What is the Difference Between Bibliography and Citation?

The difference between a bibliography and a citation lies in their purpose and the scope of information they cover.

• Bibliography: A bibliography is a list of all the sources consulted during the research process, whether they were used directly in the academic piece or not. It helps readers understand the scope of the research and the resources that were considered. Bibliographies are often used in Chicago and Turabian citation styles.
• Citation: A citation, on the other hand, refers to the specific mention of a source within the text of an academic piece. In-text citations provide the reader with the name of the author, publication year, and page numbers, allowing them to locate the source and verify the information. Citations are used in various citation styles, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.

Another term related to these concepts is "Works Cited" (sometimes referred to as "References"), which is an alphabetical list of works cited or works to which you have made reference. In Works Cited and References, you only list items you have actually referred to and cited in your paper. This is different from a bibliography, which includes all the material you have consulted, whether or not you have actually referred to and cited the work.

Comparative Table: Bibliography vs Citation

Here is a table comparing the differences between a bibliography and a citation:

In summary, a bibliography is a list of all sources consulted during the research process, whether they were cited in the text or not, and includes both primary and secondary sources. On the other hand, a citation (or reference) list only includes sources that have been directly cited in the text and is based on primary sources.