In some cases, students should prepare specific papers. Some of them are supplemental materials for course projects, and the most widespread is an annotated bibliography. This type of paper has strict requirements, which learners only sometimes follow. Let’s find out how to prepare such an assignment correctly.
Table of Contents
What Is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography lists unique references used in an academic paper. It can provide dry information about the writing or some arguments about why the writer picked these sources.
In other words, each item is a short description of a scientific paper, book, or article, explaining its purpose, type, content, author’s point of view, writing style, and other features. The abstract of a scientific paper is characterized by clarity, logic, and coherence. Allows the reader to form an opinion on the scientific work.
A competently drafted abstract should be manageable for the reader with redundant data, comments, assessments, and emotions. The text is dry and does not allow colloquialisms.
Abstracts of articles contain information about the relevance of the material studied and its advantages over similar sources. Such an abstract is recommended to be written after the completion of the main text. It should characterize the researched problems and questions posed at the beginning and the goals and research results obtained at the end.
The recommended average length of the abstract is 200-300 words. This figure may vary depending on the type of abstract. If unsure, you can google “write my annotated bibliography for me” to find an expert writer and order a written piece that will raise you in the professor’s eyes.
What Types of Annotated Bibliographies Are the Most Common?
There are three widespread kinds of annotated bibliographies. All of them have different structures, volumes, and content.
Descriptive
A descriptive bibliography has short annotations because they are the smallest in length. Its text consists of about 100 words. It is a kind of descriptive abstract that reveals the study’s content and topic. The peculiarity of this statement is that the reader understands whether they are interested in the article or not.
The short abstract contains the following theses:
- Relevance of the research;
- The subject, goals, and objectives of the study;
- The main essence of the work.
The short abstract does not indicate the results obtained, the possibility of their application, and the conclusions.
Informative
It is the most common type of medium-sized abstract. The text volume is about 150-200 words. It contains sections about the relevance of the issue under study, the study’s goals and objectives, and the research methods.
The statement does not contain a description of the literature used or information about other studies.
Evaluation
Here you can speak your mind in full, as this type of annotation involves arguing for one source or another. You can also rate how useful the material in the source is.
Because of the length of the abstract, it can be up to 300 words.
Tips on Writing an Annotated Bibliography
But if you expect to get an A+ for your written piece, you should follow the correct path. Let’s look at some valuable tips on preparing an annotated bibliography.
Step 1: Choose Your Sources
The first step in writing an annotated bibliography is to decide what research you will write about. To do this, start by checking your homework. It should specify what you should write about or the types of sources you should consider.
Once you know what you are looking for, it is time to shortlist. To do this, start with the reading identified for your course or class. It will give you an idea of the type of research you should focus on. And then, you can check the references in the reading to find related works.
Search Google Scholar for relevant research (it can be helpful to focus on sources that have been cited repeatedly by other scholars, as this suggests they are influential or essential in the field of study). Look for recently published research on your chosen topic. You can then assess the relevance of each source. Depending on your tasks, you can select the most relevant ones to add to your portfolio.
Step 2: Cite Your Source According to APA, MLA, or Another Required Citation Style
Each of your entries will begin with a full bibliography entry. This entry looks like the entry you would include on a regular Works Citations or References page. Entries are even listed alphabetically by author’s last name, just like the Works cited or referenced page.
Step 3: Summarize the References
The summary explains the main ideas of the source. Someone should be able to read your resume and know the exact source of the content. Now is a better time to tell readers whether you like the source. Be objective. Just state what the source is talking about. Not much, not less.
Step 4: Evaluate the Source
It is your chance to write a brief paragraph to let the reader know what you think of the source and how it fits into your research. Remember that your review must be honest. Therefore, forget to provide dry information.
Step 5: Proofread Your Annotations
After annotating each item, go back and consider what you can do to improve it. Minor adjustments can be made, including a fact you left out in a reference. Or it can entail more substantial adjustments, like revising annotations. The aim of the phrasing procedure is to constantly make sure that your essay is as strong as it can be to increase your grade.
Verifying that your list is precise, condensed, and free of mistakes is the last stage in this procedure. Spell-checking is a part of it, but you should also verify your references to ensure they are accurate, consistent, and comprehensive.
It is a comprehensive view of preparing annotated bibliographies for college and university. This task seems complicated, but there is nothing complex about preparing it. But if you still need help with writing annotative bibliographies, ask for professional help from expert writers.