three or More Authors
• A Source With a Group of Authors

Use the author’s last name, a comma, and the year published.

(Guo, 2020).

Connect both authors' last names with & (ampersand), a comma, and the year.

(Dresang & Koh, 2009).

If there are 3 or more authors, use just the last name of the first author, use et al. in place of other authors, a comma, and the year.

(Vardell et al., 2020).

If you are using a source that has a group as an author, like the CDC, the first time you cite them, use the entire group name, the abbreviated name in brackets, a comma, and the year.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019).

All subsequent citations will look like this:

(CDC, 2019).

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Reference 909-384-8289 • Circulation 909-384-4448

US Musicals Annotated Bibliography/Estes: Home

A bibliography is a list of citations to sources that you have used when researching a topic. An annotated bibliography includes a summary and a thoughtful evaluation of each source. These annotations are written in paragraph form and should include the following information: 

• describe the content and focus of the source
• a short summary of key findings and arguments of the source 
• evaluations and conclusions reached by the author  

Your annotated bibliography must contain the following:

• 3 secondary sources (scholarly articles) 
• Length: Each annotation must be approximately 200 -250 words

All annotations must be in paragraph form and use complete sentences. All sources must be cited using MLA format. Please proofread carefully for clarity, organization, spelling, and grammar. 

Here are some famous musicals that you may want to research (Feel free to use one what is not on this list): 

• Wizard of Oz (1939) 
• Singin’ In The Rain (1952) 
• Grease (197?_ 
• Chicago (2001) 
• LaLa Land 
• Meet Me In St. Louis 
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 
• Hairspray 
• West Side Story
• Hamilton 
• Moulin Rouge 

Secondary Sources

WHAT IS A SECONDARY SOURCE?

Secondary sources offer analysis and commentary of events, places, and people, often using primary sources. They provide an interpretation of these sources, usually well past the time they were created or the event being studied. Since secondary sources are further removed from the source, they can offer critique and in-depth discussion of events and ideas. Secondary sources may include biographies, histories, literary criticism, journal articles, lecture or presentations, etc. For this assignment, you will specifically need scholarly articles .

Scholarly or academic journal articles meet several requirements:

• Written for and by researchers/scholars
• Peer-reviewed
• Published in an academic journal or by an academic organization
• Include full citations for sources
• Include detailed information and analysis of the subject

Note: If you are unsure whether a source is scholarly or academic, please reach out to Ms. Matlack or Dr. Estes.

Library Databases

PDS Libraries provide access to several databases containing primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. However, EBSCO and JSTOR are the most helpful for finding the scholarly articles needed for this assignment.

( You can access the full list of our databases here )

Search tips:

• Start with a broad search (i.e. the title of the musical, ex: "Wizard of Oz" )
• Add clarifying words (ex: Hamilton AND musical )
• Narrow your focus (i.e. keywords to to focus on specific topics of interest, ex: "West Side Story" AND race )
• Keep track of your sources and citations! Even if you aren't sure you will use a source, copy and past the citation information so you can easily access it again later

MLA Style Guide

Your citations and bibliography entries should be in MLA Style. There are several resources available to help you build your citations:

• Library databases - include MLA citations
• Citation generators such as ZoteroBib  
• Purdue Online Writing Lab's  MLA Formatting and Style Guide
• Citations by Format
• Quick Guide
• Interactive Practice Template

Note: Any auto-generated citations may contain errors. You should confirm the proper content and formatting of all citations regardless of where they originated.

Upper School Librarian

• Last Updated: Nov 13, 2023 11:25 AM
• URL: https://pds.libguides.com/MusicalsAnnotatedBibliography