Look for examples. For most people, writing a bibliographic essay is a new experience. Search the Internet for examples of scholarly bibliographic essays. Perusing these will give you ideas on how to organize your own essay. See the Resources section below for some examples.
Create an introductory paragraph that gives focus to your paper. Your introduction should identify your topic and introduce the structure of the rest of the paper by showing the categories of information you plan to discuss. Like other essays, your introduction should contain a thesis sentence that gives the main point of your paper. However, since you are giving an overview of available information on a topic, your thesis may end up being rather broad.
Determine the most important research available on your topic. If you do a thorough job of researching your topic, you will end up with more information than you can use. Choose articles that are cited by scholars as being the most relevant. The articles you choose should provide the reader with the most influential material on your subject. You are going to be summing up the main points of these sources and explaining why they are important.
Give your own ideas about and interpretations of the research. You need to arrive at some type of conclusion about the research you give in your paper. Also, you can compare and contrast the different sources presented.
Think of the most logical method for presenting the information. The article “The Art of the Bibliographic Essay” in the Theological Librarianship Journal offers several possible methods of organization, including chronological by publication date, methodology and viewpoints on the topic. As you are researching your material, think of organizational categories that make sense for your subject.
Create a concluding paragraph that sums up the ideas you have presented. Another good idea for your conclusion is to give some idea of where research on your subject might go in the future or the direction you think it should take.
Once you have finished writing, go back and edit your work. Proofread and look for errors in grammar and spelling. Make certain that the source material you are using flows logically. Ensure that your paper offers an effective survey of the most important literature available regarding your topic.