Thesis reference refers to the literature cited or referenced by the author when writing a thesis, which is given in the list of references listed at the end of the thesis. These documents reflect the background and foundation of the research work, and are an indispensable part of the paper.

When writing a thesis, the author needs to quote and refer to the viewpoints, data and materials in the previously published literature to support and prove his argument. These cited documents are called cited documents in the paper.