How to write an Annotation

An annotation is a brief summary of a book, article, or other publication. An abstract is also a summary, but there is a difference between the two. An abstract is simply a summary of a work, whereas the purpose of an annotation is to describe the work in such a way that the reader can decide whether or not to read the work itself. An annotated bibliography helps the reader understand the particular usefulness of each item. The ideal annotated bibliography shows the relationships among individual items and may compare their strengths or shortcomings.

The following points provide guidance for writing annotations. As appropriate each of these issues might be assessed and commented on in the annotation.

1. Qualifications of the author, unless very well known.

2. The scope and main purpose of the publication (e.g., book, article, web site).

3. The intended audience and level of reading difficulty.

4. The author's bias or assumptions, upon which the work's rationale rests.

5. The method of obtaining data or doing research.

6. The author's conclusions.

7. Comparison with other works on the same subject.

8. Materials appended to the work — e.g., maps, charts, photos, etc.

9. The work's importance or usefulness for the study of a subject.

Not all of these points are necessary for every annotation, and they certainly do not have to be noted in the order listed here, but they at least ought to be kept in mind when writing an annotation.