Annotate means to ‘make a note’, and biblio refers to ‘book’. Simply stated, an annotated bibliography is a list of sources or citations with a brief evaluative summary (annotation) about each source. Its purpose is to describe and evaluate a full text in a way that provides sufficient information for the reader to make an informed decision about whether they are likely to benefit from reading the full text.

For more information please visit the annotated bibliography page from our Division of Learning and Teaching.

A quick search in Google will reveal a number of useful resources about how to write an annotated bibliography. Keep an eye out for resources by educational institutions, particularly those ending in edu.au.

Here are some resources you may find useful:

• Annotated Bibliography by the University of New South Wales. Describes the purpose of an annotated bibliography; breaks the task of creating an annotated bibliography into many smaller parts; includes focus questions; and offers an example annotation.
• Writing an Annotated Bibliography by Queensland University of Technology. Discusses why you might write an annotated bibliography; breaks the task of creating an annotated bibliography into three sections; and includes a revision checklist.

Charles Sturt University also has other services which can help you to get the best possible results for your work:

• Turnitin Software - A Turnitin account allows you to check your own writing for inadvertent plagiarism or quotation errors.  Detect and fix problems before submission. Some assessments will require you to submit your work to Turnitin before final submission! 
• Access support guides and advice to help you understand and prepare for your assignments in the Learning Skills section of the Student Portal.
• The Academic Skills Forum is an ideal place to post those vexing questions about assignment writing techniques. Access the forum from the Brightspace My Subjects - Academic Skills Support Widget.
• Why not attend an Academic Skills workshop online to enhance or refresh your academic writing skills.
• Make an appointment with an Academic Skills adviser for personal help seven days a week.