Annotations may be descriptive or evaluative.
A descriptive annotation may summarize:
- The main purpose or idea of the work
- The contents of the work
- The author’s conclusions
- The intended audience
- The author’s research methods
- Special features of the work such as illustrations, maps, tables, etc.
An evaluative annotation provides both a descriptive and critical evaluation of the source. The evaluative annotation usually begins with broad comments about the focus of the source then moves to more details. Evaluative annotation may include:
- The author’s bias or tone
- The author’s qualifications for writing the work
- The accuracy of the information in the source
- Limitations or significant omissions
- The work’s contribution to the literature of the subject
- Comparison with other works on the topic
Not all annotations have to be the same length. A very short scholarly article may only take a sentence or two to summarize. Even if you are using a book, you should only focus on the sections that relate to your topic.
Usually an annotation is 3-5 sentences no more than 150-200 words.
