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Annotated Bibliography - APA 7th Ed. Style: Definition and Sample Annotated Bibliography

What is an annotated bibliography? Why write an annotated bibliography? This guide will show you how and why your Bibliography and Annotations are important to the research process.

Annotated Bibliographies

A bibliography is a list of all of your sources. (This is different than a Reference List, which includes only the sources you cited in your paper !)

An annotated bibliography includes a summary (or an annotation) for each of your sources.

What is an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography has some similarities to a References page.

The Reference page is a list of properly formatted citations (or references). However, it is for all the sources (books, articles, documents, etc.) that you reviewed in preparation for writing the bibliography.

At the end of each citation, add a short paragraph describing each article, book, or other source listed on your References page.

What is included in the summary part (or annotation) of an annotated bibliography?

Your annotation/summary should tell the reader:
(1) a summary: what is the article about? 

(2) Who wrote the article? Is it from a highly qualified source? (Is the author an expert on the topic? Do they work for a government agency (FBI, CDC, etc.), are they a professional journalist, or is it just a personal blog?)

(3) End the annotation by explaining how and/or where you will use this source in your paper.

Keep in mind that annotations are supposed to be a brief description of your source. You’re just summarizing the article and then briefly saying how it relates to your paper - if people reading your bibliography want to know more, they can find the work and read it directly. 

Citation Generators

How Do Citation Generators Work?

According to Purdue Owl, Citation generators are programs that turn information about a source into a citation that the writer can use in a project.

Here is a list of recommended citation generators

Sample APA Style Annotated Bibliographies

SAMPLES: ANNOTATIONS and ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES 

FORMAT:
The Annotated Bibliography is formatted exactly like your References page. 

- Citations appear in alphabetical order.

- Double-spaced throughout.
- Full Citation first / then the annotation. 
- Hanging indent for first line of each citation.
- Start the annotation on a new line, but keep it indented within the margins of the citation.
- Use the third person – do not use “I.”
- Use the literary present tense.
Examples: “This article discusses…” ; “In this article, the author supports…”: “This book gives a detailed view on…," “The author describes…"

SAMPLE 1: CITATION WITH ANNOTATION

Citation - First Line of Citation begins at Left Margin. Use a ½” Hanging Indent. Annotation - Appears begins on a new line, directly under the last line of the citation.

 

SAMPLE 2: SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following example uses APA style (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, 2019) for the journal citations:

 

4 Steps to Create Your Annotated Bibliography

A Monroe College Research Guide

                THIS RESEARCH OR "LIBGUIDE" WAS PRODUCED BY THE LIBRARIANS OF MONROE COLLEGE