APA

APA Annotated Bibliography

What is an annotation?

Generally, an annotation is approximately 100-300 words in length (one paragraph).  The annotation is written directly under the bibliographic entry.

An annotation may include the following information:

• A brief summary of the source

• The source’s strengths and weaknesses

• Its conclusions

• Why the source is relevant in your field of study

• Its relationships to other studies in the field

• An evaluation of the research methodology (if applicable)

• Information about the author’s background

• Your personal conclusions about the source

APA format ...

Here are a few common examples of APA format for a bibliography.  For AP Psychology, you will mostly be using the academic journal articles found through the school library website. 

For more information on APA style please see the APA style page. 

Examples of Common Reference List Entries. Book: 1-2 authors

Eberhart-Phillips, J. (2000). Outbreak alert: responding to the increasing

    threat of infectious diseases.  Oakland, CA: New Harbinger

            Publications.

Encyclopedia article

LaVoie, J. C. (2003). Identity crises.  In Magill's encyclopedia of social

  science: psychology  (Vol. 2, pp.785-789). Pasadena, CA: Salem

  Press.

Article from a database

Ferguson C. J., Munoz, M. E., Contreras S., & Valasquez K. (2011).

        Mirror, mirror on the wall: peer competition, television  

        influences, and body image dissatisfaction. Journal of Social    

        and Clinical Psychology, 30, 242-249. Academic Search Premier.

Online Magazine

Gulli, C. (2011, May 19).  Concussions: the untold story.  Maclean's.

Retrieved from http://www2.macleans.ca/

2011/05/19/concussions-the-untold-story/

APA annotation example

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 Laurier University Press.

         Ken Battle draws on his research as an extensively-published policy analyst, and a close study of some government documents, to explain child benefits in Canada.  He outlines some fundamental assumptions supporting the belief that all society members should contribute to the upbringing of children.  His comparison of Canadian child poverty rates to those in other countries provides a useful wake-up to anyone assuming Canadian society is doing a good job of protecting children from want.  He pays particular attention to the National Child Benefit (NCB), arguing that it did not deserve the criticism it received from politicians and journalists.  He outlines the NCB’s development, costs, and benefits, including its dollar contribution to a typical recipient’s income.  He laments that the Conservative government scaled back the program in favour of the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), and clearly explains why it is inferior.  However, Battle 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 the perspectives of others' 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.

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