An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (books, articles, websites, etc.) with short paragraphs about each source. Creating an annotated bibliography is sometimes a useful step before drafting a research paper, or it can stand alone as an overview of the research available on a topic.
Each source in the annotated bibliography has a citation - the information a reader needs to find the original source, in a consistent format to make that easier. These consistent formats are called citation styles. The most common citation styles are MLA (Modern Language Association) for humanities, and APA (American Psychological Association) for social sciences.
Annotations are about 4 to 6 sentences long (roughly 150 words), and address:
Annotations usually consist of a summary, an evaluation, and a reflection.
Annotations are written in paragraph form, but the length and depth of the annotation will depend on whether you are creating the annotated bibliography for yourself or if it is part of an assignment.