The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to describe the cited material, whether a book, article or other type of source. It is a brief, descriptive note that should provide sufficient information so that a determination can be made as to whether the source should be examined further for use. Annotations help to clarify each source, and they will often provide evaluative information as well.

Informative

• Written in the tone of the book or article, an informative annotation presents the original material in a shorter form.

Descriptive

• Provides a description of the text, avoiding the addition of any evaluative commentary on its quality.

Evaluative

• In addition to the information included in the previous annotation types, includes an evaluative judgment of the material as well.

The annotation below is effective because it briefly summarizes the article's argument, places the argument in the context of the field, and evaluates the article.

Citation:
Gilbert, Pam. "From Voice to Text: Reconsidering Writing and Reading in the English Classroom." English Education, vol. 23, no. 4, 1991, pp. 195-211.

Annotation:
Gilbert provides some insight into the concept of "voice" in textual interpretation, and points to a need to move away from the search for voice in reading. Her reasons stem from a growing danger of "social and critical illiteracy," which might be better dealt with through a move toward different textual understandings. Gilbert suggests that theories of language as a social practice can be more useful in teaching. Her ideas seem to disagree with those who believe in a dominant voice in writing, but she presents an interesting perspective.