Referenzfähig

Referenzfähig is a German adjective that translates to "capable of being referenced" or "referable." It is commonly used in academic and technical contexts, particularly in fields such as library science, information management, and scientific research.

The term describes an item, document, or piece of data that can be uniquely identified and located through a specific reference. This reference could be a catalog number, a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a citation, or any other standardized identifier. For something to be referenzfähig, it must possess a stable and unambiguous means of access.

In libraries, for instance, books and articles are referenzfähig because they are assigned call numbers or ISBNs, allowing patrons and librarians to find them. In scientific literature, research papers are referenzfähig through their publication details and DOIs, enabling scholars to cite and retrieve them accurately. The concept is crucial for the systematic organization and retrieval of information, ensuring that knowledge can be shared and built upon reliably. Without referenzfähigkeit, the process of citing sources, verifying information, and collaborating on research would be significantly more difficult and prone to error.