African American Studies: Annotated Bibliographies

A bibliography is an organized list of sources (journal articles, books, government documents, websites, etc.) on a specific subject area. Citations in this organized list include the bibliographic information of each source, such as the author, title, and publication information. 

An annotation is a note, explanation, or commentary added to a text, image, or other data. 

An annotated bibliography is similar to a bibliography, with the difference being that each citation entry includes a brief description and/or assessment of the cited source - an annotation. Annotations are short paragraphs which are usually between 150 and 200 words, however, depending on your purpose they may be substantially longer. 

An annotated bibliography can serve the following purposes:

• Evaluate / critique consulted sources
• Demonstrate the quality of research and an understanding of cited sources
• Provide a list of consulted resources and different formats
• Serve as a reference for your own research
• Review the available the literature on the subject
• Act as a starting point to develop a thesis, research inquiry, or further research

For examples of annotated bibliographies in APA, MLA, and Chicgago style, see Annotated Bibliography Samples at the Online Writing Lab by Purdue University.