Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAPA BibliographyHow to Create OneWhy You Need ItSample BibliographyMore Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
APA Bibliography
How to Create One
Why You Need It
Sample Bibliography
More Tips
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An APA format bibliography lists all of the sources that might be used in a paper. A bibliography can be a great tool to help you keep track of information during the research and writing process. In some cases, your instructor may require you to include a bibliography as part of your assignment.
At a GlanceA well-written APA format bibliography can help you keep track of information and sources as you research and write your psychology paper. To create a bibliography, gather up all of the sources that you might use in your paper. Create an APA format reference for each source and then write a brief annotation. Your annotation should be a brief summary of what each reference is about. You can quickly refer to these annotations When writing your paper and determine which to include.
At a Glance
A well-written APA format bibliography can help you keep track of information and sources as you research and write your psychology paper. To create a bibliography, gather up all of the sources that you might use in your paper. Create an APA format reference for each source and then write a brief annotation. Your annotation should be a brief summary of what each reference is about. You can quickly refer to these annotations When writing your paper and determine which to include.
What Is an APA Format Bibliography?
Even if it is not a required part of your assignment, writing a bibliography can help you keep track of your sources and make it much easier to create your final reference page in proper APA format.
Creating an APA Bibliography
A bibliography is similar in many ways to areference section, but there are some important differences. While a reference section includes everysourcethat was actually used in your paper,a bibliography may include sources that you considered using but may have dismissed because they were irrelevant or outdated.
Bibliographies can be a great way to keep track of information you might want to use in your paper and to organize the information that you find in different sources. The following are four steps you can follow to create your APA format bibliography.
Start on a New Page
Your working bibliography should be kept separate from the rest of your paper. Start it on a new page, with the title “Bibliography” centered at the top and in bold text. Some people use the title “References” instead, so it’s best to check with your professor or instructor about which they prefer you to use.
Gather Your Sources
Compile all thesources you might possibly usein your paper. While you might not use all of these sources in your paper, having a complete list will make it easier later on when you prepare your reference section.
Gathering your sources can be particularly helpful when outlining and writing your paper.
By quickly glancing through your working bibliography, you will be able to get a better idea of which sources will be the most appropriate to support your thesis and main points.
Reference Each Source
The format of each source is as follows for academic journals:
The following examples are scholarly articles in academic journals, cited in APA format:
Visit theAmerican Psychological Association’s websitefor more information on citing other types of sources including online media, audiovisual media, and more.
Create an Annotation for Each Source
Normally a bibliography contains only references' information, but in some cases you might decide to create an annotated bibliography. An annotation is a summary or evaluation of the source.
An annotation is a brief description of approximately 150 words describing the information in the source, your evaluation of its credibility, and how it pertains to your topic.Writing one of these for each piece of research will make your writing process faster and easier.
This step helpful in determining which sources to ultimately use in your paper. Your instructor may also require it as part of the assignment so they can assess your thought process and understanding of your topic.
Reasons to Write a Bibliography
One of the biggest reasons to create an APA format bibliography is simply to make the research and writing process easier.
If you do not have a comprehensive list of all of your references, you might find yourself scrambling to figure out where you found certain bits of information that you included in your paper.
A bibliography is also an important tool that your readers can use to access your sources.
While writing an annotated bibliography might not be required for your assignment, it can be a very useful step. The process of writing an annotation helps you learn more about your topic, develop a deeper understanding of the subject, and become better at evaluating various sources of information.
EasyBib
There are many online resources that demonstrate different formats of bibliographies, including theAmerican Psychological Association website. Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab also has examples of formatting an APA format bibliography.
Check outthis video on their YouTube channelwhich provides detailed instructions on formatting an APA style bibliography in Microsoft Word.
You can check out the Purdue site for more information onwriting an annotated APA bibliographyas well.
What This Means For YouIf you are taking a psychology class, you may be asked to create a bibliography as part of the research paper writing process. Even if your instructor does not expressly require a bibliography, creating one can be a helpful way to help structure your research and make the writing process more manageable.Forpsychology majors, it can be helpful to save any bibliographies you have written throughout your studies so that you can refer back to them later when studying for exams or writing papers for other psychology courses.
What This Means For You
If you are taking a psychology class, you may be asked to create a bibliography as part of the research paper writing process. Even if your instructor does not expressly require a bibliography, creating one can be a helpful way to help structure your research and make the writing process more manageable.Forpsychology majors, it can be helpful to save any bibliographies you have written throughout your studies so that you can refer back to them later when studying for exams or writing papers for other psychology courses.
If you are taking a psychology class, you may be asked to create a bibliography as part of the research paper writing process. Even if your instructor does not expressly require a bibliography, creating one can be a helpful way to help structure your research and make the writing process more manageable.
Forpsychology majors, it can be helpful to save any bibliographies you have written throughout your studies so that you can refer back to them later when studying for exams or writing papers for other psychology courses.
APA Format: 12 Basic Rules
4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2020.Masic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med. 2013;21(3):148–155. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155American Psychological Association.How do you format a bibliography in APA Style?Cornell University Library.How to prepare an annotated bibliography: The annotated bibliography.
4 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2020.Masic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med. 2013;21(3):148–155. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155American Psychological Association.How do you format a bibliography in APA Style?Cornell University Library.How to prepare an annotated bibliography: The annotated bibliography.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2020.Masic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med. 2013;21(3):148–155. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155American Psychological Association.How do you format a bibliography in APA Style?Cornell University Library.How to prepare an annotated bibliography: The annotated bibliography.
American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2020.
Masic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med. 2013;21(3):148–155. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155
American Psychological Association.How do you format a bibliography in APA Style?
Cornell University Library.How to prepare an annotated bibliography: The annotated bibliography.
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