What is a bibliography, a references list, or a works cited page?

A bibliography, a list of references, or a list of works cited are all lists of the sources that you used in a research paper or other assignment. They usually come at the end of your paper. They include the author, date, title, and other information about each source, as required by the citation style.

MLA style uses in-text citations and a Works Cited list.

APA style uses in-text citations and a References list.

There are two different systems within Chicago style:

  • the "notes and bibliography" system uses footnotes or endnotes as well as a separate Bibliography list. (This is common in history, literature, and similar fields.)
  • the "author-date" system uses in-text citations and a References list. (This is common in the sciences and social sciences.)

 

These are all different from an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is also a list of sources, usually related to a research topic. In addition to a citation, an annotated bibliography includes an annotation for each source. This is a summary of the source and an explanation of how it relates to the topic or project.

If you're not sure which type of bibliography to create, ask your instructor.

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