Sample APA Annotated Bibliography

Battle, K. (2007). Child poverty: The evolution and impact of child benefits. In

Covell, K., & Howe, R. B. (Eds), A question of commitment: Children's rights

in Canada (pp. 21-44). Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Press. Laurier University

Ken Battle draws on a close study of government documents, as well as his

own research as an extensively-published policy analyst, to explain Canadian child

benefit programs. He outlines some fundamental assumptions supporting the

belief that all society members should contribute to the upbringing of

children. His comparison of child poverty rates in a number of countries is a

useful wake-up to anyone assuming Canadian society is doing a good job of

protecting children. Battle pays particular attention to the National Child

Benefit (NCB), arguing that it did not deserve to be criticized by politicians and

journalists. He outlines the NCB’s development, costs, and benefits, and laments

that the Conservative government scaled it back in favor of the inferior

Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB). However, he relies too heavily on his own

work; he is the sole or primary author of almost half the sources in his

bibliography. He could make this work stronger by drawing from others' perspectives

and analyses. However, Battle does offer a valuable source for this essay, because

the chapter provides a concise overview of government-funded assistance

currently available to parents. This offers context for analyzing the scope and

financial reality of child poverty in Canada.

What do I need to include in my annotated bibliography?

An annotated bibliography might be an overview of a topic, or it might be something you write in preparation for a specific research essay. Many annotated bibliographies include:

• A citation to the article, chapter, or other work • Qualifications of the author or authors • Mention of the methods the authors used • A summary of the argument and/or findings • Evaluation of the work, for example the logic of the arguments or

value of the evidence • How this work supports your own research

Note that both APA requires text to be double-spaced, but your instructor might provide other instructions.

General guidelines

Some annotations are merely descriptive, summarizing the authors' qualifications, research methods, and arguments. Many annotations evaluate the quality of scholarship in a book or article. You might want to consider the logic of authors' arguments, and the quality of their evidence. Your findings can be positive, negative, or mixed.Your professor might also want you to explain why the source is relevant to your assignment.

Rules! rules! rules!

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.) states the following formatting rules:

• The text and the reference list should be double-spaced unless your teacher instructs you otherwise.

• Numbering starts on the title page, at the top right of the page. • Reference list entries must have a hanging indent • There should be 1 inch margins all around (top, bottom, left, and

right) on each page. • Use Times Roman font, or a similar serif font, size 12. • Each paragraph should be indented. • Annotated bibliographies are usually 150-200 words.

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