References vs Bibliography
The difference is one rule: a references list (or Works Cited) contains only sources you actually cited in the paper. A bibliography contains everything you consulted — cited or not. Same formatting, different admission policy.
Who uses which name
APA titles its list References — cited sources only. MLA says Works Cited — same rule, different name. Chicago uses Bibliography — and genuinely allows uncited background sources, which is where the broader meaning lives. Harvard says Reference List; some institutions ask for a separate bibliography of background reading after it. IEEE uses References, numbered in citation order.
The same entries either way
Whatever the list is called, the entries are formatted identically per style:
Martin, R. C. (2008). Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. Prentice Hall.
Martin, Robert C. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. Prentice Hall, 2008.
Which one does your paper need?
Follow the style: APA paper → References; MLA paper → Works Cited; Chicago notes-bibliography → Bibliography. When an instructor says "include a bibliography" for an APA/MLA paper, they almost always mean the standard cited-only list — the word gets used loosely. Only include uncited sources if explicitly told to ("works consulted," "background reading").
One thing is constant: everything cited in the text must appear in the list. The list may sometimes contain more (a true bibliography); it may never contain less.
Related list types
- Annotated bibliography — entries plus evaluation paragraphs: full guide.
- Works Consulted — MLA's name for an everything-list, when required alongside Works Cited.
- Further Reading — a curated suggestion list, common in books, not governed by citation rules.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Is Works Cited the same as References?
- Functionally yes — both list only cited sources. Works Cited is MLA's name; References is APA's and IEEE's. Use the name your style dictates.
- Can a references page include sources I didn't cite?
- No — that's what makes it a references page. Move uncited background sources to a separate bibliography or Works Consulted section if one is requested, or drop them.
- My instructor said 'bibliography' but the paper is APA — what do I do?
- Title it References and include cited sources only — that's APA's rule, and 'bibliography' is being used informally. If they explicitly want background sources listed too, ask whether they want a second section.
- Are bibliographies alphabetized too?
- Yes — author surname, same as references (IEEE's numbered-by-citation-order References are the exception).