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Works Cited v. References v. Bibliography

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Works Cited vs. References vs. Bibliography

Knowing the proper term for your paper’s list of citations can be confusing. Do I call it a works cited page? Should it actually be called a bibliography? How is it different from a reference list? In this article, we explain what these three terms mean and how they are different or related to one another.

To begin, each citation style has its own way of naming the list of sources you used in your paper. Here we break down the differences in these list types, so that you can better understand which option works best for your work.

Works Cited

A “Works Cited” list is an alphabetical list of works cited, or sources you specifically called out while composing your paper. All works that you have quoted or paraphrased should be included. Works Cited is generally used when citing sources using MLA format (Modern Language Association) style, and sources should be listed in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

Example Works Cited entry :

Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution. Oxford UP, 2007.

References or “Reference List”

A “Reference List” is very similar to a Works Cited list, and is a term used when citing sources using APA format (American Psychological Association) style. The page should be titled “References,” and is arranged alphabetically by author last name.

Example References entry :

Middlekauff, R. (2007). The glorious cause: The American Revolution . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Bibliography

Bibliographies, on the other hand, differ greatly from Works Cited and References lists. In Works Cited and References, you only list items you have actually referred to and cited in your paper. A Bibliography, meanwhile, lists all the material you have consulted in preparing your essay, whether you have actually referred to and cited the work or not. This includes all sources that you have used in order to do any research. Bibliographies are often used in Chicago and Turabian citation styles. They usually contain a long reference that has a corresponding footnote within the body of the paper.

Example Bibliography entry :

Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2007.

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Answered By: Bonnie Groshong Last Updated: Sep 08, 2020     Views: 243159

According to the MLA manual:

Works Cited is sometimes referred to as References . The terms mean the same thing. Each is an alphabetical list of works cited, or works to which you have made reference. Works Cited is generally used when citing sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) style, while the title References is used when citing sources using APA (American Psychological Association) style.

Works Cited and Bibliography are not the same. In Works Cited you only list items you have actually referred to and cited in your paper. A Bibliography  lists all of the material you have consulted in preparing your essay whether or not you have actually referred to and cited the work.

Home » Education » What is the Difference Between Bibliography and Works Cited

What is the Difference Between Bibliography and Works Cited

The main difference between bibliography and works cited is that the bibliography includes all the literature referred or consulted for the scholarly work while the works cited include only the cited work in the academic paper.

Academic writing should be done after a good analysis and research on the facts or information. This information is therefore backed up with citations and references to external sources or literature that assists to prove these facts with substantial evidence. They ensure the accuracy and provide evidence to a presented fact. Therefore, in order to avoid plagiarism, these cited and referred sources have to be clearly presented in a standard manner. Bibliography and works cited are two such ways of doing that.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Bibliography       – Meaning, Significance, Content 2. What is Works Cited      – Meaning, Significance, Content 3. What are the Similarities Between Bibliography and Works Cited      – Outline of Common Features 4. What is the Difference Between Bibliography and Works Cited      – Comparison of Key Differences

Academic Writing, Bibliography, Citations, Works Cited, Plagiarism

What is a Bibliography

Bibliography refers to the list of books or other articles referred to or cited in the academic paper or document. You can usually find this list at the end of the book or academic article, typically as an appendix .

Thus, bibliography essentially lists out all external literature referred or consulted to in the scholarly work. The bibliography is necessarily in academic or scholarly writing such as a published book, or an academic article, and not merely in a simple essay paper or even a research paper of an undergraduate.

Moreover, the lists of sources presented in the bibliography maybe the sources one has just consulted or referred while preparing the scholarly article or the book without necessarily citing them inside it.

Thus, a bibliography can include the list of books, scholarly articles, speeches, private records, diaries, interviews, laws, letters, websites, and other sources used or referred when researching a topic and writing a paper.

Components in  a Bibliography Entries

• the authors’ or editors (and translator, if applicable) names
• the titles of the works (as well as edition, volume, and the book title if the source is a chapter or article in a multi-author book with an editor)
• the names and locations of the companies that published the copies of the sources
• the dates the referred sources were published
• the page numbers of the consulted sources (if they are part of multi-source volumes)

An example of an entry in a bibliography under MLA style:

Bloom, Harold, ed.  Twentieth-Century British Poets.  New York: Bloom’s Literary Criticism, 2011. Infobase Publishing eBooks. Web. 21 Dec. 2012.

These consulted literature have to present in a specific format: either MLA, APA , Chicago or Turabian style, depending on the particular style of writing used in the article.

What is Works Cited

Works cited refers to the list of the cited works in the paper or the academic writing. These cited works, referred to as “Works Cited Page”, is usually a separate page at the end of the student’s paper/essay or the research paper.

Works cited is sometimes referred to as ‘References’ as well. However, works cited usually written in MLA style, and if it is written in APA, it goes under the title ‘References.”

These citations the students incorporated in writing can be either in direct quotes, rephrased summaries, incorporation of data or even general information, like statistics. All these that are cited have to be listed in the works cited page. Therefore, all research papers, projects, student essays, etc. should have works cited page to give credit to the sources refereed in writing.

Format of a Works Cited page

• Heading, “Works Cited” should be centered at the top of the page
• The list of sources by alphabetical order – last name first
• All words in a title except articles, coordinating conjunctions, prepositions, etc. are capitalized
• Quotation marks around titles of poems, articles, and short stories or web articles, etc.
• Italicize titles of longer works such as books and titles of websites
• The published details (not the state) and added a colon
• The publisher’s name followed by a comma, the year of publication, followed by a period
• The medium (print, Web, film, video, etc.)
• Date of access from the web

An example of an entry in the works cited under MLA style can be :

Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.”  New York Times . New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.

In brief, works cited only contains materials that were actually referred to and cited in the student’s paper. This is on the last page of the document with the heading ‘Works Cited’. In other words, each source that is quoted, paraphrased or summarized in the student’s paper should appear as an entry in the Works Cited page.

Similarities Between Bibliography and Works Cited

• You can find both these pages typically at the end of an academic article or writing.
• The entries in both are in the alphabetical order either by the last name of the authors, editor or translator or by the first word of the source titles.

Difference Between Bibliography and Works Cited

Bibliography is the list of the external sources or materials referred to in a scholarly work, typically printed as an appendix. On the other hand, works cited is a list of only the sources or literature referenced in the body of an academic article.

The major difference between bibliography and works cited is that bibliography necessarily includes all the consulted or referred literature sources in the book or academic article whereas works cited only includes the sources the student have cited in writing.

Moreover, bibliography is usually used in works with a higher academic purpose such as a published book or an academic paper while works cited is used in works with a comparatively lower academic purpose such as student essays, or academic research papers of undergraduates.

An important difference between bibliography and works cited is that the bibliography is at the end of the academic paper, or published book whereas works cited is present at a separate page at the end of the writing.

While bibliography should be written either in the MLA, APA, Chicago or Turabian style depending on the style of writing followed, works cited should be written in the MLA style. This is also a difference between bibliography and works cited.

Citation ensures that the information in the research paper is based on logic, truth, and facts. Bibliography and works cited are two academic writing sections that indicate that the academic paper is accurate and lacks plagiarism. Even though these two seem similar and are both necessary, there is a clear difference between bibliography and works cited based on the content. The main difference between Bibliography and Works Cited is bibliography includes all the literature referred or consulted for the scholarly work while works cited include only the cited work in the academic paper.

1. “What’s a Bibliography?” Plagiarism or RSS, 7 June 2017, Available here . 2. Fleming, Grace. “What Should Your Bibliography Include?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 25 June 2018, Available here . 3. “Examples of Works Cited Pages.” YourDictionary, 11 July 2016, Available here . 4. “Works Cited, References, and Bibliography – What’s the Difference?” A Research Guide for Students, 6 Sept. 2018, Available here .

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1. “ Quiggin Dialect of Donegal 0004 ” By E. C. Quiggin (1875–1920) –  (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 2. “Bibliography” by Lauren Coleman (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr

About the Author: Upen

Upen, BA (Honours) in Languages and Linguistics, has academic experiences and knowledge on international relations and politics. Her academic interests are English language, European and Oriental Languages, Internal Affairs and International Politics, and Psychology.

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Bibliography vs Works Cited

It is a fact of life for all students, especially for those in universities, to write academic papers. In doing so, it is necessary to review as many different empirical sources of information to support their arguments and relevant points as possible. Whether the sources used are from books, magazines, academic literature, websites or any other source of information, these must be appropriately listed at the end of the paper.  

Bibliography vs Works Cited: Definitions

When you write an academic paper, it is usually necessary to quote or paraphrase your sources of information and draw your own conclusions from that supporting information. You may do this in one of several ways: such as references, bibliography or works cited. Bibliography and works cited are two very commonly used methods and they are also often used interchangeably. However, did you know that these two methods have distinct differences and uses? For us to examine the differences, let us first look at what is a difference between bibliography and works cited.

Definition of Bibliography

A bibliography is usually found at the end of a book or published material. It is a list of all the books and articles referred to in the academic piece. Sometimes a bibliography is annotated and contains a summary of each work’s contents, explaining how it was relevant to the subject of the paper. 

Author last name, author first name. (Publication year) Title . Publisher’s city: Publisher. Page numbers.

• Periodicals

Author last name, author first name. (Publication year) “Article title”. Publication title, Vol. # (Issue #), Page numbers.

• Web versions of printed material

Author. (Date of Internet Publication) “Document title.” Title of Publication. Retrieved on: Date from full web address, starting with http://

Definition of Works Cited

Works cited, however, is a page at the end of an academic paper that lists the sources used, whether as direct quotes, or paraphrased. 

Author last name, author first name. Title. Publisher. (Publication date) Page numbers. Print.

Author last name, author first name. Title . Publisher city: Publisher, year published. Website title . Web. Date accessed from the internet.

Factors to consider when citing sources of information

Whether your choice for your academic paper is a bibliography and works cited, it should be noted that there is a set of criteria that should be taken into consideration when writing your piece:

•  Either MLA or APA format must be used and kept constant throughout the academic paper.  
• The sources of information must be listed alphabetically according to the author’s surname.  
• The references can be included as a footnote or in parentheses, however, in recent times, parentheses are most common as they do not interrupt the flow of reading.

Difference between works cited and bibliography

Now that you know the definition of a bibliography and works cited, and also what is required for both, it is now time to determine the differences between the two methods of citing your information sources. Below is a list featuring the differences between works cited and bibliography for you to keep in mind for your next academic piece.

• A bibliography is numbered, while this is not the case for works cited.  
• A bibliography lists sources of information used directly in the academic piece and sources consulted during the research process, while works cited only lists the sources used directly in the academic paper.  
• Bibliographies are usually longer than works cited.

So, now that we have covered all the bases regarding works cited vs bibliography, you should be ready to take on your academic writing with confidence. Use the information given to determine what method is best to cite your sources of information and have fun creating your literary art; happy writing!

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The Difference Between Works Cited and Bibliography

The citation of sources prevents plagiarism, helps a professor fact-check an essay or paper for accuracy. It can aid the student in finding information if they decide to return to a particular source in the future.

Most everything written essay or published in the higher academy is cited. The citation of sources prevents plagiarism, helps a professor fact-check an essay topic or paper for accuracy. It can aid the student in finding information if they decide to return to a particular source in the future. Learning the importance of citing sources is something any and every student should learn wholeheartedly. And it always embraces because, at the college or university level, it is a fact of life.

However, with the overwhelming bombardment of information and terminology in higher education, it can be a challenge doing things the correct way. Students get very confusing sometimes. It certainly applies to do assignment requiring a student to cite the sources they have used, referred to, or encountered in compiling information for the research paper with compares and contrasts . A Works Cited page and Bibliography are perfect examples. The two are often used interchangeably, mean close to the same thing, yet have entirely different purposes, meanings, and implications.

The Bibliography

Bibliographies are mostly found at the end of a book or published an academic article. Basically, a bibliography is a list of the books or other materials referred to in a scholarly work – and are not merely a simple paper, essay or research paper written by an undergraduate. Usually printed as an appendix, bibliographies provide an overview of what has been published on a topic. Some bibliographies are annotated, meaning they include a summary of each work’s contents. They serve to explain how these resources were relevant in writing about the paper subject. A bibliography is an ideal starting point for the student looking to research a specific topic or range of topics. However, some professors require students to make a list of all the sources that they used writing the paper. Those that lead the student to other, more recent sources. In this case, a bibliography may be best.

The Works Cited

The Works Cited, often referred to as the “Works Cited Page,” is a separate page at the end of a student’s argumentative essay or research proposal . It lists the sources which creators used in writing and completing their assignment. This page includes information in direct quotes, rephrased summaries, the incorporation of data and general information, like statistics. Whenever a student borrows legitimate information from any reputable source (anything that is not common knowledge: “the capital of Thailand is Bangkok”), that information needs to be cited in MLA style. This list should be alphabetized by authors’ last names or by editors’ or translators’ names. And it should have “Works Cited” as a centered heading. In many cases, professors read the student’s Works Cited page first to get a feel for the kind of effort put into the assignment.

Student, keep in mind! If you are not sure what exactly your professor prefers – works cited, bibliography or an annotated bibliography – task with them rather than risk getting a low grade. It is best they inquire early on in getting an assignment.

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Tips and Tricks to Format Your Paper in Chicago Style…

Chicago referencing style is one of the less popular styles in academia. Yet, it is still widely used by scholars & researchers all over the world. The primary document explaining the rules & standards of Chicago style is called “The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th…

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Works Cited vs. Bibliography vs. APA References

You’ve come to the end of your paper and now you need to cite your sources. Should you use a works cited page now? Or, is it a list of references? What’s the difference for a bibliography vs. reference lists? Knowing the answer for what citation format to use comes down to the topic and whether your paper is MLA, APA or Chicago style. Using this knowledge, learn if you should use a bibliography vs. works cited or APA references.  

Using MLA Works Cited

Usually, in high school English and even many college classes, your teacher will tell you to use MLA style . MLA, which stands for Modern Language Association , is used when writing about language, literature and other humanities subjects. MLA format uses a “works cited” page.

Works cited is a reference list of all the sources you actually used while writing your paper. You’ll list your citations in alphabetical order. Also, remember that you’ll create a works cited in addition to  parenthetical citations used after paraphrased or quoted information that includes the author and page.

An example of a works cited page looks like this:

Works Cited

Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird . Cornerstone, 1989.

Smith, Zadie. Swing Time . Penguin Press, 2016.

When to Use APA Style References

In college, particularly in the social and behavioral sciences, such as psychology and sociology, you may be required to format your paper in the APA style . APA, which stands for American Psychology Association, uses a simple author-date citation style for in-text citations and a “references” page at the end.

Much like the MLA works cited, the APA references will include all the sources that you cited in your paper. So, what that means is that information for every quote cited in your paper needs to appear in your list of references.  

References will look like:

Lee, H. (1989).  To Kill A Mockingbird.  Cornerstone.

Smith, Z. (2016). Swing Time. Penguin Press.

What’s the Difference: Bibliography vs. Reference List?

A bibliography, on the other hand, is a list of all the sources you consulted to write your paper. Even if you did not use them directly in your paper, you’ll still list them in your bibliography. This is a key difference between works cited and bibliography. Keep this in mind when you’re deciding between using a bibliography vs. reference list for your paper.

In order to make sources easier to find, you may section your bibliography by author, type of work, online sources or other designations. Chicago style requires a “bibliography.”

Chicago Style Bibliography Example

Generally, when you are writing in fields such as history, you will create a bibliography using the Chicago notes-biblio style of citation.

Check out an example of a bibliography citation list :

Bibliography

Lee, H.  To Kill A Mockingbird.  London, Eng: Cornerstone, 1989.

Smith, Zadie.  Swing Time . New York: Penguin Press, 2016.

MLA, APA & Annotated Bibliographies

Although you use reference lists and work cited lists in MLA and APA style, you may also create bibliographies. Your teacher may ask you to develop an annotated bibliography , or you may include a bibliography with your MLA or APA style school research paper. 

You will label your bibliography in MLA style as a “works consulted” page. APA style uses the term “bibliography.”

References, Works Cited or Bibliography?

MLA’s work cited page and APA’s references are reference lists, not bibliographies. The big difference is that references and works cited are lists of sources you have quoted or paraphrased within your school paper. Each entry in the body of your paper matches up with information in your reference list.  While the exact format of works cited vs. references entries will vary, the main objective is the same.

But, what about a bibliography vs. reference lists?  In a bibliography, you will be citing every source you consulted. That’s the main thing to keep in mind when comparing a bibliography vs. works cited lists.

Works Cited, Works Referenced

It may seem confusing, but once you understand the basic differences between a works cited in MLA style, APA references or bibliography, you will have a good grasp on completing your research project. Paying attention to formatting your paper in the correct citation style will make your teacher happy. You are now well on your way to an “A” research paper.

In-Text and Parenthetical Citations

Types of Bibliography Styles

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Finding Public Domain Sources for Your Class Essay

How to find credible sources for school essays, how to write a bibliography for a school project, difference between thesis and purpose statements.

Developing a Working Bibliography

A working bibliography is a tool that can aid in keeping an ongoing and detailed list of sources for a specific project. These sources can include any source that may potentially be useful or relevant to the project. The sources may also narrow to a specific idea as the focus for the piece narrows. A working bibliography has two main purposes:

• To keep a record of the sources a writer has already examined or plans to examine.
• To record the publishing details of each source a writer utilizes or cites so that the sources can be properly referenced in a Works Cited or References List at the end of the document.

Creating a Working Bibliography

Having a working bibliography can help keep the sources more organized while examining and collecting sources. A working bibliography can also allow the writer to organize and reorganize the sources in different ways throughout the writing of the piece. There are multiple ways a writer could organize a working bibliography. A few examples of this are by the author, the source type, or by the usability of the source for the writer’s purpose. The organization should be aligned with what would best serve the writer for that specific project.

Having a working bibliography can also save time later in a project. This is due to the writer already having the information they may need available. When creating a working bibliography, using the citation format required by the instructor or head researcher is another good way to be able to save time. When in doubt about which citation format is being used, it is best to ask the instructor or the head researcher. Generally, writing the source information as a citation can be useful. Otherwise, arranging the necessary information in a list for each source can also work.

Information in a Working Bibliography

Collecting the following information on each source, no matter what kind of source it is, will help with creating a citation for a Works Cited  or  References List .  This information can also help the writer find and access the source. Some types of sources, like books or periodical journals, have specific information that is recommended for them in a citation. For any type of source, some information about the source that can be useful are:

• The author's full name
• The editor's full name (if available)
• Title of the source
• Name of the publication and publication information on the source
• The date the source was created (or last updated)
• The date you viewed/ accessed this source

Examples of a Working Bibliography

Below are two examples for a working bibliography. One example is in a citation format. The citation style used is MLA. The other example is in a list format for the information about the sources. Both are organized by authors last names (a-z).

Working Bibliography for Modern and Contemporary Poetry Essay (Citation format)

Kindley, Evan. “To Err Is Poetic.” The New York Review of Books.  Feb. 2021 issue. February 11, 2021.  https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2021/02/11/to-err-is-poetic/.

Sellers, Bridget. “Millennial Poetics: A Study of Contemporary Poetry and Its Developing Trends.” Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee. pp. 189-97. https://trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit/vol7/iss1/21.

Vuong, Ocean. “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” Poetry Foundation. 2014. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/57586/on-earth-were-briefly-gorgeous .

Working Bibliography for Modern and Contemporary Poetry Essay (List Format)

Source #1: “To Err Is Poetic”

• Author: Evan Kindley
• Publication: (website) The New York Review of Books
• Publication date: Feb. 11, 2021
• Issue: Feb. 2021
• Link: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2021/02/11/to-err-is-poetic/

Source #2: “Millennial Poetics: A Study of Contemporary Poetry and Its Developing Trends”

• Author: Bridget Sellers
• Publication: (found on Ebsco) Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee
• Page numbers: pp. 189-97
• Link: https://trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit/vol7/iss1/21

Source #3: “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” (poem)

• Author: Ocean Vuong
• Publication: (found on) Poetry Foundation , (original publisher) Poetry Magazine
• Original Publication date: 2014
• Link: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/57586/on-earth-were-briefly-gorgeous 

Norway, Despina, Mike Palmquist, & Peter Connor. (2022). Developing a Working Bibliography. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=26

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Difference Between Works cited and Bibliography

• Categorized under Language | Difference Between Works cited and Bibliography

If you are undertaking academic study at an English speaking institution or university, then it is important that you understand the difference between works cited and a bibliography. Depending on the professor’s course requirements you will be required to produce both of them accurately as part of your assignment and essay work.

In general a works cited is a smaller list than a bibliography. When producing a works cited for an essay you only list the actual sources of information that you referenced in your piece of work. A bibliography, on the other hand, lists all the works and sources of information that you consulted while undertaking research into your paper.

For example, when you are writing an academic piece it is necessary to consult many different empirical sources to underpin your arguments and points. These can be books, magazines, academic volumes, web sites and any other source of information. When you write your academic paper it is usually necessary to quote or paraphrase these sources of information and draw your own conclusions from that supporting information .

The authors and information that you directly quote or paraphrase must be referenced in your writing and included in a works cited. If you do use authors’ words without referencing them your professor may consider that you have plagiarized their work.

A bibliography may also include works that you have directly quoted or paraphrased in your academic writing, but it can also include research that you did and did not end up using directly in your essay.

Both works cited and bibliographies must be set out according to specific requirements. The most common format is MLA or APA style. Works cited do not generally list works nurmerically, whereas bibliographies generally are numbered. Sources of information are usually listed alphabetically according to the author’s surname. References can either be included in your written essay as footnotes or in parentheses; however parentheses tend to be more favored in academic writing these days since they do not tend to interrupt the reading flow in the same way that footnotes can.

Summary: 1. Works cited list on the sources that you used directly in your essay. 2. A bibliography can include material and sources that you consulted, but did not directly reference in your writing. 3. Works cited are generally shorter than bibliographies 4. Both works cited and bibliographies have a specific format that must be used. 5. References can be done using footnotes or parenthesis.

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Cite APA 7 , R. (2009, November 12). Difference Between Works cited and Bibliography. Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-works-cited-and-bibliography/. MLA 8 , Rachel. "Difference Between Works cited and Bibliography." Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, 12 November, 2009, http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-works-cited-and-bibliography/.

Difference has been given in a very easy and clear laguage.One can easily understand and use it accordingly.

found it very useful for writing essays. good work, keep it up.

Very nicely written; informative without being complicated. My only suggestion is to add references from peer-reviewed scholarly sources to strengthen the integrity of the post.

Very easy to understand. Thank you

Very easy to understand. Thank u

The information here is helpful

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Written by : Rachel. and updated on 2009, November 12 Articles on DifferenceBetween.net are general information, and are not intended to substitute for professional advice. The information is "AS IS", "WITH ALL FAULTS". User assumes all risk of use, damage, or injury. You agree that we have no liability for any damages.

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Difference Between Bibliography and Works Cited

June 9, 2011 Posted by koshal

Bibliography vs Works Cited  

Difference between bibliography and works cited must be clearly understood if you are to produce a good research paper . Because, bibliography and works cited are sometimes confused as words that denote the same meaning when that is not so. In other words, bibliography and work cited are two terms used in research methodology which are to be understood with a difference. Usually, a research paper needs to have one list that contains the sources you have used. However, sometimes you may have to use a page for the works you have actually cited and also a list of all the sources you have cited, including even the ones you have not cited but have just read. It all depends on the guidelines you are given. However, you should first know the difference between bibliography and works cited.

What is a Bibliography?

Bibliography is the list of books referred by the writer of the thesis or dissertation or the researcher in writing the thesis. He might have referred to various books and journals to improve his knowledge about the topic of research. He might have even quoted from the books he referred in his thesis. Hence, bibliography is the listing of all the sources that he referred. These sources include journals, books, online websites, and the like. These sources included in the bibliography are a combination of the ones he actually cited or paraphrased in the text or just consulted without citing or paraphrasing in the text. The style in which you include the source depends on the style you are following throughout your research paper. For example, if your research paper is in MLA format then the bibliography should also follow the same format. Bibliography should also be organized alphabetically. The following is an example for bibliography following APA style.

This is an example for MLA style.

What is Works Cited?

On the other hand, works cited is an alphabetical list of the works cited in the thesis. It is interesting to note that works cited is a term used only in the case of the MLA or the Modern Language Association style of research paper writing. It is applicable in the case of research papers or dissertations that were written in the MLA style. If you take APA format (American Psychological Associate format), you will find the equivalent to work cited in that is known as ‘ References ’ or ‘Reference List.’ Here is the format you have to follow when you are arranging the works cited.

Surname of the author, first name. Name of the book (underlined). Place of publication: Name of the publisher, year of publication.

What is the difference between Bibliography and Works Cited?

It is important to know that you should put the books in alphabetical order while writing both the bibliography and works cited. It is very important to follow this rule. It is often considered a standard rule by the experts of research study. Both of them can be included towards the end of the thesis.

• One of the major differences between bibliography and works cited is that, in bibliography, you mention all the books and journals that you have referred while writing the thesis. On the other hand, in the case of works cited you mention ONLY the books and other sources of information that you cited in your dissertation or thesis.

• Works cited is the name used for the reference list that comes for MLA style. The format in which the resources are cited in works cited is as follows:

• The bibliography also has a format. However, that format depends on the format you are following when you are writing the research paper. If you are following MLA style, bibliography is also according to the MLA format.

These are the differences between bibliography and works cited. Bibliography and works cited are very important parts in a thesis or a research paper. You should include one or the other according to the instructions you get. However, make sure that you include one. Examiners look at your bibliography or work cited. Not having one of them can harm your grade. Be very careful in compiling that list.

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About the Author: koshal

Koshal is a graduate in Language Studies with a Master's Degree in Linguistics

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Step 4: Create a Working Bibliography

A working bibliography is an organized set of bibliographic information about resources found during your research that might be helpful as you write your report. You might choose to create an index card for each resource or you can store the information in a computer file. In essence, however, you want to record information that will help you do three things:

• Keep track of resources that you have identified as being potentially relevant to your topic.
• Create a tool that you can use to help you locate the resource in the physical library or electronically through the Internet.
• Organize information that you will need when it comes time to create your bibliography. Because you will want to use the working bibliography to create the final bibliography included in your report, be certain to record the information you will need to correctly cite that reference. Refer to the appropriate writers' handbooks to ascertain what bibliographic information you need to record. For example, if you are expected to cite references using the guidelines prescribed by the American Psychological Association (APA), you will want to refer to that association's publication guide to know what information is needed (see the tutorial on Source Evaluation and Search Strategies for more help with finding and citing credible resources).

Generally speaking, record the following for books, periodicals, and online resources:

Also consider writing notes to yourself about each reference, so that the reason you identified it as relevant remains meaningful to you. If the reference is a book, consider jotting down chapter titles; if it is a periodical, jot down ideas from the abstract that precedes the article which may be useful.

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