Annotated Bibliography Vs. Works Cited

When writing an academic paper, report, or essay, you usually engage external sources for research and content. However, there is a need to prevent plagiarism in your article when doing so. To avoid plagiarism, you must cite the sources you used in the essay’s text.

Furthermore, you ought to include a page that lists all the materials you used in your paper. This page acts as a definitive reference for the reader.

It is worth noting that annotated bibliography and works cited serve the same purpose, although they are distinct from one another. This article compares annotated bibliography vs. works cited to help you understand their distinction better.

Annotated Bibliography Vs. Works Cited

An annotated bibliography contains a list of references to books, journals, and other academic documents that you have employed in your essay. It includes a short descriptive and critical paragraph that follows each citation, called the annotation, and is typically around 150 words long. The goal of the annotated bibliography is to let the reader know how relevant, accurate, and high-caliber the sources quoted are.

On the other hand, a ‘Works cited’ list names the sources you particularly referenced when writing your paper and is usually alphabetical. It includes all passages that you’ve cited or rephrased from other sources. Note that you typically use the works cited when listing your sources in the MLA format (Modern Language Association) style.

Remember, annotated bibliography and works cited are both critical because they exhibit the richness in the content and give credit to the source too to prevent plagiarism. They are both similar in that you include them on the last page of your academic paper. In addition, the contents of both are usually in alphabetical order.

However, annotated bibliography and works cited are different in various ways. Below is a list that clearly depicts their distinctness.

1. Content

An annotated bibliography contains an assessment and a summary of each of the sources that you used in researching your essay’s topic and composing the paper.

These reference materials include journals, books, academic articles, periodicals, and websites. Remember, the contents of the annotated bibliography are usually those you cited in the writing and those you consulted too.

On the other hand, ‘works cited’ comprise a list of the sources you used to research and complete your academic writing. Its content includes direct quotations, paraphrased summaries, data integration, and basic information like statistics.

On a ‘works cited page, you only include the materials that you cited in your essay. Therefore, each listed source corresponds to an in-text citation in the parenthetical citation.

2. Formatting

It is worth noting that an annotated bibliography is compatible with various formatting styles, including APA, Turabian, MLA, or Chicago. However, you can only use the formatting style instructed by your professor.

Remember, the formatting of your sources’ bibliographic information, which includes the source’s title, author, publisher, publication date, etc., varies according to the formatting style you use. However, the listing of the references should be in a numerical order that is alphabetic.

Remember, you should write each source’s annotations in paragraph form. The annotations might range in length from a few phrases to a few pages, which is a substantial difference. The purpose will determine how long it is. The annotations might not be too long if you merely summarize your sources. You will need extra room, though, if you are writing a thorough examination of each source.

On the other hand, you only include a ‘works cited’ page in a paper that employs the MLA formatting style. Its elements include the source’s author, title, the title of container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location. Remember, the elements should appear on your works cited page as they appear here.

Remember, you should list your sources in alphabetical order but not numerically. Other formatting rules include;

• The titles of magazines, journals, books, films, etc., should be in italics.
• Use quotation marks when listing the titles of articles, short stories, and poems.
• When listing authors, use their last names first.

Works cited are usually shorter than the annotated bibliography.

3. Usage

First, it is worth noting that an annotated bibliography is primarily used in longer pieces of academic writing with a much more profound literary significance. Therefore, they are most suitable for academic papers or published books.

The annotations used in complementing bibliographies can either be descriptive to provide a summary, evaluative to criticize the work or a combination of the two.

An annotated bibliography plays several roles in your work. The list below depicts several of these roles;

• Examining the literature on a particular subject.
• Showcasing the caliber and depth of your research.
• Identify the connections between the sources used.
• Highlighting the sources’ advantages and disadvantages.

On the other hand, works cited are included in documents that are of less academic significance, such as research papers, assignments, and literary essays by undergraduate students. Nevertheless, their role in academic writing is different from that of an annotated bibliography.

A works cited page gives the reader the details they need to find any sources you have used in your paper. Remember, your works cited list includes all the sources that you have referenced in your academic essay.

Furthermore, they help you give credit to the authors of your reference materials and, therefore, help you avoid plagiarism.

Conclusion

The works cited page and an annotated bibliography are very crucial in any piece of academic writing. However, it is no secret that the terms can be confusing, especially in terms of their roles in a paper for students and amateur writers. Nevertheless, after reading this article comparing annotated bibliography vs. works cited, you understand them and their significance better. Therefore, utilize this information to help you improve your writing skills.