Annotated Bibliography Examples In MLA, APA, and Chicago

An annotated bibliography is a specialized kind of bibliography that includes a concise overview or evaluation of the sources cited in academic work.

Even though the process of writing an annotated bibliography isn’t difficult at all, some students still find doing the work to be somewhat challenging.

To help make the process less straining, we’ve put together some annotated bibliography examples. 

These formats will guide you in structuring your work, so that you can score top grades for the assignment.

Key Takeaways

• An annotated bibliography is a list of citations followed by annotations that consist of either a quick overview or analysis of the sources used in the research.
• An interpretation of the source or a description of the source should be between 150 and 250 words.
• The objective of an annotated bibliography is to provide information on the relevance and quality of the sources that you cited.
• Help for Assessment can help you to complete an annotated bibliography if you don’t have the time to do the work yourself. Check out our annotated bibliography writing help for more information.

Because an annotated bibliography requires you to provide a summary of the source, you get firsthand knowledge about the subject.

This helps you better comprehend the topic at hand as well as the sources that you may use in developing your thesis and writing your assignment.

Annotated Bibliography Examples

The following are examples of annotated bibliography in different formats.

Annotated Bibliography Example in MLA Format

In the MLA format:

• Retain an inch margin on your paper, regardless of the length of the annotated bibliography.
• Your last name and the page number should be at the top, right aligned, and exactly half an inch in margin.
• The words Annotated Bibliography should be at the center of the page.

Start with the citation in writing, making sure you list the authors in alphabetical order. Follow this with the annotation of the source.

The first line of the annotation should have a half an inch indent.

Provide a summary or analysis of each source you’ve listed, making sure you maintain the 150 to 250 words per annotation.

Make your analysis short yet precise. The instructor reviewing your work should see that you’ve not only read the book but also understood the material presented by the author in question.

The following image is an illustration of these points in graphical format:

You can download the image for offline view and reference if you’re currently struggling with getting your annotated bibliography done in the MLA format.

Annotated Bibliography Example in APA Format

The formatting of your annotated bibliography should be in the same way as the style of your APA reference list.

You follow the standard author-date format and arrange the elements in the same order each time.

The following is a concise summary of the rules and regulations:

• Number of pages oriented to the right
• You can have a running header (Optional)
• Margins should be an inch
• Your work should be double-spaced
• The phrase "Annotated Bibliography" should be at the center of the page
• The second line of the citation, as well as any lines that follow it, should have a hanging indent
• Insert five spaces before the annotation

Here’s an image to look at if you need a graphical summary of the points above: 

Note that the format of your citation will change depending on the type of source selected for research. 

For instance, an APA book citation will have be different from the citation for a journal article. So ensure you use the format that APA recommends for the different sources you use to construct your citation.

Check this example on how to cite a book in your annotated bibliography:

The first thing you need to do before beginning to write your APA annotations is to determine what information you wish to convey to your instructor.

You have the option of providing a summary, appraisal, or reflective statement for each source.

The length of your bibliographic entry depends on the instructions provided by your instructor.

However, make each summary or analysis 150 to 250 words if they haven’t given you instruction on word limit.

Annotated Bibliography Example in Chicago Format

When writing an annotated bibliography in the Chicago style, citations written in author-date or notes-bibliography forms are in precisely the same way.

What you will be including is an annotation of the source that you utilized.

There are two distinct types of annotations, namely, descriptive and critical.

A standard bibliography page should be in the same way as an annotated bibliography page. Just use the traditional way of alphabetizing based on the last name of the author or authors.

In the event that there is no author, you might cite the website, the organization's name, or the title. Also, ensure that the page layout and spacing are the same as in your bibliography.

Developing your Chicago annotated bibliography will help you gain the skills necessary to locate information on the source.

In addition, you will investigate an author's past to establish their authority and differentiate between main and secondary sources of information.

In the end, you will be well on your way to being an expert in generating a bibliography in the Chicago style for your subsequent essays or research papers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the 3 Formats of Annotated Bibliography?

The title of the bibliography, the annotation, and the citation are the three distinct components that make up an annotated bibliography.

The structure of the title and the citation will change depending on the style that you pick.

An overview, analysis, or personal remark could be included in the annotation.

2. How Long Should an Annotated Bibliography Be? 

The word count of an annotated bibliography might range anywhere from around 150 to 250.

To be consistent with the Chicago style, certain annotations may have a shorter length.

Final Thoughts

Creating an annotated bibliography requires more effort, but it has the potential to improve your research skills.