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APA Citation Style 7th Edition

This guide will help you with formatting your citations according to the APA guidelines.

About Annotated Bibliographies

 

What is an annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography or annotated bib is a bibliography (a list of books or other works) that includes descriptive and evaluative comments about the sources cited in your paper. These comments are also known as annotations.

How do I format my annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography entry consists of two components: the Citation and the Annotation.

Citation

The citation should be formatted in the bibliographic style that your professor has requested for the assignment. Some common citation styles include APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Annotation

Generally, an annotation is approximately 100-300 words in length (one paragraph). However, your professor may have different expectations so it is recommended that you clarify the assignment guidelines.

An annotation may include the following information:

  • A brief summary of the source
  • The source’s strengths and weaknesses
  • Its conclusions
  • Why the source is relevant in your field of study
  • Its relationships to other studies in the field
  • An evaluation of the research methodology (if applicable)
  • Information about the author’s background
  • Your personal conclusions about the source

How to Write Annotated Bibliographies

 

Use reporting verbs to write focused, accurate, and detailed annotated bibliographies.  Find out how to choose and reporting verbs at these sites:

University of Toronto: Verbs for Referring to Sources

 

Learn More

 

Printable PDF documents with details and samples for writing an annotated bibliography.