Bibliography vs Works Cited: A Comprehensive Guide

The main difference between a works cited vs bibliography is that the works cited page only lists the sources you cited in the paper, while a bibliography includes every source you consulted, even the ones you didn’t cite directly. "Works Cited" applies to MLA style, "References" applies to APA style, and a full bibliography appears in styles like Chicago. 

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What Is a Bibliography vs Works Cited Page

When you work on a school paper, you need to show where your facts and ideas came from. You can do this in different ways, including using a bibliography or a works cited page. These two labels look similar, and many people often confuse them, but they are used for different purposes. Before looking at how they differ, it helps to understand the basic difference between bibliography and works cited.

Understanding a Works Cited Page

A works cited page is the page that lists the sources you quoted, summarized, or paraphrased. Each entry gives the reader enough information to find the exact source directly:

• the author’s name
• the title
• the publication details
• the year

The sources are arranged in alphabetical order by the author’s last name and follow MLA’s (Modern Language Association) formatting rules. 

Example Works Cited entry:

• Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf, 1987.

If you’re curious about other citation systems, check the Vancouver citation style guide by EssayPro. 

Understanding a Bibliography

A bibliography, compared to a works cited page, includes all the sources you used, even the ones that you didn’t directly cite and simply read for background. Bibliography entries list the author, title, publication information, and year. It’s usually arranged alphabetically, but some professors might ask you to use a numbered list or notes. 

The bibliographies in both the Chicago and Turabian styles are considered standard in many cases, especially in larger academic research projects. In those styles, teachers want to see an entire bibliography of all the material you consulted and not just the citations you made directly.

Example bibliography entry: 

• Tuchman, Barbara W. The Guns of August. New York: Macmillan, 1962.

Key Differences Between Bibliography vs Works Cited Page

A works cited page lists only the sources you directly used in your writing and follows MLA rules. A bibliography includes everything you used or consulted, and it can be formatted in either the Chicago or Turabian style. To understand these differences better, have a look at the table below:

If your assignment needs notes under each entry, you can follow an annotated bibliography format guide.

When to Use Works Cited vs Bibliography

Here’s a short, clear guide for choosing bibliography or works cited.

Use Works Cited:

• If your paper follows MLA style.
• If you only want to list the sources you quoted or paraphrased.
• If every source in your list appears in your text.
• If your teacher says “MLA format”.

Use bibliography:

• If your paper follows Chicago or Turabian.
• If you must list both cited and consulted sources.
• If you read many sources for background, but didn’t cite all of them.

Sum Up

Throughout the article, we explained the differences between a bibliography and a works cited page and showed what each list includes with simple examples of MLA and Chicago entries. We also offered a table comparing the two and a short guide on when to use each. 

If creating a bibliography still feels confusing, you can ask EssayPro for help. We offer an annotated bibliography service that will present your research in a clear, organized manner.

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