Bibliography, Reference List or Works Cited?

You may wonder whether to use a bibliography, reference list, or a works-cited page in your paper--and you may even have wondered whether there is really a difference.

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What Is a Bibliography?

By Grace Fleming

Although your professor may have his or her own ideas (and you should use your professor's preferences as your first guide) "Works Cited" pages are generally used when citing sources in an MLA paper, though you may call it a "Works Consulted" list if you are required to name the things you cited and the sources you used as background information.

You should use the "References" title of your source list when using APA (American Psychological Association) style. Turabian/Chicago style traditionally calls for a bibliography, though some professors ask for a works-cited page.

The term "bibliography" can mean a few things. In a single paper, it is all of the sources you have consulted to become informed about your topic (in contrast to listing only the sources you actually cite). As a generic term, bibliography can also refer to a very big list of recommended sources on a particular topic. Bibliographies might even be required as an additional page of information, after the reference list.