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Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

• The Honor Code
• Bibliography

If you are using Chicago style footnotes or endnotes, you should include a bibliography at the end of your paper that provides complete citation information for all of the sources you cite in your paper. Bibliography entries are formatted differently from notes. For bibliography entries, you list the sources alphabetically by last name, so you will list the last name of the author or creator first in each entry. You should single-space within a bibliography entry and double-space between them. When an entry goes longer than one line, use a hanging indent of .5 inches for subsequent lines. Here’s a link to a sample bibliography that shows layout and spacing . You can find a sample of note format here .

Complete note vs. shortened note

Here’s an example of a complete note and a shortened version of a note for a book:

1. Karen Ho, Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street (Durham: Duke University Press, 2009), 27-35.

1. Karen Ho, Liquidated , 27-35.

Note vs. Bibliography entry

The bibliography entry that corresponds with each note is very similar to the longer version of the note, except that the author’s last and first name are reversed in the bibliography entry. To see differences between note and bibliography entries for different types of sources, check this section of the Chicago Manual of Style .

For Liquidated , the bibliography entry would look like this:

Ho, Karen, Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street . Durham: Duke University Press, 2009.

Citing a source with two or three authors

If you are citing a source with two or three authors, list their names in your note in the order they appear in the original source. In the bibliography, invert only the name of the first author and use “and” before the last named author.

1. Melissa Borja and Jacob Gibson, “Internationalism with Evangelical Characteristics: The Case of Evangelical Responses to Southeast Asian Refugees,” The Review of Faith & International Affairs 17, no. 3 (2019): 80-81, https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2019.1643983 .

Shortened note:

1. Borja and Gibson, “Internationalism with Evangelical Characteristics,” 80-81.

Bibliography:

Borja, Melissa, and Jacob Gibson. “Internationalism with Evangelical Characteristics: The Case of Evangelical Responses to Southeast Asian Refugees.” The Review of Faith & International Affairs 17. no. 3 (2019): 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2019.1643983 .

Citing a source with more than three authors

If you are citing a source with more than three authors, include all of them in the bibliography, but only include the first one in the note, followed by et al. ( et al. is the shortened form of the Latin et alia , which means “and others”).

1. Justine M. Nagurney, et al., “Risk Factors for Disability After Emergency Department Discharge in Older Adults,” Academic Emergency Medicine 27, no. 12 (2020): 1271.

Short version of note:

1. Justine M. Nagurney, et al., “Risk Factors for Disability,” 1271.

Nagurney, Justine M., Ling Han, Linda Leo‐Summers, Heather G. Allore, Thomas M. Gill, and Ula Hwang. “Risk Factors for Disability After Emergency Department Discharge in Older Adults.” Academic Emergency Medicine 27, no. 12 (2020): 1270–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.14088 .

Citing a book consulted online

If you are citing a book you consulted online, you should include a URL, DOI, or the name of the database where you found the book.

1. Karen Ho, Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street (Durham: Duke University Press, 2009), 27-35, https://doi-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/10.1215/9780822391371 .

Bibliography entry:

Ho, Karen. Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street . Durham: Duke University Press, 2009. https://doi-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/10.1215/9780822391371 .

Citing an e-book consulted outside of a database

If you are citing an e-book that you accessed outside of a database, you should indicate the format. If you read the book in a format without fixed page numbers (like Kindle, for example), you should not include the page numbers that you saw as you read. Instead, include chapter or section numbers, if possible.

1. Karen Ho, Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street (Durham: Duke University Press, 2009), chap. 2, Kindle.

Ho, Karen. Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street . Durham: Duke University Press, 2009. Kindle.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources / How to Cite a PDF in APA

How to Cite a PDF in APA

Welcome to your guide to citing articles in the American Psychological Association (APA) style. On this page, you will learn about the correct way to make references and citations for various types of articles, including those published as PDFs in newspapers, magazines, online journals, and more.

Looking for how to cite a PDF article in Chicago style? Visit How to Cite a Journal in Chicago/Turabian .

Looking for how to cite a PDF article in MLA? Visit MLA Citation Examples

We’ll review the different methods for writing in-text citations, narrative and parenthetical. We’ll also review the standard method for constructing a reference list. The information below follows style guidelines published in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (this guide is not connected to the association).

You probably come across articles every day. Articles on websites, articles your teacher assigns to read, news pieces, etc. They’re pretty much a part of our daily lives.

When it comes to citing articles, things can get a bit tricky. Not all APA format articles are cited the same way.

• Determine the type of article
• Then find the structure that matches it

Knowing the type is important because there is a different APA citation article structure for newspaper stories, journal pieces, PDF documents, and more.

If creating an article APA citation seems confusing, fear not! We’ve included tons of examples and source types at the bottom of this guide. Scroll down to the second half of this page to locate the source type you’re attempting to cite.

Itching for a quick fix to your citations? Try the EasyBib reference generator. In just a few clicks, your APA citation articles can be added to your paper with ease. If your teacher requests a different style, we have many more styles to choose from.

If you need more information than what’s included in the examples at the bottom of the page, we have thorough explanations in the next section of this guide. Citing can be confusing and there are many rules to follow. So, sit back, keep reading, and let’s ride the APA article citation wave.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

What Is an Article?

General in-text citation structure, things to keep in mind.

• How to Cite Various Types of Articles

Troubleshooting

An article is a nonfiction piece of writing. They’re generally created to inform the reader about something. They differ from nonfiction books in that they’re much shorter.

Article types include:

• Journal pieces
• Magazine stories
• Newspaper columns
• Written pieces on websites

The next section of this guide focuses on references. We’ll show you how to structure references for the Reference Page and for the text of your paper: narrative and parenthetical in-text citations.

Before we continue, let’s be clear that this style is much different from the MLA format . If your teacher requests your references in that style, check out our page on how to cite websites in MLA and our MLA works cited page. You may even find our MLA in-text & parenthetical citations page helpful.

To get started, let’s take a look at the basic elements that come together to make an accurate and informative reference.

The Author-Date Citation System

While some of the referencing specifics may change depending on your article type, all citations in the APA style are based on the simplistic yet effective Author-Date System (as defined by Section 8.10 of the Publication Manual ) .

This system summarizes your reference into two parts: the reference list entry and the in-text citation:

• A reference list entry comes at the end of your work. It includes the author, date, title, and source of the work.
• In-text citations require only the author and the year of publication. This allows readers to easily determine the corresponding entry in your reference list.

Since this section focuses on in-text citations, let’s have a look at the two different types:

A parenthetical citation can appear within a sentence or at the end of a sentence. It consists of the author’s name and the year of publication, separated by a comma and enclosed within parentheses.

(Author’s Last Name, Year).

The dark web is “as messy and chaotic as you would expect” (Guccione, 2019).

When the parenthetical citation is at the end of the sentence, as in this example, the period (or closing punctuation) is placed on the outside of the closing parenthesis.

A n arrative citation is preferred when the author’s name already appears in the sentence. In this case, only include the date inside the parentheses after the author’s last name.

Author’s Last Name (Year)

Guccione (2019) shares that the dark web “is as messy and chaotic as you would expect.”

*Note: In sentences where both the author and the publication date already appear within the running text, no parenthetical citation is required (See Section 8.11 of the Publication Manual ).

Before we head right into a bunch of examples, here are some things to keep in mind about each section of a reference.

Author Information:

Style author names differently depending on how many there are and whether you’re listing the authors in the in-text citation or reference page.

Here’s author formatting for in-text citations (Section 8.17 of the Publication Manual ):

• One author = Last Name
• Two authors = 1st Last Name & 2nd Last Name
• Three or more authors = 1st Last Name et al.
• Group or Organization = Full Group Name

Here’s author formatting for the reference page (Section 9.8 of the Publication Manual ):

• One author = 1st Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial.
• Two authors = 1st Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial., & 2nd Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial.
• In a list of up to 20 author names, the final name has an ampersand (&) before it.
• In a list of 21 or more author names, include the first 19 authors’ names, an ellipsis (but no ampersand), and the author’s last name.
• Full group or organization = Full Group Name
• Two groups or organizations = 1st Group Name & 2nd Group Name

If a source does not list an author, place the title in the author’s position.

If the source is authored by a group or organization, write it out in full in the author’s position.

The above information shows how to format authors’ names for ALL source types, even an APA book citation .

Some sources only show (Year), others show (Year, Month or Season), and some show the full date (Year, Month Day). Look at the APA citation article examples on the bottom section of this guide to determine how to style dates.

In APA, write article titles with a capital letter in three places only, following sentence-style capitalization :

• The first letter in the title
• The first letter in the subtitle
• The first letter of any proper nouns

New members block vote for Congress: No change in legislation

Write titles of article’s sources or containers (names of newspapers, journals, and magazines) with a capital letter at the beginning of all important words on a reference page and an annotated bibliography. Tiles are also italicized, depending on the source type.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Extra Information:

Some APA citations for articles include extra information about the medium. Scroll down to the APA PDF citation section at the very bottom to see how to style the extra information.

Page Numbers:

APA 7 handles page numbers in a couple of ways that differ based on the source material:

• Websites usually do not have page numbers, so omit page numbers for online sources.
• Periodicals like journals, newspapers, magazines, and newsletters ask for the page range in the reference entry. They appear after the periodical title alongside the volume number, issue number, and article number.
• Use the “p.” abbreviation for a single page and “pp.” for multiple pages.
• Separate the page numbers with an en dash and place them next to the author name within the citation (Jacobs, 2010, pp. 231–234).
• If the newspaper story continues on a different page, add a comma between the pages. Example: B2, B14.

Volume & Issue Numbers:

• Only include the volume number and issue number in the reference entry if this information is presented clearly in the source material. If no volume or issue numbers can be found, then only include the page range.

Website Addresses and DOIs:

• If the source is on a website, include the URL at the end of the reference with no period.
• If the source has a DOI number, use it instead of the website address (URL). Publishers create DOI numbers that permanently link to a source. An APA citation for a journal article often includes a DOI number. Look at the examples below to see how to style a DOI.

A quick reminder to try out the automatic generator on EasyBib.com and scan through the grammar pages while you’re at it. Brush up on your pronoun , adjective , and interjection skills and easily generate your APA article citation! If it sounds like a win-win, it is! Try it out!

How to Cite Various Types of Articles in APA 7

Citing a pdf document.

PDF stands for “portal document format.” It’s a document that opens up a separate window or tab, and usually has “pdf” shown somewhere in the website address or file name.

PDFs can be referenced and cited similarly to printed articles and books. This means that the reference entry includes the author, publication date, title, and publisher name.

With PDF files or any online source, include the source URL or DOI. It is not necessary to specify the format by including “PDF” in the reference entry.

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day Published). Title of PDF article in sentence case . Name of Publisher. URL

It is quite common for PDF files not to list a publisher. If the name of the publisher cannot be reasonably discerned from the material, or if the publisher and the author are the same entity, then omit it from the reference altogether.

American Public Health Association. (2016). Zubik v. Burwell and public health at a glance. https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/factsheets/zubik_fact_sheet.ashx?la=en&hash=957086293FE0F6E7A05E1CCA2222E9018D867B99

In-text citation:

Parenthetical citation: (American Public Health Association, 2016)

Narrative citation: American Public Health Association (2016)

Citing a Webpage on a Website

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day Published). Title of webpage in sentence case . Title of Website. URL

Medcalf, C. (2019, July 10). Remember that time Deadmau5 livestreamed himself painstakingly recreating the Stranger Things theme? MusicFeeds. https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/remember-that-time-deadmau5-livestreamed-himself-painstakingly-recreating-the-stranger-things-theme/

  In-text citation:

Parenthetical citation: (Medcalf, 2019)

Narrative citation: Medcalf (2019)

Need more information on web APA citation articles? Take a peek at our full APA website citation guide.

Citing a Print Journal Article

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day Published). Title of article in sentence case . Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), page range.

Jeffers, O., & Roberts, A. D. (2019). Most common injuries in adult men’s softball. Sports and Rehabilitation Journal, 4 (12).

Parenthetical citation: (Jeffers & Roberts, 2019)

Narrative citation: Jeffers and Roberts (2019)

Citing an Online Journal Article with a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day Published). Title of article in sentence case . Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), page range. DOI

Galea, S., & Vaughn, R. D. (2019). When population health science intersects with pressing cultural issues: A public health of consequence. American Journal of Public Health, 109 (3), 358–359. https://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304932

Parenthetical citation: (Galea & Vaughn, 2019)

Narrative citation: Gales and Vaughn (2019)

Citing an Online Journal Article Without a DOI

If you used a journal piece found online but could not locate a DOI, then you can provide the article’s URL in its place. Here is an example:

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day Published). Title of article in sentence case . Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), page range. URL

Desai, M. J., Jonely, H., Blackburn, M., Wanasinghage, S., Sheikh, S., & Taylor, R. S. (2019). The back pain and movement (B-PAM) registry: A study protocol. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 20 , 24–36. https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-019-2625-x

Parenthetical citation: (Desai et al., 2019)

Narrative citation: Desai et al. (2019)

Citing a Print Newspaper Column

If you used a newspaper story found in a print issue, structure it as follows:

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day Published). Title of article in sentence case . Title of Newspaper, Section Number.

Fry, H. (2019, June 27). Wildfires, rains add to beach pollution. Los Angeles Times , A1, A12.

Parenthetical citation: (Fry, 2019)

Narrative citation: Fry (2019)

• When the story continues in multiple sections, separate the sections with a comma, as shown in the above example.

For more information on the difference kinds of periodicals that are defined by the APA, you can check out Section 10.1 of the Publication Journal .

Citing an Online Newspaper Article

If you cite a newspaper story found online, in the source element, include the URL. Simply add it to the reference entry after the newspaper name. (See Section 10.1, example 16 of the official Publication Manual for more examples.)

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of newspaper story in sentence case . Title of Newspaper . URL

Ormseth, M. (2019, June 27). Bookkeeper, former USC coach plead guilty in admissions scandal, promise to help investigators. The Los Angeles Times . https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-college-admissions-scandal-masera-khosroshahin-plea-20190627-story.html

Parenthetical citation: (Ornseth, 2019)

Narrative citation: Ornseth (2019)

Note that a newspaper article sourced online is different from an online news website. Sources like CNN, Bloomberg, Vox, and BBC News are all examples of online-only news websites, so their citation structure is slightly different. Section 10.16 of the Publication Manual goes into more detail about how to cite from news websites.

If you’re feeling confident that your APA citation articles are structured properly, then you may want to draw your attention to your writing and grammar. Check out our various grammar pages on EasyBib.com. We have full guides on how to structure every conjunction , verb , and noun in your paper!

Citing a Print Magazine Story or Article

Here are the reference examples for stories and articles sourced from a printed magazine:

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month or Season). Title of magazine story in sentence case . Title of Magazine, volume number (issue number), page range.

Nelson, X. (2019, August). Teaching moments: How developers build the tutorials you skip. PC Gamer, 320 (1) , 16–17.

Parenthetical citation: (Nelson, 2019)

Narrative citation: Nelson (2019)

Citing an Online Magazine Story or Article

If you are citing a magazine article that you sourced online, include the DOI or URL at the end of the reference.

Only include a volume number, issue number, and page number if you are reading an online version of a printed magazine that shares the same index.

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of the magazine story in sentence case . Title of Magazine , volume number (issue number), page range. DOI or URL

Christensen, B. K. (2019, July 1). Highly trained cells spot brain cancer. Science Illustrated, 68 , 46–51. https://www-pressreader-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/australia/science-illustrated/20190701

If the magazine article in question has a DOI, use that at the end of the reference, not a URL.

Parenthetical citation: (Christensen, 2019)

Narrative citation: Christensen (2019)

Citing a Blog Post

Blog posts are defined as periodicals under the 7th edition. Because of this, a blog post reference entry is almost identical to the structure of an online article citation. The most significant difference is that blogs are usually published on a specific day, month, and year.

Remember that whatever level of specificity is offered regarding the publication date should be reflected in the reference entry.

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of blog post. Title of Blog. URL

Hin, K. (2016, March 13). Transport on the French Riviera: A practical guide to getting around by train, bus and car. French Riviera Blog. https://french-riviera-blog.com/2016/03/13/transport-on-the-french-riviera-a-practical-guide-to-getting-around-by-train-bus-and-car/

Parenthetical citation: (Hin, 2016)

Narrative citation: Hin (2016)

Solution #1: How to cite a PDF if you cannot find the publisher

It may be hard to locate the publisher for a PDF, or there may be confusion when the author and publisher are the same. If either are the case, simply leave out any publisher information in your APA format works-cited citation.

Format the in-text citation like any other APA in-text citation (Author Last Name, Year).

In-text citation example:

(Naylor, 1896)

Reference list entry example:

Naylor, E. W. (1896). Shakespeare and music. https://www.scribd.com/document/223683596/Shakespeare-and-Music

Solution #2: How to cite a PDF if you cannot find the author

If you can’t find an author for a particular PDF, put the title of the source first in the works-cited citation, followed by the year of publication. Use the first letter of the title to alphabetize your bibliography just as you would with an author’s name.

For an in-text citation of a PDF without an author, use the title of the PDF followed by the year of publication. If the title is more than a few words long, abbreviate the title and limit it to 3-5 words, followed by an ellipsis.

(Shakespeare’s Language, 2009)

Shakespeare’s Language. (2009). Zanichelli. https://www.scribd.com/presentation/321149883/Shakespeare-Language

Prior to submitting your paper, try out our plagiarism checker . It scans for any instances of accidental plagiarism and checks for grammar too! Stop questioning if every adverb , determiner , or preposition is placed where it belongs and give our super helpful checker a whirl!

Discover more writing and citing tips by visiting our EasyBib Twitter feed.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2022). Parenthetical versus narrative in-text citations . https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published October 21, 2013. Updated on July 27, 2022.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau . Michele Kirschenbaum is an awesome school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

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The structure of the entry depends on what source type (e.g., report, book, etc.) the PDF is. The source’s URL will indicate that the source was published as a PDF. For an example, let’s look at an annual report that was published as a PDF. Since the report publisher and author are the same (Ingredion), omit the publisher information.

(Ingredion, 2020)

Reference example:

Ingredion. (2020). Purpose-driven growth: 2020 annual report . https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/NYSE_INGR_2020.pdf

For more information on citing in APA, see this APA format guide .

To cite a PDF with no author in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the title of the work, publisher, and/or URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for in-text citations and reference list entries of a PDF along with examples are given below.

In-text citation template and example:

If the PDF does not have an author, cite the PDF by its title. If the title is too long, shorten it for the in-text citation. Follow title case in the in-text citation. A parenthetical citation might look like this:

(Title of the Work, publication year)

(Inspiring Growth, 2015)

Reference list entry template and example:

Title of the PDF [PDF]. (Publication Year). Name of Publisher. URL

Inspiring growth: CBI/Pearson education and skills survey 2015 [PDF]. (2015).  Pearson. https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/corporate/global/pearson-dot-com/files/press-releases/2015/CBI-Pearson-Skills-survey-FINAL.pdf

You need to set the title of the PDF in sentence case in the reference list. While arranging the entry alphabetically in the reference list, treat the title as the author name. Remember, articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”) present at the beginning of the title should not be considered when alphabetizing. When there is a numeral used in the title, consider it to be in the spelled-out form and arrange it accordingly in the reference list.

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• Harvard Style Bibliography | Format & Examples

Harvard Style Bibliography | Format & Examples

Published on 1 May 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 7 November 2022.

In Harvard style , the bibliography or reference list provides full references for the sources you used in your writing.

• A reference list consists of entries corresponding to your in-text citations .
• A bibliography sometimes also lists sources that you consulted for background research, but did not cite in your text.

The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. If in doubt about which to include, check with your instructor or department.

The information you include in a reference varies depending on the type of source, but it usually includes the author, date, and title of the work, followed by details of where it was published. You can automatically generate accurate references using our free reference generator:

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Table of contents

Formatting a harvard style bibliography, harvard reference examples, referencing sources with multiple authors, referencing sources with missing information, frequently asked questions about harvard bibliographies.

Sources are alphabetised by author last name. The heading ‘Reference list’ or ‘Bibliography’ appears at the top.

Each new source appears on a new line, and when an entry for a single source extends onto a second line, a hanging indent is used:

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Reference list or bibliography entries always start with the author’s last name and initial, the publication date and the title of the source. The other information required varies depending on the source type. Formats and examples for the most common source types are given below.

• Entire book
• Book chapter
• Translated book
• Edition of a book

Journal articles

• Print journal
• Online-only journal with DOI
• Online-only journal without DOI
• General web page
• Online article or blog
• Social media post

Newspapers and magazines

• Newspaper article
• Magazine article

When a source has up to three authors, list all of them in the order their names appear on the source. If there are four or more, give only the first name followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Sometimes a source won’t list all the information you need for your reference. Here’s what to do when you don’t know the publication date or author of a source.

Some online sources, as well as historical documents, may lack a clear publication date. In these cases, you can replace the date in the reference list entry with the words ‘no date’. With online sources, you still include an access date at the end:

When a source doesn’t list an author, you can often list a corporate source as an author instead, as with ‘Scribbr’ in the above example. When that’s not possible, begin the entry with the title instead of the author:

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:

• A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
• A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

In Harvard style referencing , to distinguish between two sources by the same author that were published in the same year, you add a different letter after the year for each source:

• (Smith, 2019a)
• (Smith, 2019b)

Add ‘a’ to the first one you cite, ‘b’ to the second, and so on. Do the same in your bibliography or reference list .

To create a hanging indent for your bibliography or reference list :

• Highlight all the entries
• Click on the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the ‘Paragraph’ tab in the top menu.
• In the pop-up window, under ‘Special’ in the ‘Indentation’ section, use the drop-down menu to select ‘Hanging’.
• Then close the window with ‘OK’.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2022, November 07). Harvard Style Bibliography | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 2 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-bibliography/

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How to Write a Bibliography (MLA, APA Examples)

Learn how to easily write a bibliography by following the format outlined in this article.

This resource will help your students properly cite different resources in the bibliography of a research paper, and how to format those citations, for books, encyclopedias, films, websites, and people.

What is a bibliography?

According to Infoplease.com, A bibliography is a list of the types of sources you used to get information for your report. It is included at the end of your report, on the last page (or last few pages).

What are the types of bibliography styles (MLA, APA, etc.)?

The 3 most common bibliography/citation styles are:

• MLA Style: The Modern Language Association works cited page style
• APA Style: The American Psychological Association style
• Chicago Style: The bibliography style defined by the Chicago Manual of Style

We’ll give examples of how to create bibliography entries in various styles further down in this article. 

What sources do you put in a bibliography?

An annotated bibliography should include a reference list of any sources you use in writing a research paper. Any printed sources from which you use a text citation, including books, websites, newspaper articles, journal articles, academic writing, online sources (such as PDFs), and magazines should be included in a reference list. In some cases, you may need or want to cite conversations or interviews, works of art, visual works such as movies, television shows, or documentaries - these (and many others) can also be included in a reference list.

How to get started writing your bibliography

You will find it easier to prepare your MLA, APA, or Chicago annotated bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, journal article, webpage or online source you use as you are reading and taking notes. Start a preliminary, or draft, bibliography by listing on a separate sheet of paper all your sources. Note down the full title, author’s last name, place of publication, web address, publisher, and date of publication for each source.

Haven't started your paper yet and need an outline? These sample essay outlines include a research paper outline from an actual student paper.

How to write a bibliography step-by-step (with examples)

General Format: Author (last name first). Title of the book. Publisher, Date of publication.

MLA Style: Sibley, David Allen. What It’s Like to Be a Bird. From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing, What Birds Are Doing, and Why. Alfred A. Knopf, 2020.

APA Style: Sibley, D.A. (2020). What It’s Like to Be a Bird. From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing, What Birds Are Doing, and Why . Alfred A. Knopf.

Notes: Use periods, not commas, to separate the data in the entry. Use a hanging indent if the entry is longer than one line. For APA style, do not use the full author’s first name.

Websites or webpages:

  MLA Style: The SB Nation Family of Sites. Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs Blog, 2022, www.pensionplanpuppets.com. Accessed 15 Feb. 2022.

APA Style: American Heart Association. (2022, April 11). How to keep your dog’s heart healthy. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/04/11/how-to-keep-your-dogs-heart-healthy

Online news article from a newspaper site:

APA Style: Duehren, A. (2022, April 9). Janet Yellen faces challenge to keep pressure on Russia. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/janet-yellen-faces-challenge-to-keep-pressure-on-russia-while-addressing-global-consequences-11650366000

Print journal articles:

MLA Style: Booch, Grady. "Patterns in Object-Oriented Design." IEEE Software Engineering, vol. 6, no. 6, 2006, pp. 31-50.

APA Style: Booch, G. (2006). Patterns in object-oriented design. IEEE Software Engineering, 6(6), 31–50.

Note: It is suggested that you include a DOI and a webpage address when referencing either a printed journal article, and electronic journal article, or an journal article that appears in both formats. 

MLA Style: Gamma, Eric, and Peter A. Coad. “Exceptions to the Unified Modeling Language in Python Patterns.” IEEE Software Engineering, vol. 2, no. 6, 8 Mar. 2006, pp. 190-194. O’Reilly Software Engineering Library, https://doi.org/10.1006/se.20061. Accessed 26 May 2009.

APA Style: Masters, H., Barron, J., & Chanda, L. (2017). Motivational interviewing techniques for adolescent populations in substance abuse counseling. NAADAC Notes, 7(8), 7–13. https://www.naadac.com/notes/adolescent-techniques

ML:A Style: @Grady_Booch. “That’s a bold leap over plain old battery power cars.” Twitter, 13 Mar. 2013, 12:06 p.m., https://twitter.com/Grady_Booch/status/1516379006727188483.

APA Style: Westborough Library [@WestboroughLib]. (2022, April 12). Calling all 3rd through 5th grade kids! Join us for the Epic Writing Showdown! Winner receives a prize! Space is limited so register, today. loom.ly/ypaTG9Q [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/WestboroughLib/status/1516373550415896588.

Print magazine articles:

General format: Author (last name first), "Article Title." Name of magazine. Volume number, (Date): page numbers.

MLA Style: Stiteler, Sharon. "Tracking Red-Breasted Grosbeak Migration." Minnesota Bird Journal, 7 Sept. 2019, pp. 7-11.

APA Style: Jordan, Jennifer, "Filming at the Top of the World." Museum of Science Magazine. Volume 47, No. 1, (Winter 1998): p. 11.

Print newspaper articles:

General format: Author (last name first), "Article Title." Name of newspaper, city, state of publication. (date): edition if available, section, page number(s).

MLA Style: Adelman, Martin. "Augustus Announces Departure from City Manager Post." New York Times, late ed., 15 February 2020, p. A1

APA Style: Adelman, M. (2020, February 15). Augustus announced departure from city manager post. New York Times, A1.

Encyclopedias:

General Format: Encyclopedia Title, Edition Date. Volume Number, "Article Title," page numbers.

MLA Style: “Gorillas.” The Encyclopedia Brittanica. 15th ed. 2010.

APA Style: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc. (1997.) Gorillas. In The Encyclopedia Brittanica (15th ed., pp. 50-51). Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc.

Personal interviews:

General format: Full name (last name first). Personal Interview. (Occupation.) Date of interview.

MLA Style: Smithfield, Joseph. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.

APA Style: APA does not require a formal citation for a personal interview. Published interviews from other sources should be cited accordingly.

Films and movies:

General format: Title, Director, Distributor, Year.

MLA Style: Fury. Directed by David Ayer, performances by Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, Sony Pictures, 2014.

APA Style: Ayer, D. (Director). (2014). Fury [Film]. Sony Pictures.

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How To Write a Bibliography (Three Styles, Plus Examples)

Give credit where credit is due.

Writing a research paper involves a lot of work. Students need to consult a variety of sources to gather reliable information and ensure their points are well supported. Research papers include a bibliography, which can be a little tricky for students. Learn how to write a bibliography in multiple styles and find basic examples below.

IMPORTANT: Each style guide has its own very specific rules, and they often conflict with one another. Additionally, each type of reference material has many possible formats, depending on a variety of factors. The overviews shown here are meant to guide students in writing basic bibliographies, but this information is by no means complete. Students should always refer directly to the preferred style guide to ensure they’re using the most up-to-date formats and styles.

What is a bibliography?

When you’re researching a paper, you’ll likely consult a wide variety of sources. You may quote some of these directly in your work, summarize some of the points they make, or simply use them to further the knowledge you need to write your paper. Since these ideas are not your own, it’s vital to give credit to the authors who originally wrote them. This list of sources, organized alphabetically, is called a bibliography.

A bibliography should include all the materials you consulted in your research, even if you don’t quote directly from them in your paper. These resources could include (but aren’t limited to):

• Books and e-books
• Periodicals like magazines or newspapers
• Online articles or websites
• Primary source documents like letters or official records

Bibliography vs. References

These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings. As noted above, a bibliography includes all the materials you used while researching your paper, whether or not you quote from them or refer to them directly in your writing.

A list of references only includes the materials you cite throughout your work. You might use direct quotes or summarize the information for the reader. Either way, you must ensure you give credit to the original author or document. This section can be titled “List of Works Cited” or simply “References.”

Your teacher may specify whether you should include a bibliography or a reference list. If they don’t, consider choosing a bibliography, to show all the works you used in researching your paper. This can help the reader see that your points are well supported, and allow them to do further reading on their own if they’re interested.

Bibliography vs. Citations

Citations refer to direct quotations from a text, woven into your own writing. There are a variety of ways to write citations, including footnotes and endnotes. These are generally shorter than the entries in a reference list or bibliography. Learn more about writing citations here.

What does a bibliography entry include?

Depending on the reference material, bibliography entries include a variety of information intended to help a reader locate the material if they want to refer to it themselves. These entries are listed in alphabetical order, and may include:

• Author/s or creator/s
• Publication date
• Volume and issue numbers
• Publisher and publication city
• Website URL

These entries don’t generally need to include specific page numbers or locations within the work (except for print magazine or journal articles). That type of information is usually only needed in a footnote or endnote citation.

What are the different bibliography styles?

In most cases, writers use one of three major style guides: APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), or The Chicago Manual of Style . There are many others as well, but these three are the most common choices for K–12 students.

Many teachers will state their preference for one style guide over another. If they don’t, you can choose your own preferred style. However, you should also use that guide for your entire paper, following their recommendations for punctuation, grammar, and more. This will ensure you are consistent throughout.

Below, you’ll learn how to write a simple bibliography using each of the three major style guides. We’ve included details for books and e-books, periodicals, and electronic sources like websites and videos. If the reference material type you need to include isn’t shown here, refer directly to the style guide you’re using.

APA Style Bibliography and Examples

Source: Verywell Mind

Technically, APA style calls for a list of references instead of a bibliography. If your teacher requires you to use the APA style guide , you can limit your reference list only to items you cite throughout your work.

How To Write a Bibliography (References) Using APA Style

Here are some general notes on writing an APA reference list:

• Title your bibliography section “References” and center the title on the top line of the page.
• Do not center your references; they should be left-aligned. For longer items, subsequent lines should use a hanging indent of 1/2 inch.
• Include all types of resources in the same list.
• Alphabetize your list by author or creator, last name first.
• Do not spell out the author/creator’s first or middle name; only use their initials.
• If there are multiple authors/creators, use an ampersand (&) before the final author/creator.
• Place the date in parentheses.
• Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, unless the word would otherwise be capitalized (proper names, etc.).
• Italicize the titles of books, periodicals, or videos.
• For websites, include the full site information, including the http:// or https:// at the beginning.

Books and E-Books APA Bibliography Examples

For books, APA reference list entries use this format (only include the publisher’s website for e-books).

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Publication date). Title with only first word capitalized . Publisher. Publisher’s website

• Wynn, S. (2020). City of London at war 1939–45 . Pen & Sword Military. https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/City-of-London-at-War-193945-Paperback/p/17299

Periodical APA Bibliography Examples

For journal or magazine articles, use this format. If you viewed the article online, include the URL at the end of the citation.

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Publication date). Title of article. Magazine or Journal Title (Volume number) Issue number, page numbers. URL

• Bell, A. (2009). Landscapes of fear: Wartime London, 1939–1945. Journal of British Studies (48) 1, 153–175. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25482966

Here’s the format for newspapers. For print editions, include the page number/s. For online articles, include the full URL.

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Date) Title of article. Newspaper title. Page number/s. URL

• Blakemore, E. (2022, November 12) Researchers track down two copies of fossil destroyed by the Nazis.  The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/11/12/ichthyosaur-fossil-images-discovered/

Electronic APA Bibliography Examples

For articles with a specific author on a website, use this format.

Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year, Month Date). Title . Site name. URL

• Wukovits, J. (2023, January 30). A World War II survivor recalls the London Blitz . British Heritage . https://britishheritage.com/history/world-war-ii-survivor-london-blitz

When an online article doesn’t include a specific author or date, list it like this:

Title . (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

• Growing up in the Second World War . (n.d.). Imperial War Museums. Retrieved May 12, 2023, from https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war

When you need to list a YouTube video, use the name of the account that uploaded the video, and format it like this:

Name of Account. (Upload year, month day). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL

• War Stories. (2023, January 15). How did London survive the Blitz during WW2? | Cities at war: London | War stories [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/uwY6JlCvbxc

For more information on writing APA bibliographies, see the APA Style Guide website.

APA Bibliography (Reference List) Example Pages

Source: Simply Psychology

More APA example pages:

• Western Australia Library Services APA References Example Page
• Ancilla College APA References Page Example
• Scribbr APA References Page Example

MLA Style Bibliography Examples

Source: PressBooks

MLA style calls for a Works Cited section, which includes all materials quoted or referred to in your paper. You may also include a Works Consulted section, including other reference sources you reviewed but didn’t directly cite. Together, these constitute a bibliography. If your teacher requests an MLA Style Guide bibliography, ask if you should include Works Consulted as well as Works Cited.

How To Write a Bibliography (Works Cited and Works Consulted) in MLA Style

For both MLA Works Cited and Works Consulted sections, use these general guidelines:

• Start your Works Cited list on a new page. If you include a Works Consulted list, start that on its own new page after the Works Cited section.
• Center the title (Works Cited or Works Consulted) in the middle of the line at the top of the page.
• Align the start of each source to the left margin, and use a hanging indent (1/2 inch) for the following lines of each source.
• Alphabetize your sources using the first word of the citation, usually the author’s last name.
• Include the author’s full name as listed, last name first.
• Capitalize titles using the standard MLA format.
• Leave off the http:// or https:// at the beginning of a URL.

Books and E-Books MLA Bibliography Examples

For books, MLA reference list entries use this format. Add the URL at the end for e-books.

Last Name, First Name Middle Name. Title . Publisher, Date. URL

• Wynn, Stephen. City of London at War 1939–45 . Pen & Sword Military, 2020. www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/City-of-London-at-War-193945-Paperback/p/17299

Periodical MLA Bibliography Examples

Here’s the style format for magazines, journals, and newspapers. For online articles, add the URL at the end of the listing.

For magazines and journals:

Last Name, First Name. “Title: Subtitle.” Name of Journal , volume number, issue number, Date of Publication, First Page Number–Last Page Number.

• Bell, Amy. “Landscapes of Fear: Wartime London, 1939–1945.” Journal of British Studies , vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 153–175. www.jstor.org/stable/25482966

When citing newspapers, include the page number/s for print editions or the URL for online articles.

Last Name, First Name. “Title of article.” Newspaper title. Page number/s. Year, month day. Page number or URL

• Blakemore, Erin. “Researchers Track Down Two Copies of Fossil Destroyed by the Nazis.” The Washington Post. 2022, Nov. 12. www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/11/12/ichthyosaur-fossil-images-discovered/

Electronic MLA Bibliography Examples

Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title.” Month Day, Year published. URL

• Wukovits, John. 2023. “A World War II Survivor Recalls the London Blitz.” January 30,   2023. https://britishheritage.com/history/world-war-ii-survivor-london-blitz

Website. n.d. “Title.” Accessed Day Month Year. URL.

• Imperial War Museum. n.d. “Growing Up in the Second World War.” Accessed May 9, 2023. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war.

Here’s how to list YouTube and other online videos.

Creator, if available. “Title of Video.” Website. Uploaded by Username, Day Month Year. URL.

• “How did London survive the Blitz during WW2? | Cities at war: London | War stories.” YouTube . Uploaded by War Stories, 15 Jan. 2023. youtu.be/uwY6JlCvbxc.

For more information on writing MLA style bibliographies, see the MLA Style website.

MLA Bibliography (Works Cited) Example Pages

Source: The Visual Communication Guy

More MLA example pages:

• Writing Commons Sample Works Cited Page
• Scribbr MLA Works Cited Sample Page
• Montana State University MLA Works Cited Page

Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography Examples

The Chicago Manual of Style (sometimes called “Turabian”) actually has two options for citing reference material : Notes and Bibliography and Author-Date. Regardless of which you use, you’ll need a complete detailed list of reference items at the end of your paper. The examples below demonstrate how to write that list.

How To Write a Bibliography Using The Chicago Manual of Style

Source: South Texas College

Here are some general notes on writing a Chicago -style bibliography:

• You may title it “Bibliography” or “References.” Center this title at the top of the page and add two blank lines before the first entry.
• Left-align each entry, with a hanging half-inch indent for subsequent lines of each entry.
• Single-space each entry, with a blank line between entries.
• Include the “http://” or “https://” at the beginning of URLs.

Books and E-Books Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography Examples

For books, Chicago -style reference list entries use this format. (For print books, leave off the information about how the book was accessed.)

Last Name, First Name Middle Name. Title . City of Publication: Publisher, Date. How e-book was accessed.

• Wynn, Stephen. City of London at War 1939–45 . Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military, 2020. Kindle edition.

Periodical Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography Examples

For journal and magazine articles, use this format.

Last Name, First Name. Year of Publication. “Title: Subtitle.” Name of Journal , Volume Number, issue number, First Page Number–Last Page Number. URL.

• Bell, Amy. 2009. “Landscapes of Fear: Wartime London, 1939–1945.” Journal of British Studies, 48 no. 1, 153–175. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25482966.

When citing newspapers, include the URL for online articles.

Last Name, First Name. Year of Publication. “Title: Subtitle.” Name of Newspaper , Month day, year. URL.

• Blakemore, Erin. 2022. “Researchers Track Down Two Copies of Fossil Destroyed by the Nazis.” The Washington Post , November 12, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/11/12/ichthyosaur-fossil-images-discovered/.

Electronic Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography Examples

Last Name, First Name Middle Name. “Title.” Site Name . Year, Month Day. URL.

• Wukovits, John. “A World War II Survivor Recalls the London Blitz.” British Heritage. 2023, Jan. 30. britishheritage.com/history/world-war-ii-survivor-london-blitz.

“Title.” Site Name . URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

• “Growing Up in the Second World War.” Imperial War Museums . www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war. Accessed May 9, 2023.

Creator or Username. “Title of Video.” Website video, length. Month Day, Year. URL.

• War Stories. “How Did London Survive the Blitz During WW2? | Cities at War: London | War Stories.” YouTube video, 51:25. January 15, 2023. https://youtu.be/uwY6JlCvbxc.

For more information on writing Chicago -style bibliographies, see the Chicago Manual of Style website.

Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography Example Pages

Source: Chicago Manual of Style

More Chicago example pages:

• Scribbr Chicago Style Bibliography Example
• Purdue Online Writing Lab CMOS Bibliography Page
• Bibcitation Sample Chicago Bibliography

Now that you know how to write a bibliography, take a look at the Best Websites for Teaching & Learning Writing .

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Research Proposal and Annotated Bibliography

Most research essays involve two particular documents that help guide, manage, and report on the on-going research process. Those two documents are the research proposal and the annotated bibliography , detailed below.

Research Proposal

A research proposal is a brief document—only one typed page—that summarizes the preliminary ideas and current progress regarding your research essay. Your purpose is to formalize your plan for research and present it to your instructor for feedback. Your research proposal should be in complete sentences and paragraphs (and lists of information where appropriate), and should use MLA format.

A research proposal should address all of the following (the order of this information is allowed to change):

• Briefly summarize the subject and its issues, controversies, or context.
• Briefly explain of the significance or relevance of researching this subject.
• State your main research question about the subject.
• List any sub-questions related to your main research question (consider who, what, when, where, why, and how).
• State your working thesis.
• State the kinds of sources you plan to seek, or the types you have found, and/or your plan for finding sources.

Remember that your working thesis is not set in stone. You can and should change your working thesis throughout the research writing process if the information you find does not support your original thesis. Never try to force information into fitting your argument. For example, suppose your working thesis is this: “Mars cannot support life-forms.” Yet a week into researching your subject, suppose you find an article in the New York Times detailing new findings of bacteria under the Martian surface. Instead of trying to force that information into fitting your argument, such as arguing that bacteria are not life forms, you might instead alter your thesis to something like, “Mars cannot support complex life-forms.”

Below is an example of a research proposal from a student, which addresses all of the above:

Jorge Ramirez Prof. Habib Healthcare 101 March 25, 2015

In recent years, subjects related to diet, nutrition, and weight loss have been covered extensively in the mainstream media. Different experts recommend various, often conflicting strategies for maintaining a healthy weight. One highly recommended approach, which forms the basis of many popular diet plans, is to limit the consumption of carbohydrates. Yet experts disagree on the effectiveness and health benefits of this approach. What information should consumers consider when evaluating diet plans?

In my research, I will explore the claims made by proponents of the “low-carb lifestyle.” My primary research question is this: Are low-carbohydrate diets as effective for maintaining a healthy weight as they are portrayed to be?

My secondary research questions are these:

Who can benefit from following a low-carb diet?

What are the supposed advantages of following a low-carb diet?

When did low-carb diets become a hot topic in the media?

Where do average consumers get information about diet and nutrition?

Why has the low-carb approach received so much media attention?

How do low-carb diets work?

My working thesis is this: Low-carb diets are not as effective as the mass media attention suggests. In order to do this research, I will review mass media articles as well as scholarly articles that discuss the relationship between low-carb diets, weight loss, and long-term health. I will use general Google searches as well as Google Scholar, JSTOR, and other databases available through the campus library Website.

Write a research proposal. Make sure to address all of the following in complete sentences:

• brief summary of the subject and its issues or context
• brief explanation of the significance of researching this subject
• your main research question about the subject
• any sub-questions related to your main research question
• your working thesis
• the kinds of sources you plan to seek or have found, or your plan for finding sources

Annotated Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of all your sources and along with their citation information (in MLA format, the Works Cited page is a type of bibliography). An annotation is a note, description, and/or commentary on an item. So an annotated bibliography is a list of sources with notes, descriptions, and/or commentary on each source.

When engaging in a research writing project, creating and updating an annotated bibliography is extremely useful. It can function as your hub for collecting sources (so that you don’t lose or forget about them), as your reminder of what the source is about (so that you don’t have to re-read the whole piece), and as your aid in the writing process when selecting which sources are best to include where (so that you don’t have to memorize all of them while drafting and revising). An annotated bibliography can also help you avoid accidental plagiarism, which sometimes happens when students forget the sources of ideas or sentences they use in their essays.

Annotated bibliographies are thus a common assignment in courses that use research writing, even in alternate forms, such as the common high-school assignment of “note cards” (which are essentially annotated bibliographies on separate cards).

Whether or not you are assigned to create an annotated bibliography along with your research essay, you are wise to start one as soon as you read your first useful source. And you should keep adding to it and updating it as your research continues.

Take a look at an example entry for an annotated bibliography:

Pollan, Michael. “The New Science of Psychedelics.” The Wall Street Journal , May 3, 2018. Michael Pollan, https://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/the-new-science-of-psychedelics .

This article is the author’s summary of his book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence . It was first published in a reliable source, then republished on the author’s website. It is about the newly legal studies by major medical research institutions of the beneficial medical effects of psychedelics. Results for treating addiction and depression have been particularly positive. Pollan is a professional writer, not a medical professional. The primary subject in his career has been the modern food system. This article’s purpose is to reveal what’s new and possible with psychedelics, and to encourage further study. It is written in a calm, neutral, rational style, but one that stays vivid and interesting. It seems to be for an educated audience, but a broad one (not specialists).

Here are more details on the parts of an annotated bibliography and how to create them (along with the example pieces from the above entry):

I. Cite the source. Create the full Works Cited entry in MLA format that you would use as the citation in your essay. For online sources, including the full URL here can save a lot of time when returning to the source during drafting, revising, and editing.

II. Start a short paragraph below the citation for the annotation, and address the following:

1. Describe the source and its publication. Also mention its context, such as what it is a part of or is connected to, or how recent or relevant it is.

2. Summarize what the source is about. Include a brief mention of a detail or two that might be useful to your research project.

3. Discuss relevant information about the author, such as credentials, experience, reputation, or other publications.

4. Discuss the source’s purpose, bias, style, and/or intended audience.

5. Adjust the information you discuss in this paragraph as needed for the source, the research project, and/or the annotated bibliography assignment. For instance, you might wish to include a note to yourself about how you plan to use this source in your essay. Or the source might lack a stated author, which requires you to discuss the institution that produced the source instead. Also note that the above information does not have to remain in this order strictly.

To format your entire annotated bibliography with all of your entries, use standard MLA page layout. This means to include the standard first-page identifying information in the upper left (name, professor, course, date), a title (typically the words Annotated Bibliography), and alphabetical order for the entries. One common exception to this format is to use single-spaced entries, and leaving double-spacing between them. Find out from your instructor whether either is spacing style is preferred, or whether both are acceptable.

Create an annotated bibliography entry for an article as assigned by your instructor. Make sure to include all of the following:

Part I: Citation entry

Part II: Annotation paragraph

•  Describe the source and publication.
• Summarize the source.
• Discuss the author.
• Discuss the purpose, bias, style, and/or audience.
• Include any other relevant information.

Create an annotated bibliography for five sources that you might use for an upcoming research essay. Make sure use correct format and to include all of the following for each for the five entries:

• Describe the source and publication.

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• How to create an MLA style annotated bibliography

MLA Style Annotated Bibliography | Format & Examples

Published on July 13, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on March 5, 2024.

An annotated bibliography is a special assignment that lists sources in a way similar to the MLA Works Cited list, but providing an annotation for each source giving extra information.

You might be assigned an annotated bibliography as part of the research process for a paper , or as an individual assignment.

MLA provides guidelines for writing and formatting your annotated bibliography. An example of a typical annotation is shown below.

Kenny, Anthony. A New History of Western Philosophy: In Four Parts . Oxford UP, 2010.

You can create and manage your annotated bibliography with Scribbr’s free MLA Citation Generator . Choose your source type, retrieve the details, and click “Add annotation.”

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Table of contents

Mla format for annotated bibliographies, length and content of annotations, frequently asked questions about annotated bibliographies.

The list should be titled either “Annotated Bibliography” or “Annotated List of Works Cited.” You may be told which title to use; “bibliography” is normally used for a list that also includes sources you didn’t cite in your paper or that isn’t connected to a paper at all.

Sources are usually organized alphabetically , like in a normal Works Cited list, but can instead be organized chronologically or by subject depending on the purpose of the assignment.

The source information is presented and formatted in the same way as in a normal Works Cited entry:

• Double-spaced
• Left-aligned
• 0.5 inch hanging indent

The annotation follows on the next line, also double-spaced and left-aligned. The whole annotation is indented 1 inch from the left margin to distinguish it from the 0.5 inch hanging indent of the source entry.

• If the annotation is only one paragraph long, there’s no additional indent for the start of the paragraph.
• If there are two or more paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph , including the first, an additional half-inch (so those lines are indented 1.5 inches in total).

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MLA gives some guidelines for writing the annotations themselves. They cover how concise you need to be and what exactly you should write about your sources.

Phrases or full sentences?

MLA states that it’s acceptable to use concise phrases rather than grammatically complete sentences in your annotations.

While you shouldn’t write this way in your main text, it’s acceptable in annotations because the subject of the phrase is clear from the context. It’s also fine to use full sentences instead, if you prefer.

• Broad history of Western philosophy from the ancient Greeks to the present day.
• Kenny presents a broad history of Western philosophy from the ancient Greeks to the present day.

Always use full sentences if your instructor requires you to do so, though.

How many paragraphs?

MLA states that annotations usually aim to be concise and thus are only one paragraph long. However, it’s acceptable to write multiple-paragraph annotations if you need to.

If in doubt, aim to keep your annotations short, but use multiple paragraphs if longer annotations are required for your assignment.

Descriptive, evaluative, or reflective annotations?

MLA states that annotations can describe or evaluate sources, or do both. They shouldn’t go into too much depth quoting or discussing minor details from the source, but aim to write about it in broad terms.

You’ll usually write either descriptive , evaluative , or reflective annotations . If you’re not sure what kind of annotations you need, consult your assignment guidelines or ask your instructor.

An annotated bibliography is an assignment where you collect sources on a specific topic and write an annotation for each source. An annotation is a short text that describes and sometimes evaluates the source.

Any credible sources on your topic can be included in an annotated bibliography . The exact sources you cover will vary depending on the assignment, but you should usually focus on collecting journal articles and scholarly books . When in doubt, utilize the CRAAP test !

Each annotation in an annotated bibliography is usually between 50 and 200 words long. Longer annotations may be divided into paragraphs .

The content of the annotation varies according to your assignment. An annotation can be descriptive, meaning it just describes the source objectively; evaluative, meaning it assesses its usefulness; or reflective, meaning it explains how the source will be used in your own research .

No, in an MLA annotated bibliography , you can write short phrases instead of full sentences to keep your annotations concise. You can still choose to use full sentences instead, though.

Use full sentences in your annotations if your instructor requires you to, and always use full sentences in the main text of your paper .

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Caulfield, J. (2024, March 05). MLA Style Annotated Bibliography | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/mla-annotated-bibliography/

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