Annotated Bibliographies in APA

Welcome to CSP's annotated bibliographies page! Annotated bibliographies can be confusing for many reasons, including the fact that they require more than simple summaries of sources--you must analyze, evaluate, and connect them to your research. This guide explains the key components needed in an annotated bibliography, shows how to format an annotated bibliography, and provides additional helpful tools and resources. If you have further questions about annotated bibliographies, you can direct them to the Writing Center at writingcenter@csp.edu.

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (books, articles, websites, etc.), each accompanied by a brief summary and evaluation. It combines a standard bibliography (a list of citations) with short annotations that describe, assess, and sometimes reflect on the source’s relevance to a particular research topic.

Annotated bibliographies are helpful in many ways: 

• To Prepare for a Research Paper: It helps organize your sources before you start writing, making the drafting process smoother.
• To Evaluate Sources: Annotations help determine whether a source is credible, reliable, and relevant to your research.
• To Summarize Key Information: Writing annotations forces you to refine the main ideas of a source, making it easier to recall later.
• To Show Research Depth: A well-crafted annotated bibliography demonstrates that you have read or engaged with a variety of sources and understand their contributions.
• To Identify Patterns and Gaps: Comparing sources allows you to see connections and contradictions between research and the areas where more research is needed.