Digital citation and referencing – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and D accurately describe responsible handling of digital resources, whereas C encourages plagiarism. Citations and DOIs help readers locate original sources and acknowledge authors, and reference managers simplify correct formatting. Access being free does not remove the obligation to credit sources, so C is not acceptable. The correct combination is therefore A, B and D only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it combines all the true statements that reflect ethical and practical aspects of digital referencing and excludes the permissive view in C. It matches academic standards emphasised in research methodology and ICT use.

Option B:
Option B is incomplete because it includes only A and B and omits D. Recognising DOIs as persistent identifiers is important for locating and citing digital scholarly work, so excluding D gives a partial answer.

Option C:
Option C is incomplete because it lists only B and D and leaves out A. Statement A contains the central ethical rationale for citations and should not be omitted.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements as correct and hence accepts C. Since C normalises copying without attribution, this option conflicts with academic integrity.