Unreferenced

The adjective 'unreferenced' describes something lacking citations, attributions, or explicit connections to supporting evidence, sources, or authorities. It signifies a statement, claim, or piece of information presented without acknowledging the origin or basis of the included material. This absence of reference undermines credibility, making it difficult to verify the accuracy, context, or scope of the given information. An unreferenced statement therefore, by definition, is unsubstantiated and prone to suspicion. This often happens when the source of an idea or a fact is not mentioned.

Unreferenced meaning with examples

• The article's claims about the study's findings were unreferenced, which led to reader skepticism. Without citations to the original research, the reader couldn't confirm the information, determine the methodology, or assess potential biases, making the piece less credible and, by extension, less useful for its intended purpose. Proper referencing would've fixed the lack of trust.
• In the academic paper, several key arguments were unfortunately unreferenced. This meant that those arguments were unable to stand by their own, as the author did not include the work done by other scholars that would have helped reinforce their own work. Consequently, the paper's validity and completeness became questionable, hindering its acceptance and thorough review by peers.
• The defendant's assertion during his testimony was entirely unreferenced and based on speculation rather than any demonstrable facts. The jury saw his claim as suspect, as he failed to provide any supporting evidence or witnesses to validate his statement. The defense's lack of support for the testimony ultimately weakened the client's credibility.
• When writing the report, the team left all of their findings unreferenced and could not provide the sources for data. This caused confusion. This neglect of referencing made it impossible to independently examine the data and therefore, its analysis and credibility would be scrutinized. It was subsequently determined that a rewrite was necessary.