The Number System References. As an engineering technologist, you will follow documentation conventions of the applied sciences, and, in these fields, the most often used system is the Number System. This system derives its name from its assignment of a specific number to each source cited as a reference in the body of the report. In this system, you never place a source on your reference list unless you have specifically cited that source in your text. For example, at the end of this report are two references corresponding to the numbers in brackets at the end of the second paragraph above.
References are distinct from a bibliography.
In technical reports on CAS senior project work, for example, report references are not the same as the project's research bibliography. The Bibliography tracks all project research much as a Lab Notebook tracks all laboratory data. In contrast the References identify individual data sources that are cited in a specific project report. How to Cite Sources in the Text. Each source you cite is assigned a number in sequence the first time you refer to it.