Not all of these statements need to appear in any one annotation:
- Write clearly and concisely, 30-60 but no more than 150 words will usually suffice.
- State the authority and qualifications of the author.
- Describe the subject and scope of the work.
- Indicate biases or limitations of the work.
- Describe the intended audience, particularly if a level of expertise is necessary to appreciate the work.
- Compare the work to others in the field.
- Describe features of importance, e.g., indexes, illustrations, appendicies.
- Avoid repetition of information explicit in the title.
- State the use, significance and value of the work
- Reliability, is this an original source, accurate, well-researched with logical arguments
- If the work uses or is influenced by a particular theory that fact can be mentioned