Bibliography

A list of sources consulted during research, regardless of whether they were cited in the paper. May include background reading and sources for further exploration.

Why it matters

A bibliography demonstrates the breadth of your research and shows that you have engaged with the scholarly conversation around your topic. It builds credibility by letting readers see the full scope of sources that informed your thinking, not just those you directly quoted or paraphrased.

How to use

Place your bibliography at the end of your paper, after the main text and any appendices. Entries should be listed alphabetically by author surname, following the formatting rules of your required citation style. Unlike a reference list, a bibliography can include sources you read for background but did not cite in the text.

In academic writing

Bibliographies are most commonly required in Chicago/Turabian style papers and in humanities disciplines such as history, philosophy, and literature. Some professors ask for a bibliography instead of a reference list to assess how thoroughly students researched their topic. In theses and dissertations, a bibliography often accompanies the reference list.