An annotated bibliography consolidates research sources with descriptive commentary in preparation for a paper. Listing each source’s citation and concise summary annotation requires time-consuming manual effort. Automated bibliography generators can help streamline the process. Here are the top options:

BibMe

BibMe’s straightforward bibliography builder is free and simple to use. Just input a title, website URL, DOI, or ISBN and it auto-fills the full reference citation in MLA, APA, Chicago, or Turabian formats. Users can copy and paste quotes or write personal abstracts. Features include:

– Easily batch sources for organizing multiple references
– Auto-detection of common source types
– Direct export into reference managers like RefWorks
– Chrome extension for rapid capture while browsing
– Creation, saving and sharing of bibliographies
– Google Docs integration
– Plagiarism and grammar checker

EasyBib

A longtime staple for writers, EasyBib scans book barcodes or URLs to instantly generate citations. Users can manually enter details for other sources not recognized. Other features include:

– Citation generation in MLA, APA, Chicago, and over 7,000 more styles
– Annotation writing with word count tracking
– Outline and note-taking tools for structuring papers
– Research guides for conducting better background reading
– Ad-free version for uninterrupted focus
– MS Word plugin for quick in-text citations
– Group collaboration options
– Available as a mobile app for iOS and Android

CiteThisForMe

CiteThisForMe creates references and in-text citations from website URLs in MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard and 7,000+ more formats. Users simply input a website link to auto-generate a citation, complemented by:

– Manual entry options for other sources like books
– Notes section for writing annotations or summaries
– A highlight and cite Chrome extension
– Web snippet citations when copying and pasting from sites
– Collaborative project management
– PDF and MS Word plugins for in-text citations while writing
– Access and auto-sync across devices
– Handy editing features to finalize citations

Citavi

Specialized citation software Citavi auto-generates references from books, articles, websites and more. Users can assign categories and tags for structured organization. Key features include:

– 6000+ citation styles with advanced auto-formatting
– Annotation and comments section for abstracts
– Extracting quotations and highlights
– Attaching files like PDFs to each reference
– Grouping sources into categories/projects
– Outline and mind map views interlinking citations
– Compatibility with Word plugins and reference managers
– Team collaboration options with shared Citavi projects
– Availability as both desktop and online cloud software

OttoBib

OttoBib quickly analyzes book ISBNs, article DOIs, or journal details to create citations. Users just copy and paste bibliographic information, making it simpler compared to webpage imports. Additional features:

– 23 common styles from APA to Turabian
– Drag-and-drop source ordering
– Exports to Word, EndNote, RefWorks, Zotero, and other managers
– Compatible across devices as a web platform
– Retains recent citations for easy reference
– Basic options suitable for simple bibliography needs
– No frills approach avoids feature overload

In summary, these handy annotation bibliography generators automate referencing and abstract writing to help students and researchers efficiently organize sources and kickstart papers. They optimize time and effort in synthesis and citation tasks.