HOW TO MAKE A WORKS CITED PAGE OR BIBLIOGRAPHY*

A bibliography is an alphabetized list of all the books and other sources you borrowed material from and included in your report. Many people think that the purpose of a bibliography is to prove to the teacher or readers that you spent a lot of time researching. In fact, the purpose of a bibliography is much more important. It directs the readers to the exact place where you found your ideas, facts, or quotations so that readers can check out your facts or perhaps read more about your topic for themselves.

Several styles are acceptable for recording your sources, depending on the school or organization you work for. Basically, all formats are similar but there are some small differences. Be sure to find out which format is acceptable in your particular circumstances.

Here are three common formats for recording research information.

MLA Modern Language Association (most English reports)

APA American Psychological Association (reports in the social sciences)

Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago)

Information about sources appear twice in your writing. Once, in an abbreviated form, right after you use the material (parenthetical reference) and later in full form on a separate page at the end of your paper (Works Cited or Bibliography). The examples below use the MLA format.