Works Cited and Bibliography are not the same. In Works Cited you only list items you have actually referred to and cited in your paper. A Bibliography lists all of the material you have consulted in preparing your essay whether or not you have actually referred to and cited the work.

The term bibliography is the term used for a list of sources (e.g. books, articles, websites) used to write an assignment (e.g. an essay). It usually includes all the sources consulted even if they not directly cited (referred to) in the assignment.

Using a bibliography to direct your collecting efforts is an excellent way to eliminate guesswork and find new direction. They are your guidebook to the author/subject on which you focus your collecting energies and monies.

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

Most importantly, a working bibliography is a tool; one that will change and grow as the focus of your research shifts and narrows. It has two purposes: To keep a record of the sources you’ve already examined and those that you are going to examine.

A working bibliography is an MLA formatted document where you keep track of all the sources you have found that could be helpful in completing your research. There are two purposes for a Working Bibliography: To keep a record of the sources you’ve already examined and those that you are going to examine.

A working bibliography includes the sources that you discover in your initial inquiry into a topic. It is your first step after deciding on a preliminary topic for a paper. The working bibliography includes all sources that you discover as you begin your research.

Arrange the bibliography in alphabetical order, by the author’s last name. If there is no author listed, use the first word of the title (not “a,” “an,” or “the”). When there is more than one author, list the authors in the order they are listed on the title page.

A bibliography is a complete list of the references used in a piece of academic writing. The sources should be listed in alphabetical order by surname of the author or editors name. Where there are more than one author or editor, the name of the first should be used to place the work.

How to alphabetize your print sources

1. Organize your Reference page by the last names of the authors (or editors).
2. If a work has no author or editor, alphabetize by the first word of the title other than a, an, or the.
3. Arrange same author sources using their last names every time.

A reference list is the detailed list of references that are cited in your work. A bibliography is a detailed list of references cited in your work, plus the background readings or other material that you may have read, but not actually cited.

Text should be word processed rather than handwritten. Write on only one side of the page. Always keep a hard copy of your paper. Check spelling, grammar and punctuation before submitting.

Always double-space (except in lengthy offset quotations). Do not leave blank spaces between paragraphs. Indent every paragraph. Avoid very long (1 page) and very short (1-2 sentence) paragraphs.

Assignment work becomes easier if done through the process:

• Step 1: Planning.
• Step 2: Analyze the topic.
• Step 3: Drafting.
• Step 4: Finding information.
• Step 5: Writing.
• Step 6: Editing and proof-read. Good writers go through several steps to produce a piece of writing. These are the steps a writer will practice throughout.