Annotated Bibliography in APA Style

An annotated bibliography is a list of bibliographic references and each reference is followed by a paragraph or two. The first segment of the annotation briefly describes the primary takeaways from the source. The next segment is a critical evaluation of the source. In order to critically evaluate a source, consider and reflect on the following for each source:

• The strengths of the work, including the presentation of topics and methods used in research.
• The point of view and qualifications of the author.
• How the work contributes to your larger research aims.

An annotated bibliography may be required as a research assignment for a course, but you also may want to write one informally as a stepping stone to a larger paper or project. Having an annotation that you created directly after you read a source will come in handy no matter what type of research you are conducting. Annotations will enable you to quickly jog your memory regarding how you intended to use a resource as well as the content of the resource. In the case of an assignment, the number of sources in an annotated bibliography is usually defined by the instructor. It may be as few as five sources or as many as 30 or more.

Each entry includes:

• A bibliographic reference in APA style
• A paragraph following the reference that describes the main takeaways from the source and critically assesses the work. Include a segment about how the work fits into your larger project, or engages with other sources in your bibliography.

Sample annotations in APA style can be found all over the web. Here are several examples from our own librarians and a couple of well-regarded institutions that can give you an idea of what you are expected to produce. Remember, Saint Mary's Minneapolis Campus uses the American Psychological Association (APA) Seventh Edition citation manual. Ensure you verify your bibliographic references are in the correct style before handing in an annotated bibliography.

Saint Mary’s Sample:

Karakus, O., Altinel, B., & Kocak Uyaroglu, A. (2023). The relationship between peer bullying, loneliness, and social support in refugee adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 36(3), 228–236. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcap.12417

This article examines the complex relationships between peer bullying, loneliness, and social support among refugee adolescents. The methodology used three validated scales to assess these relationships among adolescent refugees in one region of Turkey. The findings suggest that strong social support systems can buffer the psychological impacts of bullying, providing valuable insights for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers working with refugee populations. The authors include faculty with training, previous authorship, and teaching experience in nursing and social work at Selcuk University. The article contributes to the growing body of research on refugee youth and offers practical implications for intervention strategies aimed at improving their mental well-being. This work provides an international perspective to my project and contributes background research for my thesis.

Cornell Guide (APA) Sample:

Waite, L., Goldschneider, F., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51(4), 541-554.

The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.

Online Writing Labs from Purdue

• Click on the linked text and scroll down to the APA version for a sample.

You can create your annotated bibliography in Microsoft Word, Google Documents, or another word processing program. Here are some basic guidelines to help you format an annotated bibliography. 

• Make sure your title is centered.
• Use one inch margins. 
• Use a hanging indent for each citation. 
• For each paragraph after the citation, make sure it's in line with the hanging indent from the citation. 
• Double space your document.
• Use page numbers in the upper right hand corner. (1/2 inch from the top.)

The source of the Cornell University APA sample bibliography entry was created by, and is licensed for reuse under the following license:

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 

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