ABE 69: HS 21+ Fine Art: Writing annotations
What are annotations, and how can they help you?
What's an annotation?
An annotation is a brief description and/or evaluation of the content, purpose, and usefulness of a resource. Annotations can be written for a variety of purposes, though generally they are written as a way to help those interested in a topic find reliable information on that topic.
How can annotations help you?
As a student, writing annotations can help you:
- Increase your awareness of different kinds of resources available about your topic
- Identify, describe and perhaps evaluate the content, purpose and usefulness of different kinds of resources
Video: Annotated bibliographies
What an annotation IS and IS NOT
An annotation is:
A description of what YOU found out about a resource and what YOU think of its usefulness.
An annotation is not:
A collection of text copied from that resource. The annotation is only helpful if YOU are the one describing and evaluating the resource in your own words.
Annotated bibliographies resources
The following websites provide examples to help you with writing your annotations.
- The Purdue OWL: Annotated Bibliography examplesThis robust guide from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue provides guidance on writing annotated bibliographies and provides examples.
- Annotated bibliographies (University of North Carolina Writing Center)Explains why annotated bibliographies are useful for researchers, provide an explanation of what constitutes an annotation, describe various types of annotations and styles for writing them, and offer multiple examples of annotated bibliographies in the MLA, APA, and CBE/CSE styles of citation.
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