Everything English

So why do you have to include a bibliography or a works cited page in your paper? It’s mainly for the benefit of your reader (in many cases, your teacher). He or she wants to see what or who your sources are and where you got your information. If you don’t list other sources, you are saying that you made up every bit of information or any quotation you used in your paper. Which is not often true! All types of writers use bibliographies. If you pick up a professionally-written book, you’ll often find a list of works cited in the back of the book. Not only is the author being honest in telling readers what other sources he or she used, but it’s also helpful for readers if they want to continue learning about the topic. For example, if you are writing a paper on the French Revolution, and you find a really good book to use as a source, look at the bibliography and see what other books might be good to use. One good source can list other good sources, so you’ll know where to go next!