MLA and APA

An annotated bibliography, set right.

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources in your style, each followed by a short paragraph, the annotation, that summarizes the source and says how you will use it.

Write in MLA now

Free. You can start without signing in.

On this page
  1. What an annotation says
  2. MLA layout
  3. APA layout
  4. Common mistakes
  5. Questions

Updated

What an annotation says

Your assignment decides the kind. Most ask for some of each:

  • Summary: the source’s argument or findings, in a few sentences.
  • Evaluation: how reliable it is: who wrote it, for whom, with what evidence.
  • Use: how it fits your project, or how it differs from your other sources.

Annotations usually run 100 to 200 words, written in full sentences unless your instructor allows notes.

MLA layout

  • Title the page Annotated Bibliography, centered (or Works Cited if your instructor prefers).
  • Entries in MLA format, alphabetical, double-spaced, with a half-inch hanging indent.
  • The annotation starts on the line after the entry, indented one inch from the left margin, double-spaced.
  • A second paragraph in an annotation gets a further half-inch first-line indent.

Annotated Bibliography

Hershner, Shelley D., and Ronald D. Chervin. “Causes and Consequences of Sleepiness among College Students.” Nature and Science of Sleep, vol. 6, 2014, pp. 73-84, https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S62907.

Hershner and Chervin review studies of why college students are sleepy during the day and what it costs them. They connect short and irregular sleep to lower grades, weaker mood and more drowsy driving, and close with what schools can do.

The annotation shows the layout and summarizes the article’s scope; read the article before you write your own.

APA layout

  • Title it References, or Annotated Bibliography if your instructor prefers, bold and centered.
  • Entries in APA format, alphabetical, double-spaced, with a half-inch hanging indent.
  • The annotation starts on the next line and is indented half an inch, the same as the hanging indent, double-spaced (APA Style, “Annotated bibliographies”).
  • Further paragraphs get a first-line indent.

References

Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students. Nature and Science of Sleep, 6, 73–84. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S62907

Common mistakes

  1. An annotation copied from the abstract. Write your own. Instructors check.
  2. The annotation at the margin. Indent it as a block: one inch in MLA, half an inch in APA.
  3. Sources in reading order. Alphabetical, as in any MLA or APA list.

Questions

How long is an annotation?

Usually 100 to 200 words; your assignment sets the length.

Is an annotated bibliography double-spaced?

Yes, in MLA and APA, entries and annotations alike.

Do I use first person?

In the use or evaluation part, many instructors accept it. Ask.