What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a References page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of each source.
The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to provide an overview of the research that has been completed on a topic. It allows readers to browse the types of sources reviewed and see what kind of information is contained in each without necessarily reading the full text. For a student, the process of writing an annotated bibliography is valuable preparation for writing a longer research paper. It involves researching sources thoroughly and recording information about the quality and content of the material found.
Examples of Annotated Bibliography Entries in APA Style
Here are three examples of what APA style annotated bibliography entries would look like for various source types:
Book
Spector, J. (2019). A climate change memoir: Taking action from Al Gore to Anthropic. WW Norton.
This memoir written by a climate activist chronicles her firsthand experience working in the climate movement since the 2000s. The author reflects on major events like the releases of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth documentary and book and the beginning of the youth climate strikes. Through sharing personal anecdotes from grassroots organizing to technology development, Spector provides an insider’s perspective on the evolution of the climate response over the last two decades. Though subjective as a memoir, the account offers useful lessons for environmental advocates on both successes and challenges within the movement.
Journal Article
Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M. T., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). A social identity approach to engaging citizens on climate change. Nature Climate Change, 9(3), 223-226. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0411-0
This article discusses the concept of social identity as a framework for designing more effective climate change communication and engagement strategies. The authors propose focusing messaging on discussion of social and cultural group norms rather than primarily factual scientific information. By emphasizing actions that align with people’s identities (e.g. as community members), communicators can develop narratives to which people are more receptive for building concern and support over policy issues like emissions reductions. The approach warrants further exploration regarding its potential for motivating collective climate mitigating behaviors.
Website
Environmental Defense Fund. (n.d.). Tropical forests. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.edf.org/ecosystems/tropical-forests
The Environmental Defense Fund’s website section dedicated to tropical forests provides a concise overview of the importance of these ecosystems as well as ongoing conservation challenges and solutions. Key facts presented include statistics on biodiversity, rates of deforestation, and carbon storage capacity relative to other biomes. Specific threats summarized pertain to agriculture expansion, mining, logging, and climate change impacts. The site also highlights some of EDF’s projects to strengthen protections for high-priority forest regions through community engagement, sustainable development programs, and policy advocacy at national and international levels. As an environmental nonprofit with expertise in tropical forests, EDF offers a credible resource on conservation status and strategies.
As shown in these examples, APA annotated bibliography entries consist of:
The full bibliographic citation of the source in proper APA format
A concise descriptive or evaluative paragraph following the citation
A total of at least 150 words
The annotation should summarize the central thesis/purpose of the work and give the reader a sense of its content and quality. Any biases could also be mentioned. Annotations for scholarly journal articles may include specifics on the research problem, methodology, findings/conclusions, and implications. Those for organizational websites could focus on goals, activities, and target audience described. Entries should generally be in full sentences and written in an encyclopedic, objective tone.
Sample APA Annotated Bibliography Assignment Prompts
Here are some hypothetical prompts that may receive responses in the form of an APA annotated bibliography:
Compile an annotated bibliography on political and policy dimensions of responses to climate change citing 10 scholarly sources. Ensure annotations assess quality of sources and relevance for analyzing international environmental cooperation efforts. (Minimum 1500 words total)
Research the impacts of deforestation on biodiversity loss. Find 8 credible sources from varied formats (e.g. journal articles, reports, news articles) and write annotations describing how each contributes to understanding challenges facing tropical forest conservation. (1200-1500 word target length)
Climate change mitigation policies are controversial with some arguing for sacrifice of economy while others downplay environmental risks. Provide annotated entries for 5 books and 4 journal articles addressing debates over best policy approaches. Annotations should outline key arguments on both sides of the issue. (2000 words minimum)
This article defined what an APA annotated bibliography is, provided annotation examples for different source types, and suggested some ways students may be prompted to write their own annotated bibliographies on chosen research topics using APA style guidelines. Mastering the annotated bibliography format helps students gain expertise in assessing and organizing research effectively. Instructors may assign this type of assignment to prepare students for larger papers requiring comprehensive literature reviews.
Andrew Stroud