GETTING STARTED WITH APA
"APA Style" refers to guidelines published by the American Psychological Association.
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition details the organization's rules on how to format a paper, how to document research sources you use, and other matters of writing style. The American Psychological Association released a new edition of the Publication Manual in 2020. You can read about the changes on the APA Style website.
The APA Publication Manual is available at the first floor library reference desk (two-hour checkout, in-library use only) and for purchase, but students can refer to help guides like this for almost any question about APA Style. The American Psychological Association also publishes the Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition specifically for students.
Why is APA Style so important?
If you don't use a citation style to document the sources you used to help write a research paper, you're in danger of plagiarism.
Even if you don't mean to plagiarize, not citing your sources correctly might make it look as though you're passing someone else's words or ideas off as your own. There are serious consequences for plagiarism at LSC-CyFair.
The best way to protect yourself from plagiarism is to get familiar with APA Style and use it consistently.
APA STYLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
What is an annotated bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and other sources. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
You will summarize the relevant information you're getting from that source (but remember, this isn't your paper – you are summarizing, not presenting all the information itself) as well as how this well help you in your research (by providing background information, by exploring a certain angle, by presenting a contrary idea...).
How are annotations different from abstracts?
Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view and authority.
Why do I need an annotated bibliography?
Creating an annotated bibliography is not simply an academic exercise. An annotated bibliography is a tool to help you summarize your source content and evaluate its place within your research. If a source satisfies your "usefulness" criteria, that source belongs on your annotated bibliography. Of course, evaluation of sources goes beyond "usefulness" to the other elements of authority, credibility, currency, and purpose.
This process begins the transition from reading sources to incorporating content (ideas, quotes, paraphrasing) into your work. It is time to "make sense" of the knowledge you have gained from your research. This knowledge is the foundation on which to build your own voice, explain your methodology, discuss your conclusions, and report on your new knowledge.
How do I craft an annotated bibliography?
Crafting an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
- First, locate and record citations to books, articles, and other sources that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose the works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic.
- Cite the source using APA Style. Refer to the page in this guide entitled References for guidelines and examples.
- Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the source. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.
What are the components of an annotated bibliography?
- Begin with an APA reference list-style citation.
- Refer to the page in this guide entitled References for guidelines and examples
- Add an annotation, a brief and concise statement about the source. Think in terms of a "note" consisting of 5-6 sentences:
- One sentence to evaluate why the author is an expert on the topic (authority)
- A sentence on the intended audience of the source (purpose)
- A few sentences (perhaps a paraphrase) that explain how this source will illuminate your topic and how you will use the content in your paper (usefulness or relevance)
- Any other criteria of note for this topic or discipline
- Organize entries (citation + annotation) just as you would your Reference List:
- Double space and use hanging indentation
- Alphabetize reference list entries by the last name of the first author of each work
- For multiple sources by the same author(s), list entries in chronological order from earliest to most recent
Where can I find more resources about annotated bibliographies?
- Excelsior OWL: Annotated BibliographiesExplains what an annotated bibliography is and what to include in your annotation for each source
- Purdue OWL: Annotated BibliographiesA definition, breakdown, and sample annotated bibliography entry
FORMAT A PAPER IN APA
- APA Student Paper Setup GuideCreated by the American Psychological Association, provides detailed guidelines on how to setup your entire paper
- APA Student Paper TemplateCreated specifically for LSC-CyFair students; feel free to download, save as, and overwrite for your paper!
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GUIDELINES FOR APA STYLE REFERENCES
Guidelines:
- Your Reference List is the last section of your paper. It provides information about sources you used and cited within your paper.
- Each source you cite within your paper must appear as an entry in your reference list. Refer to the page in this guide about In-Text Citations for more information and examples.
- Begin your reference list on a new page separate from the main body of your paper.
- Title this page References in bold, and center at the top of the page (do not underline or use quotation marks for the title).
- Double space and use hanging indentation for each entry in your reference list.
- From Microsoft Word, select your text > click the pop-out icon next to "Paragraph" > select "Hanging" from the special indentation dropdown menu > click "Ok" to apply formatting
- Alphabetize reference list entries by the last name of the first author of each work.
- For multiple sources by the same author(s), list entries in chronological order from earliest to most recent.
- If there is no year of publication, use the abbreviation "n.d." for "no date"
