How do I format paragraphs for an annotated bibliography?
Answer
The 7th Edition of the APA Style Guide sets the following guidelines for annotated bibliographies:
- The references should be presented in alphabetical order by the author's last name, just like a standard reference list.
- Annotation paragraphs should be below the reference that they are discussing.
- Using the paragraph window in Microsoft Word, indent the annotation paragraph by 0.5 inches/1.27 cm., the same as you would for a block quotation.
- Do not add an additional indent to the paragraph.
- If the annotation spans multiple paragraphs, indent any paragraphs beyond the first an additional 0.5 inches/1.27 cm.
- Do not add a space between paragraphs in an annotated bibliography.
- Normally, you do not need to use in-text citations in an annotation paragraph, as it is clear through context that you're getting the information from the source you're annotating. However, if you refer to a different work within the paragraph, you need to include an in-text citation for that (American Psychological Association, p. 307).
Reference
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000