Build Professional Annotated Bibliographies
Create well-structured annotations with guided prompts. Learn to summarize, evaluate, and connect sources to your research.
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What Does an Annotation Look Like?
Thompson, R. A., & Raikes, H. A. (2003). Toward the next quarter-century: Conceptual and methodological challenges for attachment theory. Development and Psychopathology, 15(3), 691-718.
Thompson and Raikes review attachment theory's development since Bowlby, examining how research has expanded from focusing solely on mother-infant relationships to including fathers, peers, and cultural variations. They argue that the field needs better measurement tools and longitudinal studies.
Both authors are established researchers in developmental psychology published in a peer-reviewed journal. The article is frequently cited (2,400+ citations) and represents a balanced critique of the field's methodology. However, being from 2003, some technological recommendations may be dated.
This source provides theoretical grounding for my research on parent-child attachment styles. I will use their framework for cultural considerations to support my argument about the universality of attachment behaviors across different family structures.
Annotation Builder
Step-by-step guided builder with prompts for summary, evaluation, and relevance. Real-time preview with proper formatting.
Build Annotation →Examples Library
15+ professionally written examples across Psychology, English, and History. See what good annotations look like.
View Examples →Source Evaluator
Evaluate credibility with guided worksheets for journals, websites, books, and news. Auto-generate evaluation paragraphs.
Evaluate Source →My Projects
Organize annotations into projects. Export to Word or PDF with proper formatting and hanging indents.
View Projects →Format Guides
Learn the specific requirements for APA, MLA, and Chicago annotations. Examples and templates for each style.
Learn More →Citation Tools
Generate properly formatted citations for your sources. Works with in-text and reference list citations.
Generate Citation →What Makes a Good Annotation?
📝 Summary (What it says)
Concisely explain the main argument, findings, or thesis. What is the source about? What are the key points?
✅ Evaluation (How credible it is)
Assess the author's credentials, research quality, bias, and reliability. Is this a trustworthy source?
🔗 Relevance (Why it matters to you)
Connect the source to your research question. How will you use this in your paper? What does it add?
Pro Tip: A typical annotation is 100-200 words. Balance all three components for the best results.
Why Write Annotated Bibliographies?
🔍 Research Organization
Keep track of your sources and what they contribute. Never forget why you saved a source.
💭 Critical Thinking
Evaluate sources deeply rather than just collecting links. Build analytical skills.
✍️ Pre-Writing Tool
Annotations become the building blocks for your literature review or research paper.
🎯 Assignment Success
Many courses require annotated bibliographies. Master the skill early and ace the assignment.
Looking for more academic resources? Check out SmartSummarize— AI summarizer for condensing dense articles before annotation.