Annotated bibliographies require both a synopsis of an article or book and an evaluative commentary, according to the Cornell University Library. For the advanced scholar, there is an efficient way to keep track of your research reading. For students, there is an introduction to the practices of scholarship, which demonstrates that you have done the necessary work to write a long, well-informed research paper. If your professor approves, you can dispense with the traditional cover page for an annotated bibliography; the first page of the document is also often the cover, provided you set it up correctly.
First Page as Cover Page
Start in the upper left-hand corner. Type your name on the first line. Type the name of the class on the second line, the name of the professor on the third line and the date on the fourth line of the first page of the annotated bibliography. Use the default margins in your word processor and double-spaced lines. Your last name and the page number should appear in the header on the right-hand side.
Type the subject matter you are researching followed by a colon and the words "Annotated Bibliography" on the fifth or sixth typed line and center or left-justify the line, according to your professor's preference. For example, the line will read: Causes of Leukemia: Annotated Bibliography. See an example of a first page that is also a cover page at Purdue University's Online Writing Lab under the title "Annotated Bibliography Example."
Make your first bibliographic entry beginning on the next line in the citation style that the professor requires. It may be MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychiatric Association) or another.
Make subsequent entries in the same manner. Do not add extra spaces between entries.
Separate Cover Page
Set the formatting on your word processor to double-spaced, centered lines.
Type in the words "Annotated Bibliography," press enter, and type the subject of the research into the second line. On the next line type in your name. On the fourth line type the name of the class and section number and the name of your college. Line five should contain the date. You can see an example of an annotated bibliography separate cover page at Concordia University's Writing Center by searching for "annotated bibliography sample."
Center the text from top to bottom as well as from side to side.