ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY  Bibliographic information (hanging indent)  35-150 word summary of article or book  Evaluation of author’s bias & usefulness.  Statement about reliability if it’s an Internet article

APA Style Annotation Example Caldwell, B. (2006). An American life in four movements. The Journal of American Accomplishments, 14, 125-127. doi: 10.374398.BS112. This short article talks about the four stages of Twain’s life. The first stage is the boyhood Sam Clemens and the influence of living along the Mississippi. The second stage is of Samuel Clemens, the adventurer. The third stage is Mark Twain as a young and bold innovator who was taking chances as a writer. The last stage, the old Mark Twain as cantankerous old man and elder statesman of American literature, is the most detailed and interesting. This was written in plain, everyday English and for a general audience who might not be too familiar with Mark Twain/Sam Clemens. Caldwell did not seem biased one way or another, instead, he was trying to present Twain very fairly. The article would be a good starting point for any in-depth biography of Mark Twain, but since it’s so short, it couldn’t be used as a main reference.