An Annotated Bibliography is a list of citations to articles and other sources. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. Your annotations should follow a citation, annotation, then repeat format. Your annotations should also include the following three sections and answer their corresponding questions:
- Summarize the key points of the source: What was the topic? Why was the research important? How was the research done? What did the authors find? Did the authors discuss implications of the research?
- Assess the source (critical evaluation): 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 your source?
- Reflection: Was this source helpful to you? How can you use this source for your Policy Brief? Has it changed how you think about the problem you're addressing? How does this source help you build your policy arguments? Does the source support or counter any of your arguments? How will you apply the source’s theoretical positions, issues discussed, study data, and claims made based on that data to your Policy Brief?
Use this Annotated Bibliography example from the UNC Chapel Hill for more help putting together your Annotated Bibliography.
