Papers can be without references.
Why should I write references when writing my graduation thesis? Because before you do this research, you must know the degree of research in this field at home and abroad, what achievements are there, what developments are there, and what aspects need us to do research and exploration. At this time, you must look for and study this information, which is the reference. Of course, unless your research is the best in the world, there is no reference for what others have not done.