Scientific references should be documented to acknowledge the original authors and ideas, provide credibility to presented information, and allow readers to locate further information if needed. In-text citations provide attribution within the body of work, while a reference list at the end fully cites each source. Common citation styles include APA and Harvard referencing. Plagiarism involves presenting others' work as one's own and can have academic penalties, so sources must be properly cited or referenced. Bibliographic management tools help organize references and automatically generate citations.