Annotating Sources, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Annotated Bibliography
Blinn College – Bryan Writing Center
Spring 2022
Annotating Sources, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and
Writing an Annotated Bibliography
Learning to annotate sources, paraphrase, summarize, and write an annotated bibliography will help you to
become a more active reader, which will improve your writing over time.
Annotating Sources
Annotation is a written conversation between you and the writer in which you actively respond to the text.
Pretend you are talking to the writer as you read. This exercise will help you to find connections between ideas
in the text and ideas in other sources. It will also help you to form questions that could become paper topics.
Remember, like any other skill, you must practice in order to improve.
1) Read a little more slowly than usual. Really try to absorb what the author is saying.
2) As you read, look for items that are interesting, significant, or which raise questions. Make notes or
comments as follows:
• Use stars, circles, arrows, lines, highlighting, or other meaningful symbols to mark these things as you
read. Assign different colors to elements (pink for questions, yellow for main points, orange for
connecting ideas, etc.). Use arrows and lines to show related ideas in the text.
• Write notes about the text in the margins (e.g., What does this mean? What is the author trying to say? I
do not understand this part. Look this up.).
• Note where you disagree with the writer.
• Rewrite a line of text in your own words to aid understanding, if necessary.
• Circle any vocabulary words that are unfamiliar. Look up and note the definitions in the margin.
• Make connections with the text (e.g., This makes me think of . . . ).
3) If you do not want to write in the book, use sticky notes that can be transferred to another sheet of paper
later. Or, use notebook paper with one column, for text and another for corresponding notes.
4) Now, go back and look at the marks and think about the connections found and questions raised. Why is
that line interesting? What is the author trying to do?
This process will take time, but it is important because it will help you effectively use sources in a paper.
Paraphrasing and Summarizing
Two of the main ways writers incorporate sources are paraphrasing and summarizing. These techniques are
similar but distinct in important ways, as illustrated by this chart:
PARAPHRASING
SUMMARIZING
Focuses on a specific passage
Provides a broad overview of an entire work
Delivers same info more clearly and directly
Describes in your own words
Brings in details from the original
Conveys just the main ideas
Reinforces your analysis
Remains neutral and objective
Concerns texts only
Concerns both texts and visuals
