Skip to Main Content

Quinebaug Valley Campus Library

Quinebaug Valley Human Services

Writing with Evidence

Click the links below for more information: 

How to Write a Thesis Statement

 

How to Outline

 

How to Proofread

 

How to Use Time-Management

Annotated Bibliography for APA

An annotated bibliography works similar to a References page. 

However, after each citation, there will be additional information explaining: 

  • A summary of the article. 
  • Personal evaluation of the article. 
  • How this article will be useful in the research. 

 

Each instructor will have their own personal preference on the kind of APA Annotated Bibliography they want. Make sure to consult with your instructor. Below is an example of a two-paragraph APA 7th Edition Annotated bibliography that provides both summary and evaluation. 

To create an Annotated Bibliography, break it down into three categories:

1. Summary 2. Reflection 3. Usefulness

Section Function Example
Summary Provides a general summary of what you read. This article discusses open pedagogy and how it can engage students. Open pedagogy is the process of allowing students to be “cocreators of knowledge”—rather than the instructor being the main source of knowledge. The article focuses on data collected regarding students at liberal arts institutions who were actively participating in open pedagogy. The results generally showed that most students who participated in open pedagogy were at least motivated to self-learn without an instructor guiding the entire educational process. It was also noticed that most students gradually changed their viewpoint of open pedagogy the longer they participated with the method. However, it is important that instructors develop projects that will allow students to become more instinctually motivated.  
Reflection

What makes this article credible? 

Are there any issues that need to be noted? 

The article was peer-reviewed and was published in the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning—a respectable authority on the subject. With a sample size of 16 students, their conclusions could be challenged due to the small sample size. However, Werth and Williams agree that further research needs to be conducted to understand better how open pedagogy impacts students’ learning.  
Usefulness In your opinion, how will this article be useful in your research?  This article is useful for researchers who are interested in seeing how open pedagogy can impact how a student learns. Due to its limitations of a small sample size, researchers should be wary to use this as definitive proof of its effectiveness. 

Finally merge it all into one paragraph: 

When formatting an annotated bibliography, make sure the following elements are met: 

  • The section, on a new page, is labeled Annotated Bibliography, and it is in bold. 
  • Each citation has an Hanging Indent 
  • The paragraph under the citation is indented by 1"
    • You can also press TAB to move the whole paragraph over 1"
  • Make sure all the material is Double Spaced