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Formatting an Annotated Bibliography

There’s a lot to remember when you write an annotated bibliography. Mr. Lexington says to keep your notes close and to look at them whenever you need help.

Click each paperclip to read my notes about Chicago-style format.

> Text version of interactive


Do you remember the difference between primary and secondary sources? Here’s a quick review:

  • A primary source is an original document or object made by someone who was alive during the time that the event happened. Alexander Hamilton’s diary and letters to or from him are primary sources.

  • A secondary source is made a long time after an historical event. Ron Chernow’s book about Alexander Hamilton is a secondary source because he wrote it 200 years after Hamilton died.

Understanding Annotations

Let’s look at the annotated part of the bibliography. Mr. Lexington says an annotation should be 2-4 sentences long and do three things.

Click through the following slideshow to learn more about annotations.


Speaker plays audio

   How Do You Write an Annotation?


An annotation should include three things:

First, it needs to tell the type of source. Is it a newspaper article? A diary entry? A book? A website?


Second, it should say how you used the source. Was it used for background information? A source for photographs?


Third, it should explain why the source was important to your project.


> Text version of interactive

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