What is an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography consists of a list of bibliographic entries (systematically organised ) for a range of research resources (books, articles, chapters, websites, films, performances, videos, etc.) along with a brief description of their content and a summary of their main argument (annotation).

Annotated bibliographies are usually compiled for the purposes of an extended research project and are intended to provide a comprehensive, yet focused, overview of the critical discussions on a topic.

When compiling an annotated bibliography you should make sure that:

• your selected sources demonstrate your knowledge of the field and research skills
• your annotations demonstrate your ability to identify arguments and evaluate their usefulness for your project.