Writing Annotated Bibliography: Responding to Your Queries

Okay, let’s face it. You have got a task to write and there is a task to include a brief summary of each source. However, this summary needs to be specific and meet the requirements set for the type of work. And you do not know what it is about, what to add and what to omit.

There is no need to panic, and you do not need to google for long to find the explanation. Our article will give you the key to effectiveness, so, just sit comfortably and read attentively.

What For

Actually, the role of the task is in developing your critical writing and summarizing skills, as well as making sure that you have attentively read the sources you have included to your works cited list.

Difference from the Brief Summary

You cannot just copy and paste a brief summary of a book written on the closing page of the book cover. Paraphrasing the sentences from there will not work either. Completion of this text necessarily includes critical evaluation, meaning that you need to briefly tell what the reviewed text is about, but only from the perspective of your particular study. How can it be useful for the investigations on the particular topic? What makes this source more valuable and worth using in comparison with the other sources discussing the same issue? Here are your questions to be answered.

Length Requirement and Structure

The length of this work depends on the number of the sources: it is around from 3 to 6 sentences per source. Even though it is quite short, a certain structure may be determined. First, you introduce the source, giving an information about its content and type. Then, you specify the points of the source that deal with your particular topic. Did it change your attitude to the issue, or did it provide some extra arguments for you to enlarge your writing? Finally, give a general evaluation of the source: was it a good source to use for this particular paper completion? Here is a sample of writing it. If you need more than just a sample, idoassignment.com can cope with that.

Who Needs It?

Every thoughtful person asks a question, “What do I need this for?” when doing anything. As far as this type of work is concerned, here is who needs you to write it:

• Your professor. Obviously, if there was an annotated bibliography required in the assignment instructions, you would not get a good grade omitting it. Moreover, this brief writing piece will show him/her your ability to work with the sources and limit your thoughts and evaluation into informative but concise several sentences.
• Other scientists. Conducting an investigation on a certain issue, other scientists will definitely need more than just your written piece. An annotated bibliography may give them the necessary links to other sources, as well as brief recommendations and commentaries on whether they actually need a certain source for their specific survey.
• You. Yes, you need it. Not only as a good training for your writing, evaluating, and brief retelling skills, but for navigation as well. If this is not the only survey you have done on the particular scientific problem, the brief overview of the references used will help you in case you come back to the issue and need to review the materials once again. A brief summary will serve as a reminder, and if you have really read those books, articles or web resources, you will recollect what they are about after just one glance.

We hope that now you are motivated enough and writing this type of work will not be a tough task for you!