Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography banner


All NHD projects must include an annotated bibliography. The bibliography must be separated into two sections–primary sources and secondary sources. There must be a citation following the Chicago Manual of Style for each primary and secondary source used in your research process. An annotation, or short explanation of how the source was found and used, should follow each citation. Visit the annotated bibliography page on the NHD website for more information.


Excerpt about annotated bibliographies in the contest rule book (page 18):

An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. List only those sources that contributed to the development of your entry, i.e., sources that provided usable information or new perspectives in preparing your entry. Sources of visual and audio materials and oral interviews must be included. Bundle photos or other materials from the same collection in a single citation. The annotations for each source must explain how you used the source and how it helped you understand your topic. Your annotated bibliography is not included in the word count.

For example:

Bates, Daisy. The Long Shadow of Little Rock. New York: David McKay Co. Inc., 1962.

Daisy Bates was the president of the Arkansas NAACP and the one who met and listened to the students each day. This firsthand account was very important to my paper because it made me more aware of the feelings of the people involved.


Excerpt about writing an annotation for a citation on the NHD website:

1. It identifies what type of source this is (song, poem, book, website, journal article, diary entry, newspaper article, you get the drift….)
2. How was the source used?
3. How did the source help you understand your topic and create your project?


For more information about annotated bibliographies and proper formatting, as well as other notes about rules compliance, visit the annotated bibliography page on the NHD website.

Important to note:

  • For accurate citations, it is recommended that students use online resources such as NoodleTools. NHD teachers are eligible to sign up for complimentary access to NoodleTools for a single NHD season.
    • NoodleTools is a useful, student-friendly resource for compiling annotated bibliographies. Students choose what citation style they would like to use (should use Chicago Manual of Style), where they found a source (database, website, print or in-hand, viewed/heard live, etc.), and what kind of source it is (book, reprinted article, film or video recording, map or chart, etc.). From there, NoodleTools requires the students to fill out key information, such as the URL of the website they found the source or the publisher of a source, and add an annotation. Once all the information is filled out, NoodleTools builds a citation that students can copy and paste into their bibliographies. Other resources like NoodleTools are also available online.