Annotated Bibliography Template — Free 2026 Sample

Annotated bibliographies summarize and evaluate sources. Here's the standard format with three worked examples.

Standard Format

Citation in your assigned style, then a 150-200 word annotation that includes: (1) summary of the source, (2) evaluation of credibility, (3) relevance to your project.

Sample Entry (APA 7)

Smith, J. (2024). Universal basic income trials in Finland. Journal of Public Policy, 12(3), 100-115. https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd

Smith analyzes the 2017-2018 Finnish UBI pilot, finding modest improvements in well-being but no employment effect. The study draws on a representative sample of 2,000 unemployed adults and uses pre/post survey methodology. As a peer-reviewed empirical study, it is highly credible. It directly informs the methodology section of my paper on UBI trial design.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should each annotation be?

Standard is 150-200 words. Some assignments require 250-300 — always check your rubric.