Library FAQs

You may have come across the terms: bibliography, reference list or works cited. The original meaning of the word bibliography is a list of sources consulted for a piece of written work and may include sources that are not directly cited in the work itself. But now in most instances, bibliography is used to mean the same as 'reference list' or 'works cited', which refers to the list of resources cited within your assignment (or a dissertation, thesis, article, or book) and you do not include works that you have not cited.

Sometimes, especially in dissertations and theses, bibliographies are broken down by type of source, such as primary sources (with a further subdivision for unpublished and published primary sources) and secondary sources; separate lists for resources in specific formats (such as a filmography for films, or a webography for databases and other websites) can also be supplied.

For help with referencing, see our referencing guide and the referencing & academic integrity page in the Learning Skills Hub. You can also search for relevant workshops on the Library calendar.