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Understanding APA Format
If you’re writing academically, chances are you’ve been tasked with writing a paper that follows APA style. Although there’s a learning curve involved with adhering to APA style, it’s possible to learn the basics so you can turn in your assignments.
What Is APA Style?
APA is the official academic style of the American Psychological Association. This style was created in 1929 when a group of professionals worked together to devise a set of style rules for scientific writing as a means of making these documents easier to read and understand.
If an assignment indicates APA style, you will need to adhere to these style rules. These guidelines ensure that your document is consistent and uniform with elements such as punctuation, headings and subheadings, abbreviations, numbers, tables and figures and citations.
Main Sections of a Document
APA style dictates the format of the main sections of a document.
The title page includes a running head, the author’s name and the school.
The abstract is a succinct summary of the document. APA style dictates that abstracts be no more than 250 words, although some instructors give leeway regarding the length.
The main body of the document is the text of the essay or report. Some reports are divided into separate sections.
Your reference section follows the body. It includes a list of references you cited in your document.
How to Reference APA Style
In-text citations appear within the text, identifying any information you cite. APA format for in-text citations includes the author’s name and the date of the publication.
The reference page always begins on a new page with the title “References” centered at the top. Include all entries in alphabetical order, and each entry’s first line begins at the left margin, and additional lines are indented. Place titles of newspapers, magazines, journals and books in italics, and double-space the reference section.
Double-check that all of your sources appear as both in-text citations and in the reference section.
Use an APA Sample Paper
An APA style example can be helpful if you’re learning this style and trying to apply it to a writing assignment. Many schools and universities maintain resource web pages with APA samples to show students how to follow this style.
More APA Tips
If you’re struggling with creating APA citations and references, use a citation machine to check your work. You simply fill in the citation and click a button, and the tool tells you if you made any errors.
Consider hiring an academic editor to check your work after you finish writing. The editor can find and correct errors to make sure your document adheres to APA.
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About APA Citation Online Tools
As anyone who has ever written a paper for a college class knows, there are certain style rules and guidelines to be followed depending on which discipline you are in. Such style rules ensure consistency in formatting and publishing and address details such as comma placement, capitalization, references and in-text citations. One of the most commonly used styles is the APA style, which is the style preferred by the American Psychological Association. APA style is style that is generally used for disciplines such as the social sciences, education and psychology.
Origins of APA Style
For many college students, learning APA style can be tricky. The specifics of the style often trip up even the best writers, since it is difficult to remember whether titles should be in italics or not, how references should be alphabetized and how to cite citations, which can vary depending upon where they appear.
According to the APA, the style originated in 1929, when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers decided to establish a simple set of procedures, or style rules, to bring uniformity to the elements of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension.
Some of the procedures they decided upon can be challenging. Plus, there are various online tools and style generators out there that can help. We’ve gathered a few of them here.
Online Citation Machines
It takes just a few clicks to find any number of reliable citation machines that help writers be sure their papers conform to APA style. In general, a citation machine website helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. As any good student knows, proper credits are essential to presenting a strong paper, because they cite the sources used, giving credit where credit is due and not plagiarizing.
Avoid Plagiarism at All Costs
In a reference paper, article, blog post or any other published work, writers must give credit to their sources. Failing to do so, even if you have completely reworded the information or summarized the information, is considered to be plagiarism. A good rule of thumb is to cite sources extensively, because even if you think you have an original thought, you may actually be paraphrasing something you’ve read elsewhere. It is safe to say that you cannot cite too many sources.
Citation Machine Ensures APA Conformity
Citation Machine is a free online tool that students, researchers, teachers and publishers can use to see how well their paper conforms to APA style guidelines.
The site is extremely clear about the two types of APA citations and provides a good summary. The first kind of citation is called an in-text or parenthetical citation. These citations must be included when you use information from someone else’s work in your own paper. They are used in the main body of your paper and must be placed immediately after the information you have borrowed.
The second kind of citation is a reference citation and is included with all other full citations at the end of your paper on the last page. They are alphabetical and listed one after the other. They’re the full citations for the in-text citations included in the body of your paper.
BibMe Details APA Style
BibMe is another free online citation generator for APA style. Along with citation guidelines, it spells out ways in which paper elements such as publication dates and titles should be structured. For example, publication dates should place the date that the source was published in parentheses, after the author’s name. If no date is available, you should write n.d. In parentheses, which stands for no date.
Book titles should capitalize just the first letter of the first word in the title. Do the same for the subtitle. The first letter of any proper nouns should be capitalized and italicized. Each should end with a period.
Check Every Last Detail
Learning APA style on your own can be daunting. Fortunately, you can learn more about it while making sure that paper is correct and that you properly cite each and every one of your sources by using online tools developed for this exact purpose.
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Annotated Bibliography Samples
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This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS.
Below you will find sample annotations from annotated bibliographies, each with a different research project. Remember that the annotations you include in your own bibliography should reflect your research project and/or the guidelines of your assignment.
As mentioned elsewhere in this resource, depending on the purpose of your bibliography, some annotations may summarize, some may assess or evaluate a source, and some may reflect on the source’s possible uses for the project at hand. Some annotations may address all three of these steps. Consider the purpose of your annotated bibliography and/or your instructor’s directions when deciding how much information to include in your annotations.
Please keep in mind that all your text, including the write-up beneath the citation, must be indented so that the author's last name is the only text that is flush left.
Sample MLA Annotation
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . Anchor Books, 1995.
Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one's own internal critic.
In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.
Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.
In the sample annotation above, the writer includes three paragraphs: a summary, an evaluation of the text, and a reflection on its applicability to his/her own research, respectively.
For information on formatting MLA citations, see our MLA 9th Edition (2021) Formatting and Style Guide .
Sample APA Annotation
Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America . Henry Holt and Company.
In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles in each situation.
An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreich’s project is timely, descriptive, and well-researched.
The annotation above both summarizes and assesses the book in the citation. The first paragraph provides a brief summary of the author's project in the book, covering the main points of the work. The second paragraph points out the project’s strengths and evaluates its methods and presentation. This particular annotation does not reflect on the source’s potential importance or usefulness for this person’s own research.
For information on formatting APA citations, see our APA Formatting and Style Guide .
Sample Chicago Manual of Style Annotation
Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess . London: Routledge, 1998.
Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of the major roles filled by the numerous pagan goddesses of Northern Europe in everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic arts like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant archaeological evidence, patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous research. The book includes a number of black and white photographs of relevant artifacts.
This annotation includes only one paragraph, a summary of the book. It provides a concise description of the project and the book's project and its major features.
For information on formatting Chicago Style citations, see our Chicago Manual of Style resources.
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American Psychological Association (APA) Annotations
Creating an annotated bibliography in APA style
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 6th edition (APA Manual) is kept behind the iDesk on the First Floor.
This example is based on the APA style guide, but your instructor might give you other formatting instructions .
General guidelines
Some annotations are merely descriptive , summarizing the authors' qualifications, research methods, and arguments.
Many annotations evaluate the quality of scholarship in a book or article. You might want to consider the logic of authors' arguments, and the quality of their evidence. Your findings can be positive, negative, or mixed.
Your professor might also want you to explain why the source is relevant to your assignment.
Sample Page: APA-formatted annotated bibliography
Rules! rules! rules!
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) states the following formatting rules:
- The text and the reference list should be double-spaced.
- Numbering starts on the title page, at the top right of the page.
- Reference list entries must have a hanging indent (to do this in Microsoft Word 2003, click Format, then Paragraph, then Special, and choose Hanging).
- There should be 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins all around (top, bottom, left, and right) on each page.
- Use Times Roman font, or a similar serif font.
- Each paragraph should be indented.
More Sample Annotations
- Annotated Bibliographies- Purdue OWL
The Memorial University of Newfoundland presents these examples of both descriptive and critical annotations .
Cornell University Library offers these instructions on preparing an annotated bibliography.
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Creating an Annotated Bibliography in APA Style
Definitions.
A bibliography is a list of source material, cited in whatever citation style you're required to use in a specific course.
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation.
Put the two together and you have an Annotated Bibliography !
An annotated bibliography is an organizational tool . an annotated bibliography....
- Is an alphabetical list of all of your source material
- Includes sources you may or may not use in your research
- Summarizes each resource so you can remember what it's about
- Can include any type of resource unless specified in the assignment instructions (For an overview of the types of resources you can find through our library, view our description of resource types on our Evaluating Sources guide .)
Why must you do an Annotated Bibliography?
- If you're utilizing print resources through the library, you may not be able to renew items. How will you remember what the resource was about if you have to send it back?
- If you're utilizing electronic resources, nothing online is permanent. How will you find the resource again if it disappears?
- In larger projects, every resource starts to look the same. An Annotated Bibliography can save you time by reminding you of what you've already found.
What types of resources are used?
An Annotated Bibliography can include any type of resource unless otherwise specified by the assignment. This can include (but is not limited to):
- Scholarly materials
- Government documents
Annotated Bibliographies can be a great resource for students before they write other types of assignments, like literature reviews .
There are TWO PARTS to each entry in an Annotated Bibliography. They are:
- The citation of the resource , in whatever citation style you're required to use.
- The annotation describing the contents of the resource and how it may or may not contribute to your research.
Be sure to carefully read over the assignment instructions when you're asked to compose an Annotated Bibliography, and reach out to your professor with any questions!
Citation Help
Consult your course style guide to confirm the accuracy of your citation.
You can also...
- View our guide for APA Style Help .
- Consult resources like Academic Writer or Grammarly .
Skimming Sources
Focus on key areas of a text to learn enough so that you can write a strong annotation. This includes:
- Abstracts, prefaces, and summaries
- Paragraph headings
- Charts/graphs/images and their captions
- Introduction paragraph(s)
- Conclusion paragraph(s)
- Sources/References/Bibliography
These areas will provide you with enough information to determine the topic, arguments, and conclusions drawn from any research presented.
Writing Annotations
A strong annotation will have three main parts:
Length requirements can vary from a few sentences to a single paragraph or a full page. Be sure to verify length requirements with your professor and/or through the assignment instructions.
When writing the summary, ask yourself:
- What topics are covered in the resource?
- What are the main arguments?
- What are the main conclusions drawn from the resource?
When writing the assessment, ask yourself:
- Is the source useful?
- How does it compare to your other resources?
- Is there bias present?
- Is the source reliable?
Our guide for Evaluating Your Sources can help you assess your research material.
When writing the reflection, ask yourself:
- How does the source fit into your research?
- How might the source support your argument?
- Did the source change your mind about the topic?
Sample APA Style citation with annotation:
Bell, C., & Holder, M. (2019, January/February). The Interrelationship between Race, Social Norms, and Dietary Behaviors among College-attending
Women. American Journal of Health Behavior , 43 (1), 23-36.
This article examines a study conducted to compare racial identity and dietary habits of women on college campuses. The findings of the
study found that women with perceived differences and social/family norms were more likely to develop unhealthy dietary habits in college,
most specifically related to fruit and vegetable consumption. This resource is useful because it examines self-perception of race and how that
can impact behavior in ways that influence one's health in the future.
View a full example in APA Style:
- Annotated Bibliography Example- APA Style A full Annotated Bibliography formatted in APA Style. Users, please verify that formatting matches your course style guide's requirements.
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How to Write an Annotated Bibliography - APA Style (7th Edition)
What is an annotation, how is an annotation different from an abstract, what is an annotated bibliography, types of annotated bibliographies, descriptive or informative, analytical or critical, to get started.
An annotation is more than just a brief summary of an article, book, web site, or other type of publication. An annotation should give enough information to make a reader decide whether to read the complete work. In other words, if the reader were exploring the same topic as you, is this material useful and if so, why?
While an abstract also summarizes an article, book, web site, or other type of publication, it is purely descriptive. Although annotations can be descriptive, they also include distinctive features about an item. Annotations can be evaluative and critical as we will see when we look at the two major types of annotations.
An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources (like a reference list). It differs from a straightforward bibliography in that each reference is followed by a paragraph length annotation, usually 100–200 words in length.
Depending on the assignment, an annotated bibliography might have different purposes:
- Provide a literature review on a particular subject
- Help to formulate a thesis on a subject
- Demonstrate the research you have performed on a particular subject
- Provide examples of major sources of information available on a topic
- Describe items that other researchers may find of interest on a topic
There are two major types of annotated bibliographies:
A descriptive or informative annotated bibliography describes or summarizes a source as does an abstract; it describes why the source is useful for researching a particular topic or question and its distinctive features. In addition, it describes the author's main arguments and conclusions without evaluating what the author says or concludes.
For example:
McKinnon, A. (2019). Lessons learned in year one of business. Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting , 30 (4), 26–28. This article describes some of the difficulties many nurses experience when transitioning from nursing to a legal nurse consulting business. Pointing out issues of work-life balance, as well as the differences of working for someone else versus working for yourself, the author offers their personal experience as a learning tool. The process of becoming an entrepreneur is not often discussed in relation to nursing, and rarely delves into only the first year of starting a new business. Time management, maintaining an existing job, decision-making, and knowing yourself in order to market yourself are discussed with some detail. The author goes on to describe how important both the nursing professional community will be to a new business, and the importance of mentorship as both the mentee and mentor in individual success that can be found through professional connections. The article’s focus on practical advice for nurses seeking to start their own business does not detract from the advice about universal struggles of entrepreneurship makes this an article of interest to a wide-ranging audience.
An analytical or critical annotation not only summarizes the material, it analyzes what is being said. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of what is presented as well as describing the applicability of the author's conclusions to the research being conducted.
Analytical or critical annotations will most likely be required when writing for a college-level course.
McKinnon, A. (2019). Lessons learned in year one of business. Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting , 30 (4), 26–28. This article describes some of the difficulty many nurses experience when transitioning from nursing to a nurse consulting business. While the article focuses on issues of work-life balance, the differences of working for someone else versus working for yourself, marketing, and other business issues the author’s offer of only their personal experience is brief with few or no alternative solutions provided. There is no mention throughout the article of making use of other research about starting a new business and being successful. While relying on the anecdotal advice for their list of issues, the author does reference other business resources such as the Small Business Administration to help with business planning and professional organizations that can help with mentorships. The article is a good resource for those wanting to start their own legal nurse consulting business, a good first advice article even. However, entrepreneurs should also use more business research studies focused on starting a new business, with strategies against known or expected pitfalls and issues new businesses face, and for help on topics the author did not touch in this abbreviated list of lessons learned.
Now you are ready to begin writing your own annotated bibliography.
- Choose your sources - Before writing your annotated bibliography, you must choose your sources. This involves doing research much like for any other project. Locate records to materials that may apply to your topic.
- Review the items - Then review the actual items and choose those that provide a wide variety of perspectives on your topic. Article abstracts are helpful in this process.
- The purpose of the work
- A summary of its content
- Information about the author(s)
- For what type of audience the work is written
- Its relevance to the topic
- Any special or unique features about the material
- Research methodology
- The strengths, weaknesses or biases in the material
Annotated bibliographies may be arranged alphabetically or chronologically, check with your instructor to see what he or she prefers.
Please see the APA Examples page for more information on citing in APA style.
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Annotated Bibliography Template
The APA Publication Manual does not include an annotated bibliography format. We have included here a template for an annotated bibliography that uses an APA formatted title page and reference entry. It includes APA formatted margins, page numbers, and font style & size. Your professor may have different requirements for your assignment, so be sure to check in Canvas before using this format.
- Annotated Bibliography Template (Word)
- Annotated Bibliography Template (Pages)
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (bibliography) that includes comments about each source. These comments are called annotations . Annotated bibliographies are often a starting point for research papers.
Steps to Creating an Annotated Bibliography
- Find sources related to your topic (check with your instructor to confirm which types of sources are acceptable for the assignment)
- Critically read and evaluate sources
- Create the proper APA citation
- Below the citation, write your annotation
Annotations
An annotation (found below each citation) typically includes*:
- An evaluation of the work - the value of the evidence, the logic of arguments, etc.
- A description of the arguments or findings in the source
- The qualifications/credibility of the author(s) or publishing source
- How the source will support your argument or thesis
*Check with your instructors to confirm what information they require in an annotation.
The following example uses the APA format for a journal citation.
Brien, F., Simons-Morton, B., Chaurasia, A., Luk, J., Haynie, D., & Liu, D. (2018). Post-high school changes in tobacco and cannabis use in the United States. Substance Use & Misuse, 53 (1), 26–35. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/10826084.2017.1322983 The researchers use data from the NEXT Generation Health Study (NEXT) to examine how different social and environmental factors impact the use of tobacco and cannabis by recent high school graduates. Based on longitudinal analysis, the study finds that tobacco and cannabis use is strongly associated with previous use. The researchers also found that college students are less likely to use tobacco when compared to non-students. The researchers suggest that anti-smoking campaigns and university policies reduce cigarette use by college students.
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APA Guide - 7th Edition: Annotated Bibliographies
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- Annotated Bibliographies
Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a type of student paper in which reference list entries are followed by short descriptions of the work, called annotations. Annotated bibliographies can also constitute one element of a research paper in fields that require bibliographies rather than reference lists. Most APA Style guidelines are applicable to annotated bibliographies (margins, font, line spacing, etc.).
In general, it is not necessary to cite the work being annotated in the annotations because the origin of the information is clear through context. However, do include in-text citations if you refer to multiple works within an annotation to clarify the source.
Examples & Templates
- Annotated Bibliography Sample from APA Manual
- Annotated Bib Template_Includes Title Page
- How to Create an Annotated Bibliography
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
What is an Annotated Bibliography? by OWLPurdue on YouTube
Useful Links
- Purdue OWL Definitions, formatting, examples, & samples.
- Writing an Annotated Bibliography General guide from the University of Guelph. Overview and examples.
Evaluative Annotations
An evaluative annotation includes a summary but also critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. The focus is on description and evaluation.
They can help you:
- learn about your topic
- develop a thesis statement
- decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment
- determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project.
Sample Annotation
Basic Writing & Format Tips
Basic Writing and Format Tips:
- Start with the same format as a regular References list.
- After each citation, the annotation is indented two spaces from the left margin as a block.
- Each annotation should be one paragraph, between three to six sentences long (about 150-200 words).
- All lines should be double-spaced. Do not add an extra line between the citations.
- If your list of citations is especially long, you can organize it by topic.
- Try to be objective, and give explanations if you state any opinions.
- Use the third person (e.g., he, she, the author) instead of the first person (e.g., I, my, me).
Annotations
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or critical evaluation of each of the sources. The annotated bibliography looks like a References page but includes an annotation after each full citation.
Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.
Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following:
- Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What topics are covered? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is. Who wrote the document? When and where was the document written?
- After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other soruces in your biliography? What is the goal of this source?
- Once you've summarized and assessed a source, ask yourself how it fits into your research. How does it help shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project?
Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all of these, or even others. If you're doing this for a class, you should get specific guidelines from your instructor.
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Annotated Bibliography
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An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a References page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.
Basic Tips on Formatting
- Start with the same format as a regular References list.
- The first line of the citation starts at the left margin and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches (hanging indent).
- The annotation begins on a new line and is indented 0.5 inches from the left margin.
- Entries are double-spaced with no extra lines between entries.
- If the annotation consists of more than one paragraph, indent the first line of each successive paragraph an additional 0.5 inches.
- Use the third person (e.g., he, she, the author) instead of the first person (e.g., I, my, me).
Sample Evaluative Annotation
Maak, T. (2007). Responsible leadership, stakeholder engagement, and the emergence of social capital. Journal of Business Ethics , 74 , 329-343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9510-5
This article focuses on the role of social capital in responsible leadership. It looks at both the social networks that a leader builds within an organization, and the links that a leader creates with external stakeholders. Maak’s main aim with this article seems to be to persuade people of the importance of continued research into the abilities that a leader requires and how they can be acquired. The focus on the world of multinational business means that for readers outside this world many of the conclusions seem rather obvious (be part of the solution not part of the problem). In spite of this, the article provides useful background information on the topic of responsible leadership and definitions of social capital which are relevant to an analysis of a public servant.
Useful Links for Annotated Bibliographies
The formatting of annotated bibliographies can vary. The University Libraries recommend the format exhibited in the examples below, but if you are still unsure what format to use, ask your professor.
- Includes a sample of one APA annotation (from the Purdue OWL).
- A guide covering the basics of writing an annotated bibliography.
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APA Examples
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Annotated Bibliography Examples | APA, MLA, Chicago
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (books, articles, other publications) that provides an overview of the available research on a topic by summarizing, interpreting, or evaluating each entry. It usually consists of citations followed by short paragraphs of 150–250 words.
Purpose of an Annotated Bibliography
The purpose of such annotation lists is not only to show your professor that you have done your job (although it can sometimes feel like that)—it is to describe and categorize the literature on the topic you are researching, and to critically analyze how relevant or meaningful each source is for your current work, how accurate the findings are, and whether the conclusions drawn by the authors are justified. Creating an annotated bibliography is also a great way for you to familiarize yourself with and review the material available on a particular topic, and to take systematic notes that help you organize your thoughts and identify gaps in the existing literature or issues that might be worth exploring further.
Annotation Components
Each entry in an annotated bibliography consists of a citation and the “ annotation “, a short paragraph that summarizes or evaluates the source. Whether you need to simply describe or critically evaluate or analyze each source depends on your assignment and/or the purpose of your bibliography.
Annotation summary or evaluation paragraphs should usually be arranged alphabetically, according to the author’s last name, and need to be in line with the required citation style (more on that below).
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
To create an annotated bibliography, you first need to do a careful library search : find articles, books, and other sources that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Then examine every item in your preliminary list and choose the works that provide the necessary information.
Next, create a citation for each book, article, or document following the required style guide.
Finally, add an annotation that summarizes/evaluates the central theme and scope of the work.
1) Analyze Your Study’s Sources
Not every work that has ever been published on your topic needs to be included in your bibliography—choosing the most relevant ones is a very important part of creating an annotation list. You also need to consider whether your annotated bibliography is a stand-alone assignment that simply provides an overview of a certain field or issue or whether it represents preliminary research into a specific research topic.
How to choose sources for your annotations
Start by reading abstracts to identify and select relevant sources, and keep the following points in mind:
– your research topic and important keywords
– your research question
– specific methods or the range of methods that have been/are being used
– whether you are creating an overview or identifying a gap in the literature
– the kind of data (experiments, meta-analyses,…) you are interested in
– the quality of each source (e.g., often cited versus famously criticized works)
Stay organized
Taking notes will help you organize your sources from the start and will make writing annotation paragraphs much easier. Your notes could contain the following details:
– the study’s theoretical approach
– the methods used and if they seem appropriate
– the main points or findings
– how the main findings relate to other research
– how the main findings relate to your topic
– the author’s interpretation or conclusion (and whether you agree)
Quality matters
While your annotation should mainly focus on the source, not the authors or their work in general, it can help your selection of valuable sources to check credentials as well as the publisher or journal where you found an article. You don’t want to put too much emphasis on dubious and obscure publications—unless, of course, a “bad” study received particular attention for being biased, containing errors, or not being in line with the required standards in the field and thereby sparked controversy or inspired debates. Such cases might need to be included in an overview of a topic, alongside seminal papers and works that are cited by every new publication in the field. Pay attention to when studies were published as well, since your analysis should represent the timeline of developments appropriately while being up to date with the current literature.
2) Create Annotations: Annotation Types
You can create annotations in different ways, depending on the purpose of your literature analysis. You can simply describe and summarize a source, evaluate it, or combine both approaches .
Descriptive annotations
Descriptive or informative annotations, as their name says, provide a full citation for a source followed by a simple description. They can list the main arguments and even the names of parts or chapters within a book, but do not assess its value or reflect on how useful it might be for your specific purpose.
Have a look at the example below that is taken from the Online Writing Lab of Purdue University . As you can see, this annotation paragraph only contains descriptive expressions and does not offer any judgments or opinions.
Descriptive annotated bibliography example
Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess . London: Routledge, 1998.
Davidson’s book provides a thorough examination of the major roles filled by the numerous pagan goddesses of Northern Europe in everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic arts like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant archaeological evidence, patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous research. The book includes a number of black and white photographs of relevant artifacts.
Evaluative annotations
Evaluative annotations assess and critically analyze the work a source presents, by comparing it to other publications, evaluating how trustworthy or questionable its findings are, whether it addresses an issue from various angles or has a limited scope, and whether it used the appropriate methods and made a significant contribution to the literature. By doing this, you demonstrate why each source in your list is essential and relevant.
In the example below (again taken from the Purdue Writing Lab), you see that the descriptive summary of the book is followed by a paragraph that assesses the author, how she did her research, and how valuable her findings therefore are.
Evaluative annotated bibliography example
Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America . Henry Holt and Company.
In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist’s experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles in each situation.
An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreich’s project is timely, descriptive, and well-researched.
Combination annotations
As you have seen in the last example, annotations come in different formats and can be adapted to your purpose. If the “summary + evaluation” format in the last example is not sufficient for your bibliography, you can add a comparison of the source with another one you have cited or an explanation of how this work is relevant for your topic to your annotation.
Annotation writing style
Annotations should usually consist of full sentences, but whether you split them up into different paragraphs depends on whether you restrict yourself to a summary or whether you also provide a critical evaluation of the source and maybe discuss its relevance for your own work. Sources can also be annotated using short phrases, but this format is more appropriate for personal bibliographies for the purpose of collecting and organizing literature, rather than for stand-alone assignments or research papers.
3) Annotated Bibliography Format and Examples
When you have collected all the information you think is relevant and written your annotation paragraphs, it is important that you format your list according to your faculty’s or journal’s preferred citation style. In the following, we will show you how the three main bibliography styles (MLA, APA, and Chicago) differ when it comes to annotation lists.
APA annotated bibliography example
Your annotated bibliography very likely has to follow American Psychological Association (APA) style if you write a scientific or technical article. This means that each list entry includes a full APA citation and that APA formatting is used for headers and title.
MLA annotated bibliography example
Modern Language Association (MLA) annotation style is usually required in the arts and humanities. A difference to APA style is for example the surname in the header.
Chicago annotated bibliography example
There are two different versions of Chicago Style source citations : (1) notes and bibliography (preferred in the humanities, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes) and (2) author-date (more common in the sciences and social sciences, sources are cited in parentheses in the text).
Literature Review vs Annotated Bibliography
A literature review is a collection of sources that provides an overview of existing research on a specific topic. It is usually part of dissertations, theses, and research papers, but can also be a stand-alone publication. The purpose of such a comprehensive review is to identify gaps in existing and opportunities for further research, evaluate existing methods and approaches, and introduce a study’s research question or hypothesis to the reader.
An annotated bibliography, on the other hand, is a list of source references with short descriptions and (optionally) critical evaluations, usually presented as a stand-alone paper. An annotated bibliography is often part of the research process itself rather than part of a manuscript/article that describes the study once it is finished.
Frequently Asked Questions about Annotated Bibliographies
What are the parts of an annotated bibliography.
An annotated bibliography has a title and consists of a list of citations that are each followed by an annotation . The annotation itself can just be a summary or also provide an evaluation or critical analysis.
What are the different types of annotations?
Annotations can be descriptive/informative (i.e., simply summarize the source), or they can be evaluative (i.e., provide a critical assessment). Most annotated bibliographies contain combinations of summaries, evaluations, and critical analyses, depending on the specific purpose of the work.
How long is an annotated bibliography?
As a general rule, annotations should be about 4 to 6 sentences long (150–250 words).
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