Definitions

A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for
researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called "References" or "Works Cited" depending on
the style format you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information (i.e.,
the author, title, publisher, etc.).
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliographyincludes a
summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment,
your annotations may do one or more of the following.
Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments?
What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this
article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how
detailed your summary is.
For more help, see our handout on paraphrasing sources.
Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source?
How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is
this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source?
For more help, see our handouts on evaluating resources.
Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into
your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument?
How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about
your topic?
Your annotated bibliography may include some of these, all of these, or even others. If you're doing
this for a class, you should get specific guidelines from your instructor.
Why should I write an annotated bibliography?
To learn about your topic: Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research
project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for
each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically
instead of just collecting information. At the professional level, annotated bibliographies allow you to
see what has been done in the literature and where your own research or scholarship can fit. To help
you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state
and support a thesis. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable,
interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on
what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic,
you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to
develop your own point of view.
To help other researchers: Extensive and scholarly annotated bibliographies are sometimes
published. They provide a comprehensive overview of everything important that has been and is being
said about that topic. You may not ever get your annotated bibliography published, but as a
researcher, you might want to look for one that has been published about your topic.
Format
The format of an annotated bibliography can vary, so if you're doing one for a class, it's important to
ask for specific guidelines.
The bibliographic information: Generally, though, the bibliographic information of the source (the
title, author, publisher, date, etc.) is written in either MLA or APA format. For more help with
formatting, see our MLA handout. For APA, go here: APA handout.
The annotations: The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The lengths of the
annotations can vary significantly from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. The length will
depend on the purpose. If you're just writing summaries of your sources, the annotations may not be
very long. However, if you are writing an extensive analysis of each source, you'll need more space.
You can focus your annotations for your own needs. A few sentences of general summary followed by
several sentences of how you can fit the work into your larger paper or project can serve you well
when you go to draft.



Sample APA Annotation
Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York: Henry
Holt and Company.
In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential research, Ehrenreich
attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a
minimum-wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and
a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on her work, her
relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles in each situation.
An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment
and the ethical implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on
these issues in the text. The author is forthcoming about her methods and supplements
her experiences with scholarly research on her places of employment, the economy, and
the rising cost of living in America. Ehrenreichs project is timely, descriptive, and
well-researched.
The annotation above both summarizes and assesses the book in the citation. The first paragraph
provides a brief summary of the author's project in the book, covering the main points of the work.
The second paragraph points out the projects strengths and evaluates its methods and presentation.
This particular annotation does not reflect on the sources potential importance or usefulness for this
persons own research.
Reference List: Electronic Sources (Web
Publications)
Summary:
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social
sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6
th
edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers
examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the
reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association, (6
th
ed., 2
nd
printing).
Contributors:Joshua M. Paiz, Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore, Michael
Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck
Last Edited: 2013-06-13 08:43:05
Please note: There are no spaces used with brackets in APA. When possible, include the year, month,
and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication. Please
note, too, that the OWL still includes information about print sources and databases for those still
working with these sources.
Article From an Online Periodical
Online articles follow the same guidelines for printed articles. Include all information the online host
makes available, including an issue number in parentheses.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online
Periodical, volume number(issue number if available). Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Bernstein, M. (2002). 10 tips on writing the living Web. A List Apart: For People Who Make
Websites, 149. Retrieved from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writeliving
Online Scholarly Journal Article: Citing DOIs
Please note: In August of 2011 the formatting recommendations for DOIs changed. DOIs are now
rendered as an alpha-numeric string which acts as an active link. According to The APA Style Guide to
Electronic References, 6
th
edition, you should use the DOI format which the article appears with. So, if
it is using the older numeric string, use that as the DOI. If, however, it is presented as the newer
alpha-numeric string, use that as the DOI. The Purdue OWL maintains examples of citations using
both DOI styles.
Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital Object
Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable,
long-lasting links for online articles. They are unique to their documents and consist of a long
alphanumeric code. Many-but not all-publishers will provide an article's DOI on the first page of the
document.
Note that some online bibliographies provide an article's DOI but may "hide" the code under a button
which may read "Article" or may be an abbreviation of a vendor's name like "CrossRef" or "PubMed."
This button will usually lead the user to the full article which will include the DOI. Find DOI's from print
publications or ones that go to dead links with CrossRef.org's "DOI Resolver," which is displayed in a
central location on their home page.
Article From an Online Periodical with DOI Assigned
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal,
volume number, page range. doi:0000000/000000000000 or http://dx.doi.org/10.0000/0000
Brownlie, D. (2007). Toward effective poster presentations: An annotated
bibliography. European Journal of Marketing, 41, 1245-1283.
doi:10.1108/03090560710821161
Wooldridge, M.B., & Shapka, J. (2012). Playing with technology: Mother-toddler interaction
scores lower during play with electronic toys. Journal of Applied Developmental
Psychology, 33(5), 211-218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2012.05.005
Article From an Online Periodical with no DOI Assigned
Online scholarly journal articles without a DOI require the URL of the journal home page. Remember
that one goal of citations is to provide your readers with enough information to find the article;
providing the journal home page aids readers in this process.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal,
volume number. Retrieved from http://www.journalhomepage.com/full/url/
Kenneth, I. A. (2000). A Buddhist response to the nature of human rights. Journal of
Buddhist Ethics, 8. Retrieved from http://www.cac.psu.edu/jbe/twocont.html
Article From a Database
Please note: APA states that including database information in citations is not necessary because
databases change over time (p. 192). However, the OWL still includes information about databases for
those users who need database information.
When referencing a print article obtained from an online database (such as a database in the library),
provide appropriate print citation information (formatted just like a "normal" print citation would be for
that type of work). By providing this information, you allow people to retrieve the print version if they
do not have access to the database from which you retrieved the article. You can also include the item
number or accession number or database URL at the end, but the APA manual says that this is not
required.
If you are citing an article from a database that is available in other places, such as a journal or
magazine, include the homepage's URL. You may have to do a web search of the article's title, author,
etc. to find the URL.

For articles that are easily located, do not provide database information. If the article is difficult to
locate, then you can provide database information. Only use retrieval dates if the source could
change, such as Wikis. For more about citing articles retrieved from electronic databases, see pages
187-192 of the Publication Manual.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal,
volume number, page range. Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas. Journal
of Abnormal Eating, 8(3), 120-125. Retrieved from
http://www.articlehomepage.com/full/url/
Abstract
If you only cite an abstract but the full text of the article is also available, cite the online abstract as
any other online citations, adding "[Abstract]" after the article or source name. However, if the full
text is not available, you may use an abstract that is available through an abstracts database as a
secondary source.
Paterson, P. (2008). How well do young offenders with Asperger Syndrome cope in custody?:
Two prison case studies [Abstract].British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(1),
54-58.
Hendricks, J., Applebaum, R., & Kunkel, S. (2010). A world apart? Briding the gap between
theory and applied social gerontology.Gerontologist, 50(3), 284-293. Abstract
retrieved from Abstracts in Social Gerontology database. (Accession No. 50360869)
Newspaper Article
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Parker-Pope, T. (2008, May 6). Psychiatry handbook linked to drug industry. The New York
Times. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com
Electronic Books
Electronic books may include books found on personal websites, databases, or even in audio form. Use
the following format if the book you are using is only provided in a digital format or is difficult to find
in print. If the work is not directly available online or must be purchased, use "Available from," rather
than "Retrieved from," and point readers to where they can find it. For books available in print form
and electronic form, include the publish date in parentheses after the author's name. For references to
e-book editions, be sure to include the type and version of e-book you are referencing (e.g., "[Kindle
DX version]"). If DOIs are available, provide them at the end of the reference.
De Huff, E. W. (n.d.). Taytays tales: Traditional Pueblo Indian tales. Retrieved from
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/dehuff/taytay/taytay.html
Davis, J. (n.d.). Familiar birdsongs of the Northwest. Available from
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-9780931686108-0
Chapter/Section of a Web Document or Online Book Chapter
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. In Title of book
or larger document (chapter or section number). Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Engelshcall, R. S. (1997). Module mod_rewrite: URL Rewriting Engine. In Apache HTTP Server
Version 1.3 Documentation (Apache modules). Retrieved from
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/mod/mod_rewrite.html
Peckinpaugh, J. (2003). Change in the Nineties. In J. S. Bough and G. B. DuBois (Eds.), A
century of growth in America. Retrieved from GoldStar database.
NOTE: Use a chapter or section identifier and provide a URL that links directly to the chapter section,
not the home page of the Web site.
Online Book Reviews
Cite the information as you normally would for the work you are quoting. (The first example below is
from a newspaper article; the second is from a scholarly journal.) In brackets, write "Review of the
book" and give the title of the reviewed work. Provide the web address after the words "Retrieved
from," if the review is freely available to anyone. If the review comes from a subscription service or
database, write "Available from" and provide the information where the review can be purchased.
Zacharek, S. (2008, April 27). Natural women [Review of the bookGirls like us]. The New
York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/books/review/Zachareck
-t.html?pagewanted=2
Castle, G. (2007). New millennial Joyce [Review of the booksTwenty-first Joyce, Joyce's
critics: Transitions in reading and culture, and Joyce's messianism: Dante, negative
existence, and the messianic self]. Modern Fiction Studies, 50(1), 163-173. Available
from Project MUSE Web site:
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/modern_fiction_studies/toc/mfs52.1.html
Dissertation/Thesis from a Database
Biswas, S. (2008). Dopamine D3 receptor: A neuroprotective treatment target in Parkinson's
disease. Retrieved from ProQuest Digital Dissertations. (AAT 3295214)
Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Often encyclopedias and dictionaries do not provide bylines (authors' names). When no byline is
present, move the entry name to the front of the citation. Provide publication dates if present or
specify (n.d.) if no date is present in the entry.
Feminism. (n.d.). In Encyclopdia Britannica online. Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/724633/feminism
Online Bibliographies and Annotated Bibliographies
Jrgens, R. (2005). HIV/AIDS and HCV in Prisons: A Select Annotated Bibliography.
Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/alt_formats/hpb-dgps/pdf/intactiv/hiv-
vih-aids-sida-prison-carceral_e.pdf
Data Sets
Point readers to raw data by providing a Web address (use "Retrieved from") or a general place that
houses data sets on the site (use "Available from").
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2008).Indiana income
limits [Data file]. Retrieved from
http://www.huduser.org/Datasets/IL/IL08/in_fy2008.pdf
Graphic Data (e.g. Interactive Maps and Other Graphic
Representations of Data)
Give the name of the researching organization followed by the date. In brackets, provide a brief
explanation of what type of data is there and in what form it appears. Finally, provide the project
name and retrieval information.
Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment. (2007). [Graph illustration the SORCE Spectral
Plot May 8, 2008]. Solar Spectral Data Access from the SIM, SOLSTICE, and XPS
Instruments. Retrieved from http://lasp.colorado.edu/cgi-bin/ion-
p?page=input_data_for_ spectra.ion
Qualitative Data and Online Interviews
If an interview is not retrievable in audio or print form, cite the interview only in the text (not in the
reference list) and provide the month, day, and year in the text. If an audio file or transcript is
available online, use the following model, specifying the medium in brackets (e.g. [Interview
transcript, Interview audio file]):
Butler, C. (Interviewer) & Stevenson, R. (Interviewee). (1999).Oral History 2 [Interview
transcript]. Retrieved from Johnson Space Center Oral Histories Project Web site:
http:// www11.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/oral_histories.htm
Online Lecture Notes and Presentation Slides
When citing online lecture notes, be sure to provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title
(e.g. PowerPoint slides, Word document).
Hallam, A. Duality in consumer theory [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online
Web site: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ501/Hallam/
index.html
Roberts, K. F. (1998). Federal regulations of chemicals in the environment [PowerPoint
slides]. Retrieved from http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/40hrenv/index.html
Nonperiodical Web Document, Web Page, or Report
List as much of the following information as possible (you sometimes have to hunt around to find the
information; don't be lazy. If there is a page like http://www.somesite.com/somepage.htm, and
somepage.htm doesn't have the information you're looking for, move up the URL to
http://www.somesite.com/):
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from
http://Web address

Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A.
(2010, May 5). General format.Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
NOTE: When an Internet document is more than one Web page, provide a URL that links to the home
page or entry page for the document. Also, if there isn't a date available for the document use (n.d.)
for no date.
Computer Software/Downloaded Software
Do not cite standard office software (e.g. Word, Excel) or programming languages. Provide references
only for specialized software.
Ludwig, T. (2002). PsychInquiry [computer software]. New York: Worth.
Software that is downloaded from a Web site should provide the softwares version and year when
available.
Hayes, B., Tesar, B., & Zuraw, K. (2003). OTSoft: Optimality Theory Software (Version 2.1)
[Software]. Available from http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/hayes/otsoft/
E-mail
E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you parenthetically cite them in your main
text: (E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).
Online Forum or Discussion Board Posting
Include the title of the message, and the URL of the newsgroup or discussion board. Please note that
titles for items in online communities (e.g. blogs, newsgroups, forums) are not italicized. If the
author's name is not available, provide the screen name. Place identifiers like post or message
numbers, if available, in brackets. If available, provide the URL where the message is archived (e.g.
"Message posted to..., archived at...").
Frook, B. D. (1999, July 23). New inventions in the cyberworld of toylandia [Msg 25].
Message posted to http://groups.earthlink.com/forum/messages/00025.html
Blog (Weblog) and Video Blog Post
Include the title of the message and the URL. Please note that titles for items in online communities
(e.g. blogs, newsgroups, forums) are not italicized. If the authors name is not available, provide the
screen name.
J Dean. (2008, May 7). When the self emerges: Is that me in the mirror? [Web log comment].
Retrieved from http://www.spring.org.uk/the1sttransport

Psychology Video Blog #3 [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqM90eQi5-M
Wikis
Please note that the APA Style Guide to Electronic References warns writers that wikis (like Wikipedia,
for example) are collaborative projects that cannot guarantee the verifiability or expertise of their
entries.
OLPC Peru/Arahuay. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2011 from the OLPC Wiki:
http://wiki.laptop. org/go/OLPC_Peru/Arahuay
Audio Podcast
For all podcasts, provide as much information as possible; not all of the following information will be
available. Possible addition identifiers may include Producer, Director, etc.
Bell, T., & Phillips, T. (2008, May 6). A solar flare. Science @ NASA Podcast. Podcast
retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/podcast.htm
Video Podcasts
For all podcasts, provide as much information as possible; not all of the following information will be
available. Possible addition identifiers may include Producer, Director, etc.
Scott, D. (Producer). (2007, January 5). The community college classroom [Episode
7]. Adventures in Education. Podcast retrieved from http://www.adveeducation.com
For more help with citing electronic sources, please use these links: