how to write an annotated bibliography in chicago style

Caulfield, J. (2022, December 05). How to Write an Annotated Bibliography in Chicago/Turabian Style. Scribbr. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/chicago-style/chicago-annotated-bibliography/

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How to write an annotated bibliography in Chicago style [Updated 2023]

A Chicago annotated bibliography includes citations for the sources you are using and an annotation summarizing and/or evaluating each source. In this article, we define what an annotated bibliography is and offer tips for formatting one in Chicago style. We also include a Chicago citation example and a sample annotation.

What is an annotated bibliography?

A annotated bibliography is a list of citations for books, journals, periodicals, websites, articles, or other sources, accompanied by a descriptive paragraph that summarizes and evaluates the source. The descriptive paragraph is called an annotation .

Descriptive paragraphs typically range between 100 and 300 words. Ultimately, an annotated bibliography informs the reader about the source's accuracy, quality, and relevance to your subject.

How to format an annotated bibliography in Chicago style

An annotated bibliography in Chicago style essentially contains two items: a citation for each source and an annotation. In this section, we discuss how to format the citation and what to include in the annotation.

The citation

Start by formatting the citation in correct Chicago style . Chicago-style citations come in two varieties: the notes and bibliography system and the author-date approach.

The notes and bibliography system is more common in the humanities, while the author-date system is used primarily in the sciences and social sciences. However, for an annotated bibliography in Chicago style, you will most likely be asked to use only the bibliographic reference format from the notes and bibliography system.

The elements of a bibliographic citation in Chicago style include:

In the next section, we provide an example of a correct Chicago citation for a source in an annotated bibliography.

The annotation

After citing the source, write a concise annotation, summarizing the source’s central argument and evaluating its credibility and relevance to your research. In most cases, an annotation ranges between 100 and 300 words.

An annotation can include several items:

After summarizing the source, you should evaluate it. For instance, is the source peer-reviewed ? What are the author’s credentials? What is the purpose of the source? You can use one of several evaluation methods, like CRAAP (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose), to determine if a source is credible .

Finally, depending on the assignment’s guidelines, you should include some explanation of the source’s relevance to your research project. How will you use the source? How will your research benefit from its insights?

Example entry for an annotated bibliography in Chicago style

Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess. London: Routledge, 1998.

Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of Northern Europe's major roles associated with several pagan goddesses. Some roles in everyday life include agriculture, hunting, domestic art like weaving, and death. In this book, the author discusses relevant archaeological evidence, previous research, and patterns of rituals and symbols. The book includes several photographs of relevant artifacts.

This Chicago-style annotation from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a single paragraph summarizing the book. In a longer annotation, you would evaluate the source’s credibility and relevance, in addition to summarizing it.

Chicago annotated bibliography tips

1. review your instructor’s guidelines for the annotated bibliography..

Instructors will often assign an annotated bibliography as part of a larger research project. To best understand what your instructor expects, be sure to read the assignment guidelines . If you’re not sure about something, ask your instructor for clarification as soon as possible.

2. Take the time to really familiarize yourself with your sources.

You should read each source carefully before writing an annotation. Take good notes, so you can easily summarize the main argument of the source. If you’re unsure about the best strategies for reading academic sources, take a look at our guide on how to read a scholarly article .

3. Save time by using a citation generator.

To quickly format your citations, try BibGuru’s Chicago citation generator . This will save you time and enable you to focus more deeply on writing your annotations.

4. Use CRAAP or another method to evaluate each source.

You can use CRAAP (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose) or the six questions words (who? what? when? where? how? and what?) to evaluate whether a source is credible.

A source is likely credible if the tone is objective, the author is an expert in their field, and it is peer-reviewed. Take a look at our guide on finding, evaluating, and citing scholarly sources to learn more about these methods.

5. Use clear, concise, and correct language in your annotation.

You should always try to use language that is clear, concise, concrete, and correct when you write your annotations. As examples of academic writing , annotations should follow the typical conventions.

This doesn’t mean that your annotation needs to be full of jargon or “big words.” Instead, use as few words as possible to make a point. And, be sure to check that your grammar and spelling is correct.

Frequently Asked Questions about annotated bibliographies in Chicago style

An annotated bibliography includes a citation and an annotation. In your annotation, you’ll want to provide a brief summary of the source, an assessment of its credibility, and how the source will benefit your research.

Your annotated bibliography needs to include a citation, as well as a summary and evaluation of the work. These three parts should be present for every source.

The length of your bibliography will depend on the number of sources you’re required to use and the type of assignment. Annotated bibliographies for many English or writing classes feature around 8-10 sources.

To start an annotated bibliography, create a correctly formatted citation for each source, then write out the annotations. To quickly format your citations, try BibGuru’s Chicago citation generator .

Typically, an annotated bibliography in Chicago style uses 1-inch margins and double-spacing for entries.

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Citations: Chicago Style (17th ed.)

General Info

Example & more resources.

What is it?

An annotated bibliography is simply a bibliography page (list of sources) in which each citation is followed by an annotation ("note") that describes or evaluates the source (or both). Annotations let your reader get a little extra insight into your sources and how they support your research.

What goes in your annotation?

Summary of the source.

Explain the main points of the work briefly.

Your summary should be original to you -- don't just copy/paste the publisher summary of a book or the abstract from a scholarly article.

Evaluation or Commentary

The exact details of what to include will depend on your assignment -- number of sources, what to discuss in the annotation, and length of your commentary.

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Chicago/Turabian Citation Guide (17th Edition): Annotated Bibliography

Writing an Evaluative Annotation

Basic tips on writing and formatting, sample evaluative annotation, useful links for annotated bibliographies.

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.

Types of Annotations

A summary annotation describes the source by answering the following questions: who wrote the document, what the document discusses, when and where was the document written, why was the document produced, and how was it provided to the public. The focus is on description.

An evaluative annotation includes a summary as listed above but also critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Evaluative annotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project. The focus is on description and evaluation.

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

London, Herbert. “Five Myths of the Television Age.” Television Quarterly , 10, no. 1 (March 1982): 69-81. Herbert London, the Dean of Journalism at New York University and author of several books and articles, explains how television contradicts five commonly believed ideas. He uses specific examples of events seen on television, such as the assassination of John Kennedy, to illustrate his points. His examples have been selected to contradict such truisms as: “seeing is believing”; “a picture is worth a thousand words”; and “satisfaction is its own reward.” London uses logical arguments to support his ideas which are his personal opinion. He does not refer to any previous works on the topic. London’s style and vocabulary would make the article of interest to any reader. The article clearly illustrates London’s points, but does not explore their implications leaving the reader with many unanswered questions.

Adapted from:

"How to Write Annotated Bibliographies." Memorial University Libraries , www.library.mun.ca/researchtools/guides/writing/annotated_bibl/. Accessed 29 June 2016.

Style Guides

The Chicago Manual of Style

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations

Using the Library

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Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Sample Paper, Bibliography, & Annotated Bibliography

Writing an Evaluative Annotation

Tips on Writing & Formatting an Annotated Bibliography

Sample Paper with Bibliography

Chicago Sample Paper

This sample paper can be used as a template to set up your assignment. It includes a title page, main body paragraph with footnotes, and a bibliography.

Sample Paper with Appendix

Chicago Sample Paper Template - with Appendix

If you are adding an appendix to your paper there are a few rules to follow that comply with Chicago guidelines:

Sample Annotated Bibliography

This sample annotated bibliography shows you the structure you should use to write a Chicago style annotated bibliography and gives examples of evaluative and summary annotations.

It can be used as a template to set up your assignment.

End-of-Paper Checklist

Finished your assignment? Use this checklist to be sure you haven't missed any information needed for Chicago style.

Useful Links for Annotated Bibliographies

Overview of purpose and form of annotated bibliographies from the Purdue OWL.

Includes a sample annotation from a Chicago Manual of Style annotated bibliography. From the Purdue OWL.

An example of an MLA annotated bibliography. From the Purdue OWL.

Assemble your paper in the following order:

Use Times New Roman, Size 12 (unless otherwise instructed).

Margins and Indents

Your margins should be 1 inch on all sides.

Indent new paragraphs by one-half inch.

Double-space the main text of your paper.

Single-space the footnotes and bibliography, but add a blank line between entries.

Start numbering your pages on the second page of your paper (don't include the title page).

Put your page numbers in the header of the first page of text (skip the title page), beginning with page number 1. Continue numbering your pages to the end of the bibliography.

Place the footnote number at the end of the sentence in which you have quoted or paraphrased information from another source. The footnote number should be in superscript, and be placed after any punctuation.

Put your footnotes in the footer section of the page.

Your research paper ends with a list of all the sources cited in the text of the paper. This is called a bibliography.

See an example in the "Sample Paper with Bibliography" box on this page.

Here are nine quick rules for this list:

What Is An Annotated Bibliography?

Types of Annotations

Remember: Annotations are original descriptions that you create after reading the document. When researching, you may find journal articles that provide a short summary at the beginning of the text. This article abstract is similar to a summary annotation. You may consult the abstract when creating your evaluative annotation, but never simply copy it as that would be considered plagiarism.

Tips on Writing & Formatting an Annotated Bibliography

Citations and Writing (+styles for Chicago, Turabian, etc.)

Annotated Bibliography

Example of an entry in an annotated bibliography, annotated bibliographies: examples for apa, mla, & chicago styles, locating other examples of annotated bibliographies, for further instructions on writing an annotated bibliography, see:.

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources on a certain topic with a brief description of each source.

Each entry in an annotated bibliography should include all the information normally included in a list of works cited. For instance, the citation for a book would include the title, author, publisher, place of publication, and year of publication. Use the appropriate bibliographic format for citations (such as MLA, APA, Turabian) as specified by your instructor.

The bibliographic information is followed by an annotation, which can be a few sentences or a lengthy paragraph that describes (or, in some cases, evaluates) the contents of the source. If you have questions about how detailed or evaluative the annotations should be, ask your instructor.

Here's an example of an entry from an annotated bibliography, with the citation of the book in Turabian style and a brief description of the book:

Garrow, David J. Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1978.

Garrow describes how the strategy of protest employed by Martin Luther King, Jr., and SCLC at Selma influenced the emergence of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He contends that the choice of Selma as a site for civil rights protests and the specific tactics that SCLC adopted in Selma were part of a plan to force the introduction and passage of national voting rights legislation. The foremost consideration in this campaign was the need to elicit "unprovoked white violence aimed at peaceful and unresisting civil rights demonstrators." Garrow argues that at Selma "a strategy that bordered on nonviolent provocation supplanted the earlier belief in nonviolent persuasion." SCLC correctly assumed that police violence would generate national media coverage and this, in turn, would stimulate reactions "throughout the country, and especially Washington," leading to pressure for federal voting rights legislation.

(Example from: The Civil Rights Movement: References and Resources , by Paul T. Murray. New York: G.K. Hall & Co., 1993.)

UCF's Rosen Library provides an annotated bibliography guide citing relevant sections of the style manuals and providing examples for APA, MLA and Chicago styles.

Rosen Research Guides, Annotated Bibliographies This guide will help you learn to write annotated bibliographies and will provide you with practical examples in the most common citation styles.

Often it is helpful to look at examples of annotated bibliographies, and the UCF Libraries have many books containing them. To find annotated bibliographies in the collection, search the UCF Library Catalog for the phrase "annotated bibliography", including the quotation marks around the phrase.

Chicago Style

What is an annotated bibliography?

Help with annotated bibliographies.

How to Write an Annotation

Your professor may require specific information in your annotations. Check your assignment instructions carefully for details. Below are some items that may be required.

Summarize : Some annotations just summarize the source.

Assess : After you summarize a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it.

Reflect : Next, determine how the source fits into your research.

Adapted from Purdue OWL

IMAGES

Chicago annotated bibliography sample that can provide you with sufficient information. For more
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Sample Chicago Annotation
Chicago Style Annotations · The text should be double-spaced. · Numbering starts on the first page of writing (not the title page), at the top
Chicago Annotated Bibliography Format and Example
To write an annotated bibliography in Chicago style, you need to include the annotation and the reference citation for your style. Chicago is unique because it
Annotated Bibliography Samples
The annotation above both summarizes and assesses the book in the citation. The first paragraph provides a brief summary of the author's project in the book
Annotated Bibliography
Formatting Rules · Order your references in alphabetical order as you would in your Bibliography. · Each annotation should be a new paragraph
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography in Chicago/Turabian Style
In a Chicago annotated bibliography, you provide a citation, a summary and sometimes an evaluation of sources related to your topic.
How to write an annotated bibliography in Chicago style ...
A Chicago annotated bibliography includes citations for the sources you are using and an annotation summarizing and/or evaluating each
Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is simply a bibliography page (list of sources) in which each citation is followed by an annotation ("note") that describes or
Annotated Bibliography
Basic Tips on Writing and Formatting · Each annotation should be one paragraph, between three to six sentences long (about 150- 200 words).
Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Sample Paper, Bibliography
Tips on Writing & Formatting an Annotated Bibliography · Each annotation should be one paragraph, between three to six sentences long (about 150-
Annotated Bibliography
Each entry in an annotated bibliography should include all the information normally included in a list of works cited. For instance, the
Annotated Bibliography
How to Write an Annotation · Your professor may require specific information in your annotations. · Summarize: Some annotations just summarize the