Bibliography vs Works Cited
Bibliography and Works Cited look like two names for the same thing. They are not. A Works Cited page lists only the sources you actually cited in your text. A Bibliography can list everything you consulted, including sources you read but never cited. Which one you use depends on your style guide and on what your instructor asked for.
| Dimension | Bibliography | Works Cited |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Every source consulted (can include uncited) | Only sources cited in the text |
| Default in MLA | Not used by default | Yes — this is the standard MLA end list |
| Default in Chicago | Yes — paired with footnotes | Not the standard term |
| Default in APA | Not used — APA calls its list References | Not used — APA calls its list References |
| Can include background reading | Yes (in annotated or full bibliographies) | No |
| Alphabetization | By author’s last name | By author’s last name |
What is Bibliography?
A bibliography is, strictly speaking, a list of sources a writer consulted while working on a piece of writing. Some bibliographies include everything the writer read, whether or not those sources appear in footnotes or parenthetical citations. Others are narrower and list only cited sources. In Chicago notes-and-bibliography style, the end-of-paper list is called a Bibliography and typically includes only cited sources, though an instructor can ask for a ‘full’ bibliography that includes background reading too. An annotated bibliography is a specialized form: each entry is followed by a short paragraph describing and evaluating the source. Annotated bibliographies are assigned on their own as a research-skills exercise, often before the student writes the associated paper. They can use any citation style, but they are formatted as a bibliography because the point is to catalog and assess sources, not just to attribute quotations.
What is Works Cited?
A Works Cited page is the end-of-paper list used in MLA style. It contains exactly what the name says: the works you cited in the body of your paper. If you consulted a source but did not end up quoting or paraphrasing it, it does not belong on a Works Cited page. MLA uses this rule strictly — a Works Cited entry without a corresponding in-text citation is considered an error. Works Cited entries in MLA 9 are built from the nine ‘core elements’ (author, title, container, contributor, version, number, publisher, publication date, location) and use title case for book and article titles. The list is alphabetized by author’s last name, with a hanging indent so each entry’s second and subsequent lines are indented.
Key differences
The cleanest difference is scope. A Works Cited page is a subset of a bibliography: it lists only what you cited, not what you consulted. A bibliography may go broader and include reading that shaped your thinking even if you did not quote it. The second difference is the style guide you are in. MLA calls its end list a Works Cited and does not use the word ‘bibliography’ for it. Chicago calls its end list a Bibliography. APA calls its end list References and uses neither word. If you are writing in MLA and your instructor asks for a ‘bibliography,’ they almost certainly mean a Works Cited; if you are writing in Chicago and they ask for a ‘works cited,’ they almost certainly mean a Bibliography. Ask rather than guess.
When to use which
Use a Works Cited when you are writing in MLA format. This is non-negotiable — MLA papers end with a Works Cited, not a Bibliography. Use a Bibliography when you are writing in Chicago notes-and-bibliography style, or when an instructor specifically asks for one. Use an annotated bibliography when the assignment prompt uses those words — typically as a preliminary research exercise. Never put both a Works Cited and a Bibliography in the same paper unless you have been told to; picking the right end list is part of the formatting grade in most humanities courses.
Examples
Works Cited entry (MLA): Austen, Jane. Emma. Edited by George Justice, 4th ed., W. W. Norton, 2012. Bibliography entry (Chicago): Austen, Jane. Emma. Edited by George Justice. 4th ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. Annotated bibliography entry: Austen, Jane. Emma. Edited by George Justice, 4th ed., W. W. Norton, 2012. This Norton Critical Edition pairs the novel with selected criticism and historical context, which made it useful for examining how modern editors frame Austen’s irony for undergraduate readers. Same source, three different outputs, each formatted for a different job. Notice how MLA and Chicago both include the editor and edition number but punctuate them differently, and how the annotated entry is identical in structure to a standard MLA Works Cited entry plus a short evaluative note. That is the general shape of an annotated bibliography entry regardless of style: the citation on top, a paragraph underneath. If your assignment requires a particular focus for the annotations — for example, evaluating credibility, summarizing the argument, or explaining relevance to your project — the prompt will usually say so, and you should follow it precisely. A well-done annotated bibliography is sometimes more work per source than a normal reference list, but it also makes the research paper that comes next much easier to draft.
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