Introduction 
Generally bibliographies are intended for the non-librarian, and their contents are not confined to the holdings of a particular library or collection. The aim of a bibliography is not to guide the reader to the whereabouts of a specific item, but to help them to navigate the literature on a particular topic.
The bibliography should have practical value and its arrangement be the most useful for the intended audience. Accuracy is important, and for this reason inclusions should be sighted rather than the compiler depending on citations from earlier works.
This guide aims to provide a list of resources so that you can locate references and compile an annotated bibliography.
Sources
Harmon, Robert B. Elements of bibliography : a simplified approach. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1989.
010 H28 1989
Contrary to the impression given by the title, this seems to cover every aspect of bibliography. It is the source used for the section below on 'Bibliography'.
Harner, James L. On compiling an annotated bibliography. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 2000.
General Arts Reference 010.28 H28 2000
Krummel, Donald William. Bibliographies, their aims and methods. London ; New York : Mansell ; Bronz, New York, 1984.
010.2 K94
Probably the most accessible of the texts listed. It is the source for the section below on 'Annotations'.
The Bibliography
Style
Choose the correct style for citing the references in your bibliography. References should comply with the MLA style, details of which are found in:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA handbook for writers of research papers. 5th ed. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1999.
General Arts Reference 808.02 M689m 2003
Borrowable copies, and one in Short Loan, are also available.
Electronic guides to MLA style can be found at:
Duke University Documentation Guidelines - an excellent site with clear examples of each publication type.
Purdue University Online Writing Lab - scroll down the page for examples
Bibliography Styles Handbook
from University of Illinois
University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center
Scope
The scope of the bibliography can be set out in a Preface or an Introduction. Make clear the limits of the bibliography, i.e.
is it current or retrospective?
is is comprehensive or selective?
which forms of material you have included [reviews, recordings]
whether you have sighted the items
the role of the annotation
the organisation of content [alphabetical, chronological]
Arrangement & Layout
The arrangement and layout should suit the length of the bibliography and the forms of material - this is a practical consideration. The layout should make a clear distinction between one item and the next, and between each component part. Beware of false economy of space at the expense of clarity. Punctuation must be
accurate and consistent. Entries can be numbered.
Annotations
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Annotations are descriptive and
critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.
Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes.
Compilation & Style
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that
(a) evaluate the authority or background of the author,
(b) comment on the intended audience,
(c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or
(d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.
Finding items for the bibliography
You may wish to consult a range of resources to find entries for your bibliography.
Voyager - the Library catalogue
- Voyager is a catalogue of material held the the University of Auckland Library system, i.e. all the libraries that are part of this system.
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- As well as searching by author or title, you can search Voyager for books on your topic using Keyword or Subject searches.
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- It catalogues books, serials, theses, audiovisual material, etc. by title and author. It does NOT catalogue or index the CONTENTS of books or serials. Use an electronic database or bibliography for this purpose.
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- Subject searches look specifically in the Subject Heading field of the catalogue record for the term you have typed in. This term must correspond with the Library of Congress Subject Heading[s] assigned to the book.
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Print Resources in the Library
Printed bibliographies fulfil the same role as the electronic databases. Bibliographies list references to books and serial articles. See an explanation of how they work.
- Their coverage may be more specific and in-depth.
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- They do not provide the full text of the article. Check all references on Voyager to see if the Library has the item. If not, arrange InterLibrary Loan.
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- They may be limited by their date of publication.
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- They may provide an annotation or abstract.
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Some authors may be the subject of bibliographies on their work. Often they include references outside the scope of the electronic databases. For instance, the coverage may be more retrospective, and also cover book reviews. Many author-specific bibliographies have a Subject Index which makes it possible to find references on a particular topic. Their
disadvantage is the "one-off" nature of publication, as they are not current past their publication date.
To find if an author has a bibliography, use Voyager.
- Do a SUBJECT HEADING search using the author's name, e.g. Gaskell Elizabeth.
- Check the list of results for the sub-division "bibliography".
Make sure that the bibliography indexes secondary material, and is not a descriptive bibliography of editions of the author's work. Usually the title makes this clear, and may contain words such as "reference guide" and "annotated".
Less well known writers are unlikely to have a bibliography devoted solely to their work. These authors may be included in bibliographies that contain multiple authors and cover a literary period or type of writing. Some examples that may be helpful are:
Horwitz, Barbara Joan. British women writers, 1700-1850 : an annotated bibliography of their works and works about them. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press ; Pasadena, Calif. : Salem Press, 1997.
General Arts Reference 016.82099287 H82
Nineteenth-century British women writers: a bio-bibliographical critical sourcebook. Edited by Abigail Burnham Bloom. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2000.
General Arts Reference 820.9928709034 B65
The major scholarly journals in the subject area may also provide bibliographies. These are usually published annually, as either a separate issue, or as part of a particular issue. Sometimes these annual bibliographies are compiled into larger volumes. An advantage of the "annual bibliographies" in journals is that they review the previous year's
scholarship and are fairly current in relation to single-author bibliographies, although for some years a bibliography may not be compiled.
The annual bibliography in Victorian Studies [820.9 V64] is compiled into:
The cumulative bibliography of Victorian studies. Compiled and edited by Brahma Chaudhuri, James Mulvihill and Fred Radford. Edmonton : LITIR Database, 2004.
General Arts Reference 016.82098 C97 1970-2000
General Arts Reference 016.82098 C97 2000-2004
You can also consult the following titles that list and evaluate the core resources for English Literature.
Bracken, James. Reference works in British and American literature. Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1998.
General Arts Reference 016.8209 B78 1998
Harner, James L. Literary research guide : an annotated listing of reference sources in English literary studies. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
General Arts Reference 016.8209 H28 1998
Electronic Resources on the Library web page
You must be logged on with NetID and Password to gain access
Databases
The electronic databases listed below index the contents of books and journals, and are the most relevant for locating bibliographic references to secondary material in English Literature.
| ABELL [Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature] |
Indexes a wide range of scholarly serials and books. Includes books reviews and doctoral dissertations. Some full-text articles.
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| MLA International Bibliography |
Indexes scholarly serials, books and dissertations. Gives a brief annotation. Provides a link to Voyager to check availability of item. |
| Digital Dissertations |
Indexes theses only. Gives a 150 word [Masters] or 300 word [PhD] abstract. Many these published from 1996 are available in full text, and others offer a 24 page preview. |
Metasites
These sites are selected and evaluated by Library staff for inclusion on the English Language & Literature subject page on the Library web page.
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