Reference entry
Also called: citation entry, full citation
One complete record in a reference list, containing everything a reader needs to find the source themselves.
A reference entry is the long form: who made the source, what it is called, when it appeared, and where to get it. The elements and their order are set by the style, but the requirement behind them is constant — a reader with only your entry should be able to locate the same source.
That test explains most of the rules that look arbitrary. A DOI is required where one exists because it is the most reliable locator. An edition number matters because pagination changes between editions. A container title matters because the article is not findable without the journal.
See also
Reference listThe alphabetised list at the end of a paper containing a full entry for every source cited in the text — and nothing else.Container titleThe name of the larger work a source sits inside: the journal holding an article, the book holding a chapter, the site holding a page.DOI (Digital Object Identifier)A permanent identifier for a document — usually a journal article — that resolves to its current location no matter how many times the publisher moves it.ContributorAnyone credited for a source other than its primary author: editor, translator, illustrator, director, host, or narrator.