How to Write an Annotated Bibliography: APA and MLA Examples

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources where every citation is followed by a short paragraph, called an annotation, that summarizes the source and usually evaluates it or explains how you'll use it. The basic annotated bibliography format follows the same pattern in every major style: format each citation exactly as it would appear in your reference list, put the entries in alphabetical order, double-space everything and indent each annotation under its citation (0.5 inch in APA, 1 inch in MLA).

Below are the exact settings for APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago, one real study annotated three ways, a copy-ready template for Google Docs or Word, and a final checklist.

What Is an Annotated Bibliography? The 3 Parts of Every Entry

An annotated bibliography is a citation list with a paragraph of commentary under each source, and each entry has three parts: the citation, a summary and an evaluation or reflection.

1. The citation. The full reference, formatted exactly as it would be in your reference list or works-cited list.
2. The summary. What the source argues or found, and how: the research question, the method or evidence, and the main conclusion.
3. The evaluation or reflection. How trustworthy and useful the source is, where its limits are, and where it fits in your own project.

Purdue OWL's annotated bibliography samples call these moves summarizing, assessing and reflecting. Some assignments want only one or two of them, so check your prompt.

An annotation is not an abstract. Cornell University Library's annotated bibliography guide puts the difference simply: abstracts are purely descriptive, while annotations are descriptive and critical. If you paste or lightly reword the abstract, you've skipped the part your instructor is grading.

Annotated bibliographies often come early in a bigger assignment, as a checkpoint before you draft a research paper. Do them well and half your reading notes are written before the paper starts. If you're unsure what to call your source list in the first place, our guide to the difference between a bibliography and works cited sorts out the terms.

Annotated Bibliography Format: Indents, Spacing and Order

In APA 7 and MLA 9, annotated bibliography format comes down to four settings: a 0.5-inch hanging indent on each citation, a separate indent on each annotation, double spacing throughout and alphabetical order. The setting that trips people up is the annotation indent, because APA and MLA use different measurements.

All three styles use 1-inch margins and the same font as the rest of your paper.

APA 7 Annotated Bibliography Rules

APA covers annotated bibliographies in section 9.51 of the Publication Manual (7th ed.), with a full sample in Figure 9.3. Format and order the entries as you would a reference list, then start each annotation as a new paragraph below its reference, set 0.5 inch from the left margin so it lines up with the hanging indent. CSUSB's library guide to APA section 9.51 summarizes the rules if you don't have the manual.

APA's own sample titles the page "Workplace Stress: Annotated Bibliography" in bold, centered at the top, with the page number in the top right corner. Many instructors simply ask for "Annotated Bibliography." The manual also says instructors set most of the other requirements for these papers, so your prompt overrides the defaults.

MLA 9 Annotated Bibliography Format

The MLA Handbook (9th ed., section 5.132) says to format each entry like a works-cited entry and indent the annotation 1 inch from the start of the entry, so it stands apart from the 0.5-inch hanging indent. Middlebury's MLA annotated bibliography guide quotes the section. The citation and annotation are both double-spaced.

MLA also notes that annotations are generally written as succinct phrases, though complete sentences are allowed and many instructors ask for them. The list can be ordered alphabetically, by date of publication or by subject. For the rest of the page setup, see our MLA style guide.

Chicago Style Annotated Bibliography Format

Most Chicago guides use one simple pattern: format each entry as a normal bibliography entry with a hanging indent, start the annotation on a new line below it, and indent the annotation 0.5 inch so it lines up with the hanging indent. That's how Purdue OWL's Chicago sample is set. Chicago is now in its 18th edition (2024), so take your citation patterns from 18th-edition guides; our Chicago style guide covers the current rules.

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography in 7 Steps

To write an annotated bibliography, choose your sources, read each one for its argument and evidence, build the citation, then write an annotation that summarizes the source, evaluates it and connects it to your project.

1. Read the prompt for four details. Which style, how many sources, what kind of annotation (summary only, or summary plus evaluation) and how long each annotation should be. They override everything in this guide.
2. Collect more sources than you need, then keep the strongest. Cornell's guide suggests picking works that offer a range of perspectives, which also gives you something to compare in your annotations.
3. Read for the annotation, not just the topic. For each source, jot down five things: the author's question or claim, the method or evidence, the main finding, one strength or limitation, and how you might use it. Read past the abstract into the methods and discussion sections.
4. Build the citation first. Pull the details from the article itself or its DOI record, and check any database auto-citation against the style rules. Our APA style guide walks through the reference format element by element.
5. Draft the annotation in your own words. Open with what the source is and what it argues, add how it supports that claim, then evaluate and connect. Skip the quotations; MLA's guidance says annotations shouldn't quote the author, cite evidence or rehash minor details.
6. Order and format the page. Alphabetize, apply the indents and spacing from the table above, and add the title at the top of a new page.
7. Revise for length and precision. Cut filler openers like "This article talks about," check each annotation against the word range in your prompt, and proofread every citation.

Three Types of Annotations, Written for One Source

The three types of annotations are descriptive, which only summarizes; evaluative, which judges the source; and combination, which summarizes, evaluates and explains how you'll use the source. The UNC Writing Center's guide to annotated bibliographies calls them summary, critical and combination annotations, and splits summary annotations into informative and indicative ones.

To show the difference, here is one real study annotated each way. The source is Mueller and Oppenheimer's 2014 paper on laptop versus longhand note-taking in Psychological Science (read the abstract on PubMed). The annotations are our own illustrative examples, written in APA style.

Descriptive Annotation

Use this when the prompt asks you to summarize. It reports what the source did and found, with no judgment.

Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) ran three experiments comparing college students who took lecture notes on laptops with students who wrote notes by hand. In the first, students watched TED Talks while taking notes on internet-disconnected laptops or in notebooks, then answered factual and conceptual questions. Both groups recalled facts equally well, but laptop users scored lower on conceptual questions, and their notes contained more words copied verbatim from the lecture. Telling laptop users to avoid verbatim notes did not change the pattern, and longhand note-takers still did better on a test one week later after reviewing their notes.

Evaluative Annotation

Use this when the prompt asks you to assess sources. It weighs credibility, design and limits.

This peer-reviewed study is a strong starting point for research on note-taking because it isolates note-taking itself: the laptops were used only to take notes, so internet distraction is unlikely to explain the results. Its limits matter, though. Participants took notes on short video lectures in a lab rather than in a real course, and a direct replication by Morehead et al. (2019) did not reproduce the original finding. The study supports a careful claim that transcribing lectures word for word may weaken conceptual learning, not the broader claim that handwriting always beats typing.

This annotation names a second study. If you mention another source inside an annotation, give it its own entry too, as APA's Figure 9.3 sample does. Here, that means adding the 2019 replication by Morehead, Dunlosky and Rawson (the replication study's DOI page).

Combination Annotation

This is what most college prompts mean when they just say "annotate." It summarizes in two or three sentences, evaluates in one or two, and ends with how the source fits your paper. The full combination annotation for this study appears in the APA example below.

Annotated Bibliography Example: APA 7 and MLA 9 Side by Side

Here is the same source as a finished APA 7 entry and a finished MLA 9 entry, with a Chicago version after them. The research and the thinking stay the same; the citation pattern and the annotation indent are what change.

APA 7 Annotated Bibliography Example

In your document, the annotation sits 0.5 inch from the left margin, lined up with the second line of the citation, and everything is double-spaced.

Note-Taking Research: Annotated Bibliography

Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159–1168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581

Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) compared laptop and longhand note-taking in three experiments with college students. Laptop users recalled facts as well as longhand note-takers but performed worse on conceptual questions, and their notes contained more verbatim transcription. The pattern held when laptop users were told to avoid verbatim notes and on a test one week later after students reviewed their notes. Because the laptops were used only for note-taking, distraction is an unlikely explanation, but the lectures were short videos watched in a lab, and a direct replication by Morehead et al. (2019) did not reproduce the original result. I will use this study in my section on note-taking strategies to support the idea that how students take notes may matter more than the device, while presenting the laptop-versus-pen question as unsettled.

MLA 9 Annotated Bibliography Example

MLA sets the annotation 1 inch from the left margin. This version uses the succinct-phrase style MLA describes; if your instructor wants full sentences, use them at the same indent.

Annotated Bibliography

Mueller, Pam A., and Daniel M. Oppenheimer. "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand over Laptop Note Taking." Psychological Science, vol. 25, no. 6, 2014, pp. 1159-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581.

Three experiments comparing laptop and longhand note-taking by college students. Reports equal factual recall but weaker conceptual performance among laptop users, linked to verbatim transcription. Useful for a paper on study strategies, alongside later replication attempts.

Chicago Style Annotated Bibliography Example

In Chicago's notes-bibliography system, the entry looks like this, with the annotation starting on the next line at a 0.5-inch indent.

Mueller, Pam A., and Daniel M. Oppenheimer. "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand over Laptop Note Taking." Psychological Science 25, no. 6 (2014): 1159–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581.

What Changes Between Styles

How Long Should an Annotated Bibliography Entry Be?

Most annotations run 100 to 200 words, and Cornell's guide describes them as usually about 150 words. APA, MLA and Chicago don't set a word count, so your prompt decides; treat the ranges below as typical, not as style rules.

If you're given a range, aim for the middle of it. If you're given nothing, about 150 words is a safe default for a college course. Word limits usually apply to the annotation alone, not the citation, but ask if your prompt is unclear.

Annotated Bibliography Template for Google Docs and Word

The fastest way to format an annotated bibliography is to set up one perfect entry and then duplicate it for each source. Copy the template for your style, then apply the indents below.

Copy-Ready Template

APA 7:

[Your Topic]: Annotated Bibliography

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), first page–last page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

[What it is: Author (Year) studied or argued...] [How: the method, data or evidence.] [The key finding or claim.] [One strength or limitation.] [How you will use it in your paper.]

MLA 9:

Annotated Bibliography

Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. "Title of the Article in Title Case." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#. https://doi.org/xxxxx.

[The same five moves, written as sentences or succinct phrases and set 1 inch from the left margin.]

Set the Indents in Google Docs

1. Select all text (Ctrl+A, or Cmd+A on a Mac), open Format > Line & paragraph spacing and choose Double. Then open Custom spacing in the same menu and set the space before and after paragraphs to 0.
2. Click inside a citation and open Format > Align & indent > Indentation options. Set Left to 0 and Special indent to Hanging at 0.5 inch, then click Apply.
3. Click inside the annotation, open the same dialog, set Left to 0.5 (APA or Chicago) or 1 (MLA), set Special indent to None and click Apply.
4. For a second annotation paragraph in APA, keep Left at 0.5 and set Special indent to First line at 0.5.
5. Copy the finished entry, paste it below, and type over it for each new source.

If you're starting from a blank document, our guide to MLA format in Google Docs covers the header, margins and works-cited setup, and the hanging indent tutorial for Word and Google Docs goes deeper on the citation indent.

Set the Indents in Microsoft Word

1. Select all text and open the Paragraph dialog: the Paragraph dialog launcher on the Home tab in Windows, or Format > Paragraph on a Mac. On the Indents and Spacing tab, set Line spacing to Double and Before and After to 0 pt.
2. Click in a citation, open the dialog again, set Left to 0" and Special to Hanging, By 0.5". Microsoft's guide to creating a hanging indent in Word shows where these fields are.
3. Click in the annotation and set Left to 0.5" (APA or Chicago) or 1" (MLA), with Special set to (none).
4. Copy the finished entry for each new source, or save the two paragraph settings as Word styles.

Common Mistakes and a Final Checklist

The most common annotated bibliography mistakes are formatting slips, like the wrong annotation indent or extra blank lines, and annotations that reword the abstract without adding any judgment. Check for these first:

• Using APA's 0.5-inch annotation indent in MLA. MLA 9 wants 1 inch.
• Indenting the first line of an APA annotation. The whole block sits at 0.5 inch; only later paragraphs get an extra first-line indent.
• Rewording the abstract. It describes the source but never evaluates it.
• Old APA habits. APA 7 dropped the publisher location for books and the "Retrieved from" label before most URLs, and it formats DOIs as https://doi.org/ links.
• Vague openers. "This article is about technology" tells your reader nothing. "Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) tested whether..." gets straight to the point.

Pre-Submission Checklist

• The style, number of sources and annotation length match the prompt.
• The title is centered at the top of a new page (bold in APA, plain in MLA).
• Entries are alphabetized by the first author's last name, unless your instructor asked for another order.
• Every citation has a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
• Every annotation starts on its own line with the right indent: 0.5 inch for APA and Chicago, 1 inch for MLA.
• Everything is double-spaced, with no extra blank lines.
• Each annotation summarizes the source and, if required, evaluates it and explains how you'll use it.
• Any source mentioned inside an annotation has its own entry.
• You've read each annotation aloud once to catch clunky sentences.

Want a second pair of eyes before you submit? A tutor can review your draft annotations and formatting and explain what to fix, so the final version is still your own work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Indent an Annotated Bibliography in APA?

Yes, in two places. Each reference gets a 0.5-inch hanging indent, just like a normal reference list. The annotation starts on the next line as a new paragraph, and the whole paragraph is indented 0.5 inch from the left margin so it lines up with the hanging indent. Don't add an extra first-line indent. If the annotation runs to a second paragraph, indent that paragraph's first line another 0.5 inch.

Should an Annotated Bibliography Be Double Spaced?

In APA 7 and MLA 9, yes. Double-space the whole page, including every citation and every annotation, and don't add extra blank lines between entries. In Chicago, most class papers are also double-spaced, but some instructors prefer single-spaced entries with a blank line between them. If your prompt gives spacing instructions, follow those over any style default.

What Are the 3 Parts of an Annotated Bibliography?

Each entry usually has three parts: the citation, formatted in your required style; a summary of the source's main argument, method and findings; and an evaluation or reflection that judges the source's quality and explains how it fits your project. Some assignments ask only for the summary, so check which type your prompt wants: descriptive, evaluative or combination.

How Long Should an Annotated Bibliography Entry Be?

Most annotations run 100 to 200 words, and about 150 words is a common target in undergraduate courses. Phrase-style annotations can be just a sentence or two, while upper-level assignments may ask for 200 words or more. APA, MLA and Chicago don't set a length, so your instructor's prompt decides. Word limits usually apply to the annotation, not the citation.

How Do You Title an Annotated Bibliography?

Start the bibliography on a new page with the title centered at the top. In APA, make it bold; APA's own sample pairs a topic with the label, as in "Workplace Stress: Annotated Bibliography." In MLA, use "Annotated Bibliography" or "Annotated List of Works Cited" in plain text, not bold. In Chicago, a centered "Annotated Bibliography" is the usual choice.

Does an Annotated Bibliography Go in Alphabetical Order?

Usually, yes. APA orders entries alphabetically by the first author's last name, exactly like a reference list, and Chicago does the same. MLA lists entries alphabetically by default but also allows ordering by date of publication or by subject, which can suit a historical or themed project. Unless your instructor asks for a different arrangement, alphabetize.

What Is the Difference Between an Annotation and an Abstract?

An abstract is a purely descriptive summary, usually written by the source's author and printed with the article. An annotation is written by you and goes further: it summarizes in your own words and, in most assignments, evaluates the source's credibility, limits and usefulness for your project. Copying or lightly rewording an abstract is one of the most common annotated bibliography mistakes.