What is the Difference Between Works Cited and Works Consulted?

The main difference between a Works Cited page and a Works Consulted page lies in the way the sources are used in the research project:

• Works Cited: This page lists the sources that have been paraphrased or quoted in the research project. It contains the sources that are directly cited in the project, with the author's name, title, and other relevant information.
• Works Consulted: This page lists all the sources that have been examined during the research process, including background reading, summarized sources, or any sources used for informational purposes but not paraphrased or quoted.

In essence, the Works Cited page cites the sources you have used directly in your paper, while the Works Consulted page includes all the sources you have examined during the research process, whether or not they were directly cited in the paper. If a research project includes both Works Cited and Works Consulted, the Works Consulted page should follow the Works Cited page.

Comparative Table: Works Cited vs Works Consulted

The difference between "Works Cited" and "Works Consulted" lies in the sources' usage in the research project:

• Works Cited: This list includes sources that you directly cite (paraphrase or quote) in your paper. These sources are also known as in-text citations or parenthetical citations, and they should coincide with the citations in the text.

• Works Consulted: This list contains all the sources you consulted during the research process, including background reading, summarized sources, or any sources used for informational purposes but not paraphrased or quoted.

Here is a summary table of the differences between "Works Cited" and "Works Consulted":

Note that if your project includes both "Works Cited" and "Works Consulted," the "Works Consulted" page should follow the "Works Cited" page.