Works Cited vs Bibliography vs References: What's the Difference?
Learn the difference between Works Cited (MLA), References (APA), and Bibliography (Chicago). When to use each, how they differ, and how to format them correctly.
References (APA) = only sources cited in the text. Works Cited (MLA) = only sources cited in the text. Bibliography (Chicago) = all sources consulted, even if not cited. The name depends on your style guide, and the rules about what to include are different.
Works Cited vs Bibliography vs References: What's the Difference?
TL;DR: These are NOT interchangeable terms. References (APA) and Works Cited (MLA) include ONLY cited sources. Bibliography (Chicago) can include all consulted sources. Use the term your style guide requires.
Students often use "bibliography," "works cited," and "references" interchangeably. In casual speech, that's fine. In academic writing, each term has a specific meaning tied to a specific style guide — and using the wrong one can cost you points.
| Term | Style Guide | What to Include | |------|------------|----------------| | References | APA | Only sources cited in the text | | Works Cited | MLA | Only sources cited in the text | | Bibliography | Chicago NB | All sources consulted (cited or not) | | Reference List | Harvard | Only sources cited in the text |
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between Works Cited and Bibliography?
- Works Cited (MLA) lists ONLY sources you actually cited in your paper. A Bibliography (Chicago) can include sources you consulted but didn't cite directly. In practice, many people use 'bibliography' loosely, but in academic writing, the distinction matters.
- What is a References page?
- The References page (APA) lists every source cited in your paper — and only those sources. Every in-text citation must have a matching References entry, and every References entry must be cited in the text. It's the APA equivalent of MLA's Works Cited.
- Which one should I use?
- Use the one your style guide requires: APA = References, MLA = Works Cited, Chicago NB = Bibliography, Harvard = Reference List. If your professor says 'bibliography' but you're using APA, they probably mean 'References page' — clarify if unsure.
- Should every source I read be in my bibliography?
- For APA References and MLA Works Cited: No — only sources you actually cited. For Chicago Bibliography: Traditionally yes (all consulted works), but many professors only want cited sources. For an Annotated Bibliography assignment: Yes, include all sources with annotations.
- What is the difference between a reference list and a reference page?
- They mean the same thing. 'Reference list' is the formal APA term for the list of sources. 'Reference page' refers to the page(s) where the list appears. Both refer to the list of all sources cited in the paper, formatted per APA 7th edition.