Please Note: These are only common assumptions and suggestions about writing an annotated bibliography. The requirements of such assignments often vary, so please follow your instructor's guidelines.
Creating an annotated bibliography is intended to help researchers think critically about the sources they have found, generally before trying to use them in an essay they will write later. To achieve this purpose, an annotated bibliography consists of a Works Cited, but with paragraphs beneath each entry. What each paragraph contains is determined by the professor, but quite often they will require the following:
Summary: the thesis and main ideas of the source
Evaluation: why you think the source is credible and worthy of being used
Plan: how you think you will use the source in your essay
To write a successful annotated bibliography, you must have a strong sense of direction for your eventual essay so you know what sources you need to fulfill your assignment. You must also do a great deal of research to find what you believe are the best sources available for that purpose. Finally, once you have found those good sources, you must read each of them carefully, possibly multiple times, and annotate them while looking for their main ideas, qualities that make them credible, and elements that your essay needs.
For more information about how to write an annotated bibliography, please see the following link: