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CO 503: Foundations in Communication

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

A list of citations, followed by a brief paragraph (about 150 words), of books, journal articles, online sources, and documents. 

Why create one?

It can help you evaluate your sources in your writing and gain a better perspective on your topic. They can also help future researchers find sources. 

Steps to Create an Annotation

  1. Gather sources related to your topic.
  2. Read and critically evaluate each source.
  3. Create the proper citation.
  4. Write your annotation below.

What Do You Put in the Annotation?

  1. A brief summary
  2. The sources strengths/weaknesses
  3. Why it's relevant to your topic
  4. Why it's relevant to the overall field
  5. The author's authority in the field

This is your chance to explain why you picked this source and its relevance in your research.

Sample APA Annotation

Butters , A. (2007).   RFID systems, standards and privacy within libraries. The Electronic Library, 25(4), 430-439. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470710779844 

This article discusses the main threats to RFID technology: privacy of borrower, threats to library collections, and profiling.  It also offers suggestions to secure RFID tags.  Butters has worked extensively in the field of RFID, and is considered to be an RFID expert.  He currently works for a for-profit company, Sybis, and previously for 3M.  There is the possibility of bias due to these connections.  Butters expertise inside the company that actually markets and vends the software is also an asset in gaining a different perspective on security aspects of RFID.