1. 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.
Citation
Mention of the methods used
Qualifications of the author or authors
Summary
of
the
argument
and/or
findings
Evaluation
of the work,
for example
the logic of
the
arguments or
value of
evidence
How this
work
supports
your
research
Turn over

2. 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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