How to start a bibliographic essay

Writing a research paper involves a lot of work.

Bibliographic essay example history

Students need to consult a variety of sources to gather reliable information and ensure their points are well supported. Research papers include a bibliography, which can be a little tricky for students. Learn how to write a bibliography in multiple styles and find basic examples below. Just fill out the form on this page to get the free guide.

Additionally, each type of reference material has many possible formats, depending on a variety of factors. The overviews shown here are meant to guide students in writing basic bibliographies, but this information is by no means complete. You may quote some of these directly in your work, summarize some of the points they make, or simply use them to further the knowledge you need to write your paper.

Bibliographic essay vs annotated bibliography

This list of sources, organized alphabetically, is called a bibliography. These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings. As noted above, a bibliography includes all the materials you used while researching your paper, whether or not you quote from them or refer to them directly in your writing. A list of references only includes the materials you cite throughout your work.

You might use direct quotes or summarize the information for the reader. Either way, you must ensure you give credit to the original author or document. Your teacher may specify whether you should include a bibliography or a reference list. Citations refer to direct quotations from a text that are woven into your own writing.