The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Read the instructions carefully. Highlight the assignment’s major questions and goals. This resource provides a list of questions to consider about your assignment. 

If you have questions, ask your instructor during their office hours. You can also make an appointment with a writing consultant from the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center.

Review some common expectations and features of an annotated bibliography.

Review three different samples, one for each of the possible citation styles your instructor might require you to use (MLA, APA, or Chicago).

For this project, gather your resources. They may include your assigned readings, your notes, and other sources for the project.

Note: If your instructor’s guidelines are asking you to combine an annotated bibliography with some other type of assignment, make sure you keep that in mind as you go through these steps. 

(This step should take 5% of your project time.) Continue with the step in the next box or return to the Assignment Planners tool to start again.

Find sources related to your topic. For example, books, peer-reviewed articles, newspapers, or other reliable and relevant sources.

• Use OneSearch in the UT Libraries to find sources. Use keywords that are central to your topic. You’re encouraged to ask a librarian for help finding sources. 
• If you’re taking a first-year composition course (English 101, 102, 112, 132, or 298), use the Library’s research guide.
• As you search for articles, read the abstract first. It will help you decide whether a source is a good fit for your annotated bibliography.

Evaluate the credibility and reliability of your sources

• Once you’ve determined that a source may be useful for your annotated bibliography, make sure it’s credible. Use the Library’s guidelines or view their tutorial.

(This step should take 20% of your project time.) Continue with the step in the next box or return to the Assignment Planners tool to start again.

Prepare to read your sources by first understanding the structure and purpose(s) of scholarly sources: 

• Review this guide on breaking down and understanding scholarly articles. 
• It’s important to know how to approach these articles. They may feel different from the types of sources you’re used to.
• Spend some real time on this step. That will help you better understand the articles you’ll be discussing in your annotated bibliography.  

Read your sources

• Review these strategies for reading. As you read, take notes on key ideas, themes, and important passages. 
• Tip: tools like PowerNotes help you keep track of your quotes and make notes on digital sources as you read them. (It also captures citation information!)

(This step should take 30% of your project time.) Continue with the step in the next box or return to the Assignment Planners tool to start again.

Write drafts of your annotations.

• If provided, follow your instructor’s guidelines about what to cover and how to format your annotated bibliography. 
• If you want some helpful tips in addition to your instructor’s guidelines, take a look at:
  • Some general annotated bibliography guidelines.
  • A guide on helpful verbs to include in your annotations.  
• Here’s a great video that breaks down the different elements of an annotation. 
• Make sure you properly cite sources according to the citation style you’re using; e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago.

(This step should take 20% of your project time.) Continue with the step in the next box or return to the Assignment Planners tool to start again.

First, review the assignment guidelines and/or rubric.

Get feedback from your instructor during their office hours, from the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center, or from a peer.

Review these tips for Incorporating Peer and Instructor Feedback.

(This step should take 10% of your project time.) Continue with the step in the next box or return to the Assignment Planners tool to start again.

Try the “read out loud” approach to review your work–it can help you find things you might otherwise miss.

Write at least 2-3 major things you need to revise. Before focusing on sentence-level concerns, ask yourself these questions:

• Are my citations correct? 
• Are my summaries accurate?
• Do my summaries show my understanding of the article?
• Have I included the articles’ major findings and claims?

Revise as needed, based on your review and the feedback you received.

If you need to do further research due to gaps in your annotated bibliography, use UT Libraries resources for finding sources. Remember, you can always ask a Librarian for help. 

(This step should take 10% of your project time.) Continue with the step in the next box or return to the Assignment Planners tool to start again.

Review the assignment guidelines and/or rubric one last time.

Proofread your work carefully and slowly. Review your annotated bibliography by assessing the text for accuracy, clarity, and consistency. Check for spelling and grammatical errors. 

Verify that you have cited all sources correctly according to the citation style you’re using (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago). Your citations are a prominent part of your annotations in your annotated bibliography. 

(This step should take 5% of your project time.) Return to the Assignment Planners main page.