Writing an Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations, each followed by brief annotations, about sources addressing a particular topic. The annotations can summarize, evaluate, and/or reflect on how the source fits within your research or the larger scholarly conversation surrounding the topic. Annotated bibliographies are typically created for one of two reasons: 1. to prepare for a larger research project or 2) to act as a standalone document that provides an overview of the literature published on a topic.
Formatting an APA Annotated Bibliography
- Annotated bibliographies share the basic citation format used for traditional APA reference lists. The citation should be double-spaced, with the first line starting on the left margin. Each line after that should be indented .5 inches (This is called a hanging indent). Citations should be arranged in alphabetical order
- The annotation for the citation begins on a new line and the entire text block is indented 0.5 inches from the margin. You should not indent the first line of the annotation. If the annotation is multiple paragraphs in length, however, you should indent the first line of any subsequent paragraphs
- Do not add an extra space between entries. Note that sometimes Microsoft Word will add an extra space by default. If you notice extra spaces between entries in your annotated bibliography, check the paragraph spacing setting for the document. The steps you will take to do this depend on what version of Word you are using. If you are using Microsoft 365 in a web browser, you can search for "Paragraph Options" in the search bar at the top of the screen.
