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A reference is a relationship between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to refer to the second object. It is called a name for the second object. The next object, the one to which the first object refers, is called the referent of the first object. A name is usually a phrase or expression, or some other symbolic representation. Its referent may be anything – a material object, a person, an event, an activity, or an abstract concept.

References can take on many forms, including: a thought, a sensory perception that is audible (onomatopoeia), visual (text), olfactory, or tactile, emotional state, relationship with other,^[1] spacetime coordinates, symbolic or alpha-numeric, a physical object, or an energy projection. In some cases, methods are used that intentionally hide the reference from some observers, as in cryptography.^{[citation needed]}

References feature in many spheres of human activity and knowledge, and the term adopts shades of meaning particular to the contexts in which it is used. Some of them are described in the sections below.

Etymology and meanings

The word reference is derived from Middle English referren, from Middle French référer, from Latin referre, "to carry back", formed from the prefix re- and ferre, "to bear".^[2] A number of words derive from the same root, including refer, referee, referential, referent, referendum.

The verb refer (to) and its derivatives may carry the sense of "connect to" or "link to", as in the meanings of reference described in this article. Another sense is "consult"; this is reflected in such expressions as reference work, reference desk, job reference, etc.

Semantics

In semantics, reference is generally construed as the relationships between nouns or pronouns and objects that are named by them. Hence, the word "John" refers to the person John. The word "it" refers to some previously specified object. The object referred to is called the referent of the word.^[3] Sometimes the word-object relation is called "denotation"; the word denotes the object. The converse relation, the relation from object to word, is called "exemplification"; the object exemplifies what the word denotes. In syntactic analysis, if a word refers to a previous word, the previous word is called the "antecedent".

Meaning

Gottlob Frege argued that reference cannot be treated as identical with meaning: "Hesperus" (an ancient Greek name for the evening star) and "Phosphorus" (an ancient Greek name for the morning star) both refer to Venus, but the astronomical fact that '"Hesperus" is "Phosphorus"' can still be informative, even if the "meanings" of "Hesperus" and "Phosphorus" are already known. This problem led Frege to distinguish between the sense and reference of a word.^{[citation needed]}

Linguistic sign

The very concept of the linguistic sign is the combination of content and expression, the former of which may refer entities in the world or refer more abstract concepts, e.g. thought. Certain parts of speech exist only to express reference, namely anaphora such as pronouns. The subset of reflexives expresses co-reference of two participants in a sentence. These could be the agent (actor) and patient (acted on), as in "The man washed himself", the theme and recipient, as in "I showed Mary to herself", or various other possible combinations.

Computer science

In computer science, references are data types that refer to an object elsewhere in memory and are used to construct a wide variety of data structures, such as linked lists. Generally, a reference is a value that enables a program to directly access the particular data item. Most programming languages support some form of reference. For the specific type of reference used in the C++ language, see reference (C++).

The notion of reference is also important in relational database theory; see referential integrity.

Library and information sciences

References to many types of printed matter may come in an electronic or machine-readable form. For books, there exists the ISBN and for journal articles, the Digital object identifier (DOI) is gaining relevance. Information on the Internet may be referred to by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

Psychology

In terms of mental processing, a self-reference is used in psychology to establish identification with a mental state during self-analysis. This seeks to allow the individual to develop own frames of reference in a greater state of immediate awareness. However, it can also lead to circular reasoning, preventing evolution of thought.^[4]

According to Perceptual Control Theory (PCT), a reference condition is the state toward which a control system's output tends to alter a controlled quantity. The main proposition is that "All behavior is oriented all of the time around the control of certain quantities with respect to specific reference conditions."^[5]

Scholarship

In academics and scholarship, a reference or bibliographical reference is a piece of information provided in a footnote or bibliography of a written work such as a book, article, essay, report, oration or any other text type, specifying the written work of another person used in the creation of that text. A bibliographical reference mostly includes the full name of the author, the title of their work and the year of publication. The primary purpose of references is to allow readers to examine the sources of a text, either for validity or to learn more about the subject. Such items are often listed at the end of a work in a section marked References or Bibliography.

References are particularly important as for the use of citations, since copying of material by another author without proper reference and / or without required permissions is considered plagiarism, and may be tantamount to copyright infringement, which can be subject to legal proceedings. A reference section contains only those works indeed cited in the main text of a work. In contrast, a bibliographical section often contains works not cited by the author, but used as background reading or listed as potentially useful to the reader.

Keeping a diary allows an individual to use references for personal organization, whether or not anyone else understands the systems of reference used. However, scholars have studied methods of reference because of their key role in communication and co-operation between different people, and also because of misunderstandings that can arise. Modern academic study of bibliographical references has been developing since the 19th century.^[6]

Law

In patent law, a reference is a document that can be used to show the state of knowledge at a given time and that therefore may make a claimed invention obvious or anticipated. Examples of references are patents of any country, magazine articles, Ph.D. theses that are indexed and thus accessible to those interested in finding information about the subject matter, and to some extent Internet material that is similarly accessible.

Arts

In art, a reference is an item from which a work is based. This may include:

an existing artwork
a reproduction (i.e., a photo)
a directly observed object (e.g., a person)
the artist's memory

Another example of reference is samples of various musical works being incorporated into a new one.

References

^ Treanor, Brian (2006). Aspects of alterity: Levinas, Marcel, and the contemporary debate. Fordham University Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780823226849.
^ Klein, Ernest, A comprehensive etymological dictionary of the English language, Vol II, Elsevier publishing company, Amsterdam, 1969, p.1317
^ Saeed, John (10 February 2003). Semantics. Blackwell. p. 12. ISBN 0-631-22693-1.
^ Engle, Eric (2010). Lex Naturalis, Ius Naturalis: Law as Positive Reasoning & Natural Rationality. Melbourne, Australia: The Rlias Clark Group. p. 75. ISBN 9780980731842.
^ Powers, William (2005). Behavior: The Control of Perception (2nd ed.). New Canaan, Connecticut: Benchmark Publications. pp. 47 & 299.
^ Reimer, Marga (2009). "Reference". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

External links

Reference.com – a multi-source encyclopedia search service, and language reference products provider
"Reference Resources". Yahoo! Directory.
References.net – a directory of multidisciplinary reference resources on the web
Refmuseum.com – The online museum of references

[1] Treanor, Brian (2006). Aspects of alterity: Levinas, Marcel, and the contemporary debate. Fordham University Press. p. 41. ISBN 9780823226849.

[2] Klein, Ernest, A comprehensive etymological dictionary of the English language, Vol II, Elsevier publishing company, Amsterdam, 1969, p.1317

[3] Saeed, John (10 February 2003). Semantics. Blackwell. p. 12. ISBN 0-631-22693-1.

[4] Engle, Eric (2010). Lex Naturalis, Ius Naturalis: Law as Positive Reasoning & Natural Rationality. Melbourne, Australia: The Rlias Clark Group. p. 75. ISBN 9780980731842.

[5] Powers, William (2005). Behavior: The Control of Perception (2nd ed.). New Canaan, Connecticut: Benchmark Publications. pp. 47 & 299.

[6] Reimer, Marga (2009). "Reference". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Relationship between objects}}
-In general, a '''reference''' is something that refers or points to something else, or acts as a [[connection]] or a [[link]] between two things. The objects it links may be concrete, such as books or locations, or abstract, such as [[data]], thoughts, or memories. The object which is named by a reference, or to which the reference points, is the '''referent'''.
+{{For|information on citing sources in Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Citing sources}}
+{{About|the concept|a letter known as a "reference"|Letter of recommendation}}
+A '''reference''' is a relationship between [[Object (philosophy)|objects]] in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to ''refer to'' the second object. It is called a ''[[name]]'' for the second object. The next object, the one to which the first object refers, is called the ''[[referent]]'' of the first object. A name is usually a [[phrase]] or expression, or some other [[Symbol|symbolic representation]]. Its referent may be anything – a material object, a person, an event, an activity, or an abstract concept.
+References can take on many forms, including: a thought, a sensory perception that is [[Hearing (sense)|audible]] ([[onomatopoeia]]), [[visual perception|visual]] (text), [[olfaction|olfactory]], or tactile, [[emotions|emotional state]], relationship with other,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Treanor |first=Brian |title=Aspects of alterity: Levinas, Marcel, and the contemporary debate |url=https://archive.org/details/aspectsalterityl00trea |url-access=limited |date=2006 |publisher=Fordham University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/aspectsalterityl00trea/page/n55 41]|isbn=9780823226849 }}</ref> [[spacetime]] coordinates, [[symbolic system|symbolic]] or [[alpha-numeric grid|alpha-numeric]], a physical object, or an energy projection. In some cases, methods are used that intentionally hide the reference from some observers, as in [[cryptography]].{{cn|date=March 2023}}
-The term '''reference''' is used with different specialized meanings in a variety of fields, as follows:
+References feature in many spheres of human activity and knowledge, and the term adopts shades of meaning particular to the contexts in which it is used. Some of them are described in the sections below.
-== Semantics ==
+==Etymology and meanings==
-In [[semantics]], reference is generally construed as the relation between [[noun]]s or [[pronouns]] and objects that are named by them.  Hence the word "John" ''refers'' to John; the word "it" refers to some previously specified object.  The objects referred to are called the "referents" of the word. Sometimes the word-object relation is called "[[denotation]]".
+The word ''reference'' is derived from [[Middle English]] ''{{not a typo|referren}}'', from [[Middle French]] {{Lang|frm|référer}}, from [[Latin]] {{Lang|la|referre}}, "to carry back", formed from the [[prefix]] ''re''- and ''ferre'', "to bear".<ref>Klein, Ernest, ''A comprehensive etymological dictionary of the English language'', Vol II, Elsevier publishing company, Amsterdam, 1969, p.1317</ref> A number of words derive from the same root, including ''refer'', ''[[referee]]'', ''referential'', ''[[referent]]'', ''[[referendum]]''.
+The verb ''refer (to)'' and its derivatives may carry the sense of "connect to" or "link to", as in the meanings of ''reference'' described in this article. Another sense is "consult"; this is reflected in such expressions as [[reference work]], [[reference desk]], [[job reference]], etc.
-Reference is not in general the same as meaning, as words can often be meaningful without having a referent. Fictional and mythological names such as "Bo-Peep" and "Hercules" show that this is possible. As [[Gottlob Frege|Frege]] discovered, reference cannot be treated as identical with meaning: "[[Hesperos]]" (an ancient Greek name for the evening star) and "[[Phosphorus]]" (an ancient Greek name for the morning star) both refer to [[Venus (planet)|Venus]], but the astronomical fact that '"Hesperos" is "Phosphorus"' can still be informative, even if the 'meanings' of both "Hesperos" and "Phosphorus" are already known.  This problem led Frege to distinguish between the [[sense and reference|sense]] of a word and its reference.
-== Art ==
+== Semantics ==
+{{further|Sense and reference|Theory of reference}}
-In [[Art]], a reference is an item from which a work is based. This may include an existing artwork, a reproduced (i.e. photo) or directly observed (i.e. person) object, or the artist's memory.
+[[File:Ogden semiotic triangle.png|thumb|right|220px|The [[triangle of reference]], from the influential book ''[[The Meaning of Meaning]]'' (1923) by [[C. K. Ogden]] and [[I. A. Richards]]]]
+In [[semantics]], reference is generally construed as the relationships between [[noun]]s or [[pronoun]]s and objects that are named by them. Hence, the [[word]] "John" refers to the person John. The word "it" refers to some previously specified object. The object referred to is called the ''[[referent]]'' of the word.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saeed |first=John |title=Semantics |url=https://archive.org/details/semanticsintrodu00saee_472 |url-access=limited |date=10 February 2003 |publisher=Blackwell |isbn=0-631-22693-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/semanticsintrodu00saee_472/page/n31 12]}}</ref> Sometimes the word-object relation is called "[[denotation]]"; the word denotes the object. The converse relation, the relation from object to word, is called "[[exemplification]]"; the object exemplifies what the word denotes. In syntactic analysis, if a word refers to a previous word, the previous word is called the "[[Antecedent (grammar)|antecedent]]".
+===Meaning===
-== Computer science ==
+[[Gottlob Frege]] argued that reference cannot be treated as identical with [[meaning (linguistics)|meaning]]: "[[Hesperus]]" (an ancient Greek name for the evening star) and "[[Phosphorus]]" (an ancient Greek name for the morning star) both refer to [[Venus]], but the astronomical fact that '"Hesperus" is "Phosphorus"' can still be informative, even if the "meanings" of "Hesperus" and "Phosphorus" are already known. This problem led Frege to distinguish between the [[sense and reference]] of a word.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
+===Linguistic sign===
-In [[computer science]], [[reference (computer science)|reference]]s are [[datatype]]s which refer to an object elsewhere in memory, and are used to construct a wide variety of [[data structure]]s such as [[linked list]]s. Most [[programming language]]s support some form of reference. See [[reference (computer science)]].
+The very concept of the [[linguistic sign]] is the combination of content and expression, the former of which may refer entities in the world or refer more abstract concepts, e.g. thought.
+Certain parts of speech exist only to express reference, namely [[Anaphora (linguistics)|anaphora]] such as [[pronoun]]s. The subset of reflexives expresses co-reference of two participants in a sentence.  These could be the [[Agent (grammar)|agent]] (actor) and patient (acted on), as in "The man washed himself", the theme and recipient, as in "I showed Mary to herself", or various other possible combinations.
+==Computer science==
-The [[C plus plus|C++]] programming language has a specific type of reference also referred to as a ''reference''; see [[reference (C Plus Plus)]].
+{{Main|Reference (computer science)}}
+In [[computer science]], [[Reference (computer science)|reference]]s are [[data type]]s that refer to an object elsewhere in memory and are used to construct a wide variety of [[data structure]]s, such as [[linked list]]s. Generally, a reference is a value that enables a program to directly access the particular data item. Most [[programming language]]s support some form of reference. For the specific type of reference used in the [[C++]] language, see [[reference (C++)]].
+The notion of reference is also important in relational [[database theory]]; see [[referential integrity]].
-== Geometry ==
+==Library and information sciences==
-A '''reference point''' is a location used to describe another one, by giving the relative position.
+{{see also|Reference work|Reference desk}}
-Similarly we have the concept of [[frame of reference]] (both in physics and figuratively), etc.
+References to many types of printed matter may come in an electronic or machine-readable form. For books, there exists the [[International Standard Book Number|ISBN]] and for journal articles, the [[Digital object identifier|Digital object identifier (DOI)]] is gaining relevance. Information on the [[Internet]] may be referred to by a [[Uniform Resource Identifier|Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)]].
-== Libraries ==
+==Psychology==
-In a [[library]], the word ''reference'' may refer to a [[dictionary]], [[encyclopedia]], or other [[reference work]] that contains many brief articles that cover a broad scope of knowledge in one book, or a set of books.
+In terms of mental processing, a [[self-reference]] is used in psychology to establish identification with a mental state during self-analysis. This seeks to allow the individual to develop own frames of reference in a greater state of immediate awareness. However, it can also lead to [[circular reasoning]], preventing evolution of thought.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Engle |first=Eric |title=Lex Naturalis, Ius Naturalis: Law as Positive Reasoning & Natural Rationality |url=https://archive.org/details/lexnaturalisiusn00engl |url-access=limited |date=2010 |publisher=The Rlias Clark Group |location=Melbourne, Australia |page=[https://archive.org/details/lexnaturalisiusn00engl/page/n75 75]|isbn=9780980731842 }}</ref>
-However, the word ''reference'' is also used to mean a book that cannot be taken from the room, or from the building.
-Many of the books in the ''reference department'' of a library are reference works, but some are books that are simply too large or valuable to loan out.
-Conversely, selected reference works may be shelved with other [[library circulation|circulating]] books, and may be loaned out.
+According to Perceptual Control Theory (PCT), a reference condition is the state toward which a control system's output tends to alter a controlled quantity. The main proposition is that "All behavior is oriented all of the time around the control of certain quantities with respect to specific reference conditions."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Powers |first=William |title=Behavior: The Control of Perception |date=2005 |publisher=Benchmark Publications |edition=2nd |location=New Canaan, Connecticut |pages=47 & 299}}</ref>
-== Scholarship ==
+=={{anchor|Bibliographical reference}}Scholarship==
-A reference may also be a [[text]] (not necessarily a reference text) that has been used in the creation of a piece of work such as an essay, report, or oration. Its primary purpose is to allow people who receive such work to examine the author's sources, either for [[valid]]ity, or simply to learn more about the subject. Such items are often listed at the end of an article or book in a [[reference list]].Copying of copyrighted material without required permisions amounts to 'plagiarism'.
+In academics and scholarship, a reference or '''bibliographical reference''' is a piece of information provided in a [[footnote]] or [[bibliography]] of a [[writing|written work]] such as a book, article, essay, report, oration or any other [[Text (literary theory)|text]] [[Text types|type]], specifying the written work of another person used in the creation of that text. A bibliographical reference mostly includes the full name of the [[author]], the title of their work and the year of publication. The primary purpose of references is to allow readers to examine the sources of a text, either for [[Validity (logic)|validity]] or to learn more about the subject. Such items are often listed at the end of a work in a section marked ''References'' or ''Bibliography''.
+References are particularly important as for the use of [[citation]]s, since [[copying]] of material by another author without proper reference and / or without required permissions is considered [[plagiarism]], and may be tantamount to [[copyright infringement]], which can be subject to [[legal proceeding]]s. A ''reference'' section contains only those works indeed cited in the main text of a work. In contrast, a ''bibliographical'' section often contains works not cited by the author, but used as background reading or listed as potentially useful to the reader.
-== Personal references ==
-In the [[labour market]], a reference is a letter to a prospective employer regarding a job applicant's characteristics.  Usually the person providing the reference - the referee - is a [[boss|previous boss]], or someone of some distinction in [[government]], the [[clergy]], or [[education]], who can personally vouch for the applicant's employability.
+Keeping a [[diary]] allows an individual to use references for personal organization, whether or not anyone else understands the systems of reference used. However, scholars have studied methods of reference because of their key role in communication and co-operation between ''different'' people, and also because of misunderstandings that can arise. Modern academic study of bibliographical references has been developing since the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Reimer |first=Marga |url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/reference |title=Reference |date=2009 |encyclopedia=[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]}}</ref>
-== Canadian law ==
+==Law==
-A [[Reference question|Reference]] is a procedure through which the government of Canada can submit legal questions to the [[Supreme Court of Canada]]. The Court will consider the question and publish an opinion which is treated as binding in law.
+In [[patent]] law, a reference is a document that can be used to show the state of knowledge at a given time and that therefore may make a [[claim (patent)|claim]]ed [[invention]] [[Inventive step and non-obviousness|obvious]] or [[Novelty (patent)#United States|anticipated]]. Examples of references are patents of any country, magazine articles, [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] theses that are indexed and thus accessible to those interested in finding information about the subject matter, and to some extent Internet material that is similarly accessible.
-== See also ==
+==Arts==
+In [[art]], a reference is an item from which a work is based. This may include:
+* an existing artwork
+* a reproduction (i.e., a photo)
+* a directly observed object (e.g., a person)
+* the artist's memory
+Another example of reference is [[Sampling (music)|samples]] of various musical works being incorporated into a new one.
+==See also==
-* [[Library reference desk]]
+*[[Antecedent (grammar)]]
-* [[List of reference tables]]
-* [[Reference work]]
+*[[Exemplification]]
+*[[Generic antecedent]]
-* [[Self-reference]]
+*[[Hyperlink]]
+*[[Indexicality]]
+*[[ISO 690]]
+*[[Recommendation letter]]
+*[[Semiotics]], the study of signs which communicate meaning
+*[[Signified and signifier]]
+*[[Supposition theory]], medieval European theories of reference
+==References==
-[[Category:Reference| ]]
+{{reflist}}
-[[Category:Reference management software| ]]
+==External links==
-[[de:Referenz]]
+{{Wiktionary}}
-[[gl:Referencia]]
+*[http://www.reference.com/ Reference.com] – a multi-source encyclopedia search service, and language reference products provider
-[[ia:Referentia]]
+*{{Cite web |url=http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference |title=Reference Resources |website=Yahoo! Directory}}
-[[he:רפרנט]]
+*[http://www.references.net/ References.net] – a directory of multidisciplinary reference resources on the web
-[[pt:referência]]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091018094910/http://www.refmuseum.com/ Refmuseum.com] – The online museum of references
+{{logic}}
+[[Category:Reference| ]]
+[[Category:Semantics]]
+[[Category:Philosophical logic]]
+[[Category:Concepts in logic]]
+[[Category:Syntactic relationships]]
+[[Category:Meaning (philosophy of language)]]
+[[Category:Formal semantics (natural language)]]