A reference or citation is based on a published or unpublished source text [note 1] and is broadly
defined as a reference; narrowly defined as a simplified form of alphabetic and numeric
expression embedded in a work that also identifies another work in its bibliography, to recognize
the connection between another's work and the topic addressed in the current work's own
bibliography. Generally, the bibliography consists of a reference note in the body of the work and
a bibliography at the end [Note 2]. In e-science papers, references that point to a single,
mechanically readable, logical assertion are called nanopublications[1] and are a form of
micro-attribution.
The main purposes of referencing usually include maintaining intellectual honesty (or avoiding
plagiarism) [2], providing accurate sources for published or non-authored works, helping readers
to verify for themselves whether an author's argument is supported by references as he or she
claims, and enabling readers to determine the validity of material provided by authors [3].
According to scholars Marc Lane Roark and Warren Emerson, references are linked to an author's
understanding of the nature of his or her work, the direction of his or her field of scholarship, and
the morality of his or her argument, subject matter, and wording [4]. In addition to these
attributes, the public has also mentioned the disadvantages of referencing, including honorary
citation, indirect citation, discriminatory citation, selective citation, and arbitrary citation. citation,
indirect citation, discriminatory citation, selective citation and arbitrary citation, etc. [5].
The forms of references usually follow universal reference systems and formats, including Oxford
[6], Harvard, Modern Language Association, American Sociological Association, American
Psychological Association, and many other standards, whose syntactic conventions are easy to
interpret and widely used. Each format has its own strengths and weaknesses, and authors need
to identify the name of the format used in their compilations.
Bibliographies and other lists that simply list references are generally not considered references,
and such lists do not fully capture the key meaning of the term "reference": a tribute to and
acknowledgement of the ideas and theories of those who have gone before [7].