The Importance of Bibliography and Citation

For producing a well-constructed document, proper research is always essential. On occasions, a writer may also use parts of their source material to support their argument. It strengthens the author’s particular point of view that she is trying to establish and at the same time proves the accuracy of the content. Hence, citing the source is very important for any research work. Putting the bibliography and citation at the end of the research paper shows how enriched the content is.

Nowadays, plagiarism is given much importance as it is considered an unethical act. To avoid plagiarism, the writer needs to credit the original author of the source material.

The author needs to use proper quotation marks and mention all the related information of the work, including its name, publication date, a form of publication, page, and other information.

In case a writer or researcher fails to provide a proper citation, they may commit plagiarism. The consequences of plagiarism are severe; if the accusations are proven right, the writer may have to suffer because of a ruined professional reputation.

Difference Between Bibliography and Citation

Before working on the citation or bibliography of content, it is best to know the difference between the various terms like citation, reference, or bibliography. Though they are similar in nature, all these terms are distinct, and they follow different styles.

Work Cited or Citation: Citation is an essential list of the writers’ works in their content. In the citation, the writer needs to write the work they are quoting or paraphrasing while composing the work. The citation listing is in alphabetical order, where the author’s last name comes before the first name.

The writer needs to mention other details like work name, publication date, and the publication house’s name in the citation. Most researchers and writers prefer MLA format (Modern Language Association).

Reference: The work of reference is more or less the same as the citation. Writers must make a list of the works they have used as reference according to the alphabetical order of the last names of the authors of those works. They need to put the names on a page under the headline references. This page is mostly seen at the end of the whole work.

Sometimes, many students can also do in-page citations. For referencing the work, the widely preferred style is APA (American Psychological Association) style, which includes information like publication year and the publication house’s name apart from the author’s name and the work.

Bibliography of Works: Bibliography is far different from the citation and reference. In the bibliography of a writer, the writer needs to mention the sources they have read.

Even if they haven’t used any part of them as quotations or paraphrases, they have to mention it in the bibliography. This list includes the name of all the works the writer has gone through for writing the paper. For bibliography, the most followed styles are Chicago and Turabian citation styles.

Find out what’s in your copy.
Get started with Copyleaks for free today!

Get Started

Importance of Bibliography and Citation:

Properly Crediting the Writer: For any writing, bibliography and citation is essential as it is a way to credit the original author of the content. If a writer uses parts of writing from another author in their work and passes it under their name, which can violate the author’s right.

As the copyright holder of a book, the writer needs to credit the author. If the writer fails to credit the author appropriately, they can seek legal actions to violate their rights. If the charges of plagiarism are correct, then the writer may be penalized with monetary compensations.

Staying Away From Plagiarism: Plagiarism is nowadays taken seriously and is treated as a form of cheating. The writers and researchers can quote or paraphrase parts from other work, but bibliography and citations are essential to avoid plagiarism.

If the writer fails to use proper quotation marks or misquotes and provides any wrong information in the bibliography and citation, that can be plagiarism.

Maintaining Accuracy: When a writer or researcher includes their source of information in the bibliography and citation of their work, they allow the readers to check the details. They can cross-check any information if they doubt it.

When a writer includes a random fact in their work, it may be difficult for many readers to find out how accurate it is. It is equally valid for any data or statistics. When they use bibliography and citation, the reader knows the source, and hence they do not question the accuracy.

Approach as a Good Writer: On any excellent writer, maintaining the right writing style or writing format is essential. But, it is more important to use detailed arguments with valid information. The argumentative writing style is a favorite of many readers because of its logical approach.

The reader can see both sides of a thing, and the argument helps them find out their point of view. To strengthen the arguments, the writer needs to use parts from other existing works. For that, bibliography and citation help and author to stay away from plagiarism.

Helpful Guide to the Readers: It may also happen that a reader is inquisitive to know more about some fact. After reading an article, they are even more curious to know some facts in detail.

When the writer adds a bibliography and citation, it helps them select books from the list and read as per their choice. The researchers working on a similar topic may also get more insight about how to consult books or reference material based on the bibliography and citation.

Avoid Citation-Related Plagiarism?

When a writer is all set to submit their work, it is always best to use a plagiarism checker to check for plagiarism. If in any part, the citation is missing or the quotations are wrongly used, then the tool can identify it.

The plagiarism checker finds out the copied parts and mentions the source of those lines. If the writer wants to cite an article, the source needs to be mentioned. The writers can efficiently work on them with the help of this plagiarism checker tool. They can help a writer to produce plagiarism-free, unique content.