What are the main differences between a Bibliography and a Works Cited listing? What are the main purposes for the Works Cited listing? When should you begin compiling one? I605 4 - 6

Bibliography vs Works Cited

A Bibliography is so “Yesterday.” In lower tech days a bibliography dealt with hardcopy books and other printed information including but not limited to magazine articles, newspaper articles, and journal articles.

Works Cited is more universal as today there are many other sources available to the researcher. The Internet abounds with websites such as Wikipedia, websites that appeal to special interest groups including Christianity blogs and more. Information is also available via CDs and DVDs.

Add to the above, there are eBook type tablets. Amazon introduced their Kindle Book several years ago and both Amazon and Barns and Noble have eBook software that will work on computers, tablets and cell phones. Years ago I bought the early Kindle Book and have since graduated to a Kindle Fire tablet.  My Kindle Fire Cloud area contains hundreds of books of which I’ve download the majority to my Kindle. This gives me the ability to carry hundreds of books on my tablet.

The Kindle provides the researcher with a unique opportunity with respect to a Works Cited listing. The problem comes when citing the location of the material to wish I'm referencing. Some of the books downloaded include both the page number and the location of Kindle. However, many of them include the location number only. So when I cite a reference found on Kindle with location number only it will not be very helpful to someone picking up the actual hardcopy the print format. As an example:

Fasano, Thomas (2011-05-27). A Concise Guide to MLA Style and Documentation (Kindle Locations 54-57). Coyote Canyon Press. Kindle Edition.

What are the main purposes for the Works Cited listing?

A Works Cited listing should prevent any possibility of the researcher being accused of plagiarism. Anyone reading the researcher paper and wishing to find out more about the subject can readily find source material.

When should you begin compiling a Works Cited listing?

I should begin to compile a Works Cited listing as soon as I have a topic. When answering DQ#2 I noted two of the examples that may be relevant to research dealing with the New Age/ New Thought so these I added to my list.

Backos, Marcia. “Should Christians Practice Reiki?” Reiki for Christians. n.p. 20 Apr 2004. Web. n.d. <http://www.christianreiki.org>

Smith, Warren. Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church. 2nd Ed. Magalia: Mountain Stream Press, 2004. Print.

Added later:

Back in my sister’s early days of doing genealogical research she had to rely on old books and microfiche and would record ancestors’ names, birth and death plus all sources on hardcopy charts. By the time I continued her family research software was available. A large amount of family information online was either entered by researchers doing questionable research or not complete enough information to be very helpful. At one time there were 148 references to one of my ancestors that have since been cleared up.