How to Write Chicago Style Annotated Bibliography

Posted on Sep 17, 2019 by Danny

Writing a Chicago annotated bibliography is an important process that should be followed by students, researchers, and academic writers who are desirous of demonstrating the validity and richness of their sources. The Chicago style annotated bibliography, no matter whether you are writing a thesis, a dissertation, or a significant research paper, ensures that your sources are cited accordingly and are supplemented with either summaries or assessments.

This blog will take you through all that you need to understand about how to create an annotated bibliography in Chicago style, its structure, its formatting, and examples, along with expert advice. If you are still struggling with your task, you can explore our custom annotated bibliography help.

What is a Chicago-Style Annotated Bibliography?

An annotated bibliography in Chicago style is a list of citations for books, articles, and other materials formatted using the Chicago Manual of Style. The citation is followed by an annotation, which is a brief paragraph summarizing and assessing the source.

The latest 18th edition of the Chicago style has two citation systems:

• The Notes and Bibliography style (commonly used in the humanities).
• The Author-Date style (widely used in the sciences).

The Notes and Bibliography system is commonly used in annotated bibliographies. Therefore, students are advised to use the notes and bibliography system as follows:

1. For Chicago, the 18th edition (the latest) is set up to allow italicizing in the same manner as Harvard, i.e., the italicized parts in a reference are the same as Harvard's.

2. The naming abbreviation is still the same. If the author has two names, then both full names must be supplied, starting with the surname, then the first name. If it is 3 names or more, then the surname starts, followed by the first name, then the middle name (this one can be abbreviated). Please note that this procedure is for the reference list only; the criteria for the footnote are different.

3. For the footnote, the first name starts, followed by the second name, then the last name. The middle name may be abbreviated.

Critical Commentary on the Reference. (Your words sum up to a description of the article…) mention the key idea of the source, or that which is in line with your topic…

You write like you are writing a statement...

Sample ways to start an annotated bibliography.

• The Author (name of the author) discusses...
• This book (or the title of the book) illustrates...
• In this article...
• Or start with your statement, such as "Globalization is a..." or "This publication/periodical/journal xxxxx..." etc., or something around that.

The Use of an Annotated Bibliography in the Chicago Style

An annotated bibliography assists you:

• Catalogue helpful resources
• Show the depth of the research you have done
• Contextualize your citations
• Critically assess the validity and usefulness of sources.

Therefore, an annotated bibliography will be significant in your academic assignments, especially when showcasing how every source relates to your research topic.

Components of an Annotated Bibliography, Chicago Style

Your Chicago annotated bibliography must contain:

1. Citation: Full bibliographic details of the source in Chicago format.
2. Annotation: A paragraph summarizing, assessing, or making observations about the source.

Two kinds of annotations are possible:

• Descriptive: Gives an overview of the larger argument or contents of the source.
• Evaluative: Judges or evaluates the quality and relevance of the source.

Formatting Chicago Style Annotated Bibliography

Adhere to the following generic format guidelines for Turabian/Chicago:

Citation Format

• Each citation should be in a hanging indent.
• The citation itself should be single-spaced.
• List entries alphabetically by the author's last name.

Annotation Format

• Begin the annotation with a new line following the citation.
• Indent the entire annotation (0.5 inches).
• Place an annotation in double space.
• Use the same font and font size as the rest of your paper (e.g., Times New Roman, 12pt).

Chicago Annotated Bibliography Example

An example in the Notes and Bibliography system:

Kenny, Anthony. A New History of Western Philosophy: In Four Parts. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

The book gives a general history of Western philosophy, starting with the early Greeks and extending to the present day. Kenny separates the text into four periods: ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern, each of which is prefaced with a few remarks about the key players and significant events. The book is comprehensive and mainly evenhanded, though in a kind of awkward way: it does not give as much attention to postmodern theorists, especially Derrida. Nevertheless, it remains a fundamental source of information about the development of thought in philosophy.

What should be the length of each annotation?

An annotation is an element containing a variable length based on the needs of your assignment (though generally, it should contain):

• 50-200 words per source
• Brief annotations for articles or essays
• More detailed annotations for books or theses

Writing Good Annotations

To ensure the annotated bibliography gets attention:

• Begin by creating a compelling introduction: In this book, the author explores...
• Locate the thesis or purpose of the source.
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses.
• Write how the source is pertinent to your topic.
• Skip your personal opinions, unless you are asked to give them by your teacher.

Good Phrases to Start Annotations:

• This paper draws on...
• The author contends that...
• This paper will demonstrate...
• The book gives an elaborate description of...

Frequent Errors to Prevent

• Mixing citation styles (stick with either Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date).
• Failure to comply with indentation and spacing rules.
• Making writing annotations either too short or too generic.
• Neglecting assessment when writing evaluative annotations.

Conclusion

Learning how to use the Chicago annotated bibliography style will not only enable you to organize your research properly but also show that you have critically read the sources. Regardless of whether the instructor needs a more descriptive or an evaluative approach, it is important that you format citations and annotations accordingly.

Don’t forget:

A succinct annotation is more than a summary; it examines, critiques, and puts the source in the context of your research.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Do Chicago and Turabian styles differ?
A: Turabian is a simplified Chicago style created especially for use in student papers. The principles of the annotated bibliography are quite similar.

Q: How many sources do I need?
A: That is up to you. The average annotated bibliography contains between 5 and 20 sources.

Q: Do I need to include websites?
A: Yes, as long as they are credible and related to your subject. You simply need to ensure they are duly referenced using the Chicago format.

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