Active reading: Annotations make you think carefully about what you are reading. Can you sum up an article or a book in a few sentences and state why the source is or is not useful to your project?
Keeping track: Annotations can help you keep track of your reading, of which sources you found useful and why. They can form the basis of a research bibliography for a large project.
Developing your ideas: Annotations can help you focus your own ideas on a subject through critically analyzing and articulating your ideas about what others have written about the subject.
Surveying the field: Annotations give an overview of a subject for your reader, showing the range of ideas, viewpoints, and research.
Validating and sharing your research: Annotations will give your readers a snapshot of the important details that they need to know about each source. As a researcher, you have become an expert on your topic with the ability to explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with them.