Write the citation for the text. For MLA formatting, the format for a book is: Author Last, Author First. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of publication. (Remember to italicize the title of the book.) For APA, the format for a book is: Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Location: Publisher.
Press "Enter." Begin the summarization process. Write one paragraph (3 to 5 sentences) that summarizes the content of the source. Writers should avoid quoting unless absolutely necessary. The Cornell University Library advises students to "write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article."
Press "Enter" again. Compose the analysis portion of the annotation. Within the analysis section, writers want to evaluate the author, the intended audience, and how the work fits into the greater research project. The analysis is the writer's chance to determine whether the research should be part of the final essay.
Format the annotation properly, according to either MLA or APA standards. For MLA, the entire annotation should be double-spaced. The book citation may have gone onto more than one line, requiring a hanging indent, which is five spaces. Regardless of whether or not the citation needed a hanging indent, the entire paragraphs will each be indented five spaces. For an example, see Resources.