Introduction
When you write articles, papers or assignments, you will need to provide with a list of sources you used to cite the paper. Different courses may require either of these or sometimes both of them. Both form an essential component of knowledge sources acknowledgement for the reader. There exist both differences and similarities between bibliography and references. However it is often mistaken for being the synonym terms. In this article we presented the actual interpretation of each of these terms, its uses and differences. In addition to detecting any unwanted plagiarism it also ensures that the author has done a good research done before preparing the content and the article.
Both entries are arranged alphabetically by the author usually placed at the end of the paperwork such that the reader can compare the information with actual sources and also check for any plagiarism. The basic information included in both is the original source of information used to cite an article, paper or an assignment. Hence, the common function of both these entities is to both allow the readers to refer to the original sources.
Reference Vs. Bibliography
The main difference exist in whether the link or other books that point to the original sources used to write the article is included in the article or not. In case of reference list, all the links listed must be the ones that are actually used. Hence it is also called as ‘in-text’ reference.
Reference could mean giving credit to a person, a book, etc. who previously has mentioned on this or something that proves the currently presented content. It could indirectly mean a gratitude to the owners who actually cited or presented or discovered this idea or information which will be of continuous help to the coming generation to add on their contribution to this already existing information.
References are based on primary sources only. Hence this may be used to support the presented information as an argument. References are used for thesis or dissertation purposes mainly.
Whereas, bibliography is used for referral mainly, the text used is based on these sources however is not exactly the same. It is based on both primary and secondary sources. However bibliography quoted cannot actually be an argument to support your information presented.
On the other hand, bibliography could mean the links, books, previous articles or studies on this subject analyzed to create an idea about what content to include in the paper. Hence all bibliography may not be actually present exactly in the text. Rather, the writer conceives an idea from all possible sources; formulate a content himself which is used to cite the paper. Usually used for journal papers and research work mainly.
Difference Between Reference and Bibliography in Tabular Form
| Main parameters of comparison | Reference | Bibliography |
| Citation in the text of article/paperwork | For each source mentioned in the reference list, you will have at least one in-text citation in the body of your paper usually. | On the other hand, it includes all of the materials that you consulted in preparing your paper, whether they are directly cited or not in the text presented. |
| Components | Include the text from the source cited in the body of the article or paperwork prepared directly. | These may include scientific papers, referred articles, books or publications, and other online webpages. That is it involves both in text and external sources used to make the article. |
| Characteristic features | They are present just as from the original source.They are based on primary sources only.Hence this may be used to support the presented information as an argument. | Only used for referral mainly, the text used is based on these sources however is not exactly the same. It is based on both primary and secondary sources. However bibliography quoted cannot actually be an argument to support your information presented. |
| Arrangement | Arrangement of reference maybe done in alphabetical or numerical order. It is as decided by the author however usually uses a specific citation style. | Arrangement is usually numerically in case of a bibliography. |
| Used for | Used even for basic content writing, blogs, assignments etc. Hence reference list usually used for both scientific and non-scientific based researches and uses. | Research presentations, scientific congress and others. |
| Citation style | APA citations, MLA citations and AMA citations are common citation styles to write reference lists. | We usually use Chicago and Oxford citations which are two common and popular citation styles used to write bibliographies. |
| Example usage | Used for thesis or dissertation purposes. | Usually used for journal papers and research work. |
What is Reference?
A reference list includes the detail of sources that were used for your work. Just like in a bibliography, the reference list is also arranged at the end of a particular scholarly work.
Reference could mean giving credit to a person, a book, etc. who previously has mentioned on this or something that proves the currently presented content. It could indirectly mean a gratitude to the owners who actually cited or presented or discovered this idea or information which will be of continuous help to the coming generation to add on their contribution to this already existing information.
The main difference between reference and bibliography is based on whether the quoted source appears in the body of the article presented or not.
Usually, separated from each other by comas, Numerical or alphabetic order could be used to arrange the information. In cases where we refer to more than one scholarly work by the same author, we list such work chronologically, indicating the earliest publication first. Moreover, the way we list the source and its detail would slightly depend on the basis of which citation style we are using.
APA publications and other publishers and institutions using APA Style generally require only reference lists, not bibliographies. A reference list contains works that specifically support the ideas, claims, and concepts and can be used as arguments that support the information presented in the paper, On the other hand, a bibliography provides works for background or further reading and may include descriptive notes (e.g., an annotated bibliography).
What is Bibliography?
On the other hand, Bibliography includes all of the materials that you consulted in preparing your paper, whether they are directly cited or not in the text presented. It may show the sources that influenced to write the content as presented and not exactly the information
These may include scientific papers, referred articles, books or publications and other online webpages. Only used for referral mainly, the text used is based on these sources however is not exactly the same. We usually use Chicago and Oxford citations which are two common and popular citation styles used to write bibliographies.
For convenient presentation, bibliography is usually divided as two parts. The first part lists out different books and pamphlets. And the other contain magazines, journals or newspapers consulted
Different types of bibliography exist and are used often are:
Selected Bibliography
His includes works by authors that matches the major interest of the reader to whom it is presented.
Annotated Bibliography
IN this model, a small description is also provided in addition for increasing the credibility and convenience for better understanding. Both these entities are arranged alphabetically and placed at the end of the paperwork as a footnote such that the reader can compare the presented information with the original sources and also detect plagiarism if any.
Main Difference Between Reference and Bibliography in Points
Citation (in text or external)
References include sources that have been directly written in your paper. For each source mentioned, you will have at least one time the same text mentioned in the body of your paper.
Bibliographies, on the other hand, include all the sources that you have used to write your paper (it includes all of the materials you consulted in preparing your paper), whether they are directly cited or not. Both reference lists and bibliographies are seen at the end of a written work. They are usually organized in an alphabetical order. A paper can have both a reference list and a bibliography.
Contents Included
Generally, a bibliography includes the authors’ names, the titles of the works, the names and locations of the institutes of publication, the dates on which the copies were published etc. It is like giving credit to the actual person or book which first stated this information. This can also be used to support arguments presented in your current article.
An annotated bibliography, on the other hand, is an extended version of a bibliography where the bibliographic information includes a small description of the content, quality, and the relevance of the source to your research work.
A bibliography is a list of references you have cited in a scholarly work plus additional background readings or other material that you have read but not actually cited. A reference list, on the other hand, is a list of references you have cited in your work.
Citation Styles
APA, MLA and AMA citations are common citation styles used to write reference lists.
We usually use Chicago and Oxford citations which are two common and popular citation styles used to write bibliographies.
Used for or Applications
It can be used for both scientific, research, or study purposes or non-scientific purposes like for a blogger or content creator in online or internet. The former used for thesis or dissertation purposes. On the other hand, later usually used for journal papers and research work purposes.
Nature or Characteristic Features
Reference: They are present just as from the original source. Hence this may be used to support the presented information as an argument. They are usually based on primary sources only.
Bibliography: It is based on both primary and secondary sources. However bibliography quoted cannot actually be an argument to support your information presented.
Conclusion
The main difference between bibliography and references is that reference list contains the sources that you have cited in your paper, whereas a bibliography may include all the sources that you have used for your paper, whether they are cited or not. For each source mentioned in the reference list, you will have at least one in-text citation in the body of your paper usually.
Both references and bibliographies usually appear at the end as foot note of a scholarly work. However the basic information shared is the same. Both entitle the sources used to cite the work. An additional function that these entities offer to a content creator, blogger or research developer is that is ensuring that no plagiarism occurs in your work. Also, it allows the readers to refer to the original sources and learn more information.
Reference could mean giving credit to a person, a book, etc. who previously has mentioned on this or something that proves the currently presented content. It could indirectly mean a gratitude to the owners who actually cited or presented or discovered this idea or information which will be of continuous help to the coming generation to add on their contribution to this already existing information.
The basic information included in both is the original source of information used to cite an article, paper or an assignment. Hence, the common function of both these entities is to both allow the readers to refer to the original sources. Arrangement of reference lists maybe done in alphabetical or numerical order. It is as decided by the author however usually uses a specific citation style. Used even for basic content writing, blogs, assignments etc. These entities are used for both scientific and non-scientific based researches and uses. Some other uses listed include journal papers and research work, thesis or dissertation purposes, Research presentations, scientific congress and others.
Both form an essential component of knowledge sources acknowledgement for the reader. In addition to detecting any unwanted plagiarism it also ensures that the author has done a good research done before preparing the content and the article.
References
- https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/referencing/icite/harvard/referencelist.aspx#
- https://stmary.libguides.com/c.php?g=437282&p=2981548