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A bibliography (usually found at the end of a scholarly resource) provides the reader with the author, title, and publication details of a resource. An annotated bibliography adds a brief summary about each of the sources, and it’s usually used for the author’s own reference, though there are sources like Oxford Bibliographies (Links to an external site.) that produce annotated bibliographies for anyone to access.

The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to compile sources that will support your central argument and summary of your topic. The process of developing an annotated bibliography will also help you to understand the scholarly and policy debates that you are engaging in before you begin to write your policy brief.

For each source, you should provide the full bibliographic citation (citation format is your choice – just be consistent), followed by a brief analysis or annotation of the source. When writing the annotation (the summary of each source), you should provide enough information in about three to five sentences for readers to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the source’s purpose, content, and special value. It should be clear how this article is contributing to your project – you may want to make this explicit.

This annotated bibliography will serve as the foundation for the basic facts you will outline in order for the reader to understand the policy problem at hand, and it will provide the basis of the evidence you provide to substantiate your claims. When you are finished with your preliminary research, you should be able to respond in the affirmative to the following elements of an effective annotated bibliography:

• I am “sitting on the shoulders of giants” and have found the most important sources, one that several people cite as key works;
• I have found at least two approaches to understanding the topic; and
• I have found a variety of sources – some books, some journals – but the vast majority of them are scholarly. Scholarly means a peer-reviewed, academic analysis.

Your annotations should consider the following questions:

• What question do(es) the author(s) seek to answer?
• What is the primary thesis/argument/theory of the work?
• What data and method do the author(s) use to find answers to their questions?
• What are the main findings? Are there reasons to doubt the evidence? What are some of the problems (e.g. clarity, methodological issues, out-of-date) with the source?
• How is this source relevant to my topic? What aspect of my research question/topic does this source illuminate?
• What are my next steps? What lingering questions remain? Where should I go from here?

What you must submit in your annotated bibliography and topic outline:

Your annotated bibliography should include a mix of 8-10 sources, at least 6 of which should be scholarly (academic, peer-reviewed). You should put the sources you believe to be scholarly in bold, like this. You may not end up using all of the sources in your fact sheet and policy brief, but the more (appropriate) sources you identify now, the easier it will be to refine your points. You may also find that as you’re working on your project, you will need to find new sources. (That’s fine – you don’t need to submit an annotation for these additional sources).

In addition to the annotated bibliography, you should write a short paragraph – no longer than six sentences – that previews the topic you will address, why it’s an important issue, and (briefly) the key points you intend to address in the brief. The purpose of this is to help me see your vision of where your project is going.

RUBRIC FOR ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS – 5 POINTS POSSIBLE

• Name included
• Save the file as follows “LastNameFirstInitial_Bibliography”
  • For example, my file would be titled “RogersE_Bibliography.docx”
• State citation style and use consistently
• Must have 8-10 sources
  • 6 must be scholarly and in bold

ANNOTATIONS – 30 POINTS POSSIBLE

• Sources cover topic from a variety of angles (for instance, explanation, history, effects, perspectives, etc.)
• Annotations summarize the source, including the source’s objective or bias (if relevant); the data or time period; and the primary findings. Feel free to include other interesting or useful information.
• Your annotation should also address how this article contributes to your project. Why is this source relevant or helpful?

POLICY TOPIC OUTLINE – 15 POINTS POSSIBLE

• The topic is outlined in no more than 6 sentences.
• The outline should include:
  • The policy problem you will address
  • Why this is an important issue
  • (Briefly) discuss the key points you intend to address
• The outline should demonstrate that the annotated bibliography sets you up on a good research trajectory.