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Annotated Bibliography

What is an annotated bibliography?

Think of the end of a research paper, where you put your works cited or reference list. That's a bibliography. An annotated bibliography is that list with summaries, synopses, abtracts--annotations--about the content and value of each item. Annotations can be one sentence or several paragraphs, and the exact nature of the contents can also vary. So check with your instructor!

How do you format an annotated bibliography in APA style?

There are no explicit directions for the format of an annotated bibliography in the APA Publication Manual, however the manual contains an annotated bibliography beginning on page 368 of the 5th edition.

Based on the annotated bibliography in the manual:

The citation for the source being annotated follows the same format as it would in the reference list (cite a book you're annotating the same way you would cite that book in your reference list)

The second and subsequent lines of the citation should be indented 4 spaces from the left margin (that is, leave 4 blank spaces before typing).

The entire abstract should be indented 6 spaces from the left margin (leave 6 blank spaces).

The right margin is your normal right margin.

This page contains a sample bibliography based on the format in the APA Publication Manual, which is kept at the Reference Desk on the main floor of Buley, and this guide from Lesley University.

This page from the Owl at Purdue University shows how to cite various materials in a reference list, although its directions for the rest of the annotated blbiography do not conform to the annotated bibliography in the APA Publication Manual.