How to write an annotated bibliography, and check every AI-suggested source
Short answer
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations, each followed by a short paragraph that summarises the source and judges its relevance, quality and use for your topic. Every entry must be a source you have found and read yourself, which matters more now that AI tools can produce references that look real and do not exist.
What an annotation does
Cornell University Library defines an annotated bibliography as a list of citations, each followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, usually about 150 words. The purpose of each annotation is to tell the reader how relevant, accurate and good the source is.
That is the difference from an abstract. An abstract summarises a source neutrally. An annotation also judges it: the author's authority, the intended audience, how it compares with your other sources, and how it helps your topic. Check your brief, because some courses ask only for descriptive annotations and others want mainly evaluation.
APA and MLA examples
Both entries below cite a real page we read for this site, the University of North Carolina Writing Center's handout on literature reviews. Format the citation in your required style, then write the annotation beneath it.
APA (7th edition)
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Literature reviews. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/literature-reviews/
This handout from a university writing centre explains how a literature review differs from a research paper and an annotated bibliography, and sets out chronological, thematic and methodological ways to organise one. Its sample paragraph shows synthesis in practice, which makes it more useful to a first-time writer than definitions alone. It is written for undergraduates and is general rather than specific to one subject, so it works best alongside a discipline-specific guide.
MLA (9th edition)
"Literature Reviews." The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/literature-reviews/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.
The annotation is the same in either style. Only the citation changes.
Step by step
- Find and record. Search your library's databases and record the full citation of anything that may be useful.
- Look at the actual items. Open each one and skim it before you commit. Cornell's guide recommends choosing works that give a range of perspectives on your topic.
- Cite it in the style your course requires.
- Summarise the central argument and scope in two or three sentences.
- Evaluate in one or more sentences: the author's background, the audience, how it compares with another source, or how it helps your topic.
- Connect it to your project, in a line you will be glad of when you write the literature review or proposal.
Checking a source exists
AI chatbots can invent sources. USC Libraries' guide to generative AI and writing warns that these tools "hallucinate", particularly when asked for a list of scholarly sources, and that unverifiable references in your paper can expose you to allegations of misconduct. An invented reference often looks perfect: plausible authors, a real-sounding journal, a volume, pages and a DOI.
Before any source goes into your bibliography, check it:
- Search the exact title, in quotation marks, in your library catalogue or a scholarly database.
- Check that the journal exists and that the volume and issue match the year given.
- If there is a DOI, open it at doi.org and confirm it leads to the same article, not a different one or nowhere.
- Check that the named authors work in this field and have published on this topic.
- Open and read the source itself. If you cannot find it, do not cite it.
A worked example of an invented citation
The citation below is made up for this page to show what to look for. Do not search for it expecting to find it.
Marlow, J., & Osei, T. (2021). Deadline timing and the quality of undergraduate coursework. Journal of Higher Education Practice, 18(3), 211-229.
| Check | What you would find |
|---|---|
| Title search | No record anywhere, or only near matches with different titles |
| Journal | A similar name may exist, but not with this volume and issue in that year |
| DOI | None given, or one that resolves to an unrelated article |
| Authors | Real people with these names may exist, but have published nothing like it |
One failed check is enough to drop a source. Why tools invent references in the first place is explained in how AI writing tools work. If an AI tool gave you the reference, treat it as a search term, not a citation. More on this in literature reviews with AI, and on summarising sources in your own words in paraphrasing, quoting and AI rewriting.
More on this in AI and writing.
FAQ
How long should an annotation be?
Cornell University Library suggests about 150 words, but follow your brief. Some courses ask for shorter descriptive notes, others for longer evaluations.
What is the difference between an annotation and an abstract?
An abstract only describes a source. An annotation describes it and judges its relevance, quality and use for your topic.
Can I use AI to write my annotations?
Check your course's policy first. Even where tools are allowed, the evaluation is your judgement of a source you have read, so it has to come from you.
How do I know if a citation is real?
Find the source itself. Search the exact title, check the journal, volume and issue, open the DOI, and read it. If you cannot find it, do not cite it.
This guide explains common rules; your institution's policy decides what is allowed on your work.
Sources
- How to Prepare an Annotated BibliographyCornell University Library
- Generative AI and WritingUSC Libraries, University of Southern California
- Literature ReviewsThe Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
