The phrase "acted as reference" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a person or source that provides information or guidance on a particular subject.
Example: "The expert acted as reference for the research team, providing valuable insights and data."
Alternatives: "served as a reference" or "functioned as a reference".
EN was measured between the stressed central cold-drawn wire and the neighbouring wires which acted as reference electrodes for the electrochemical current and voltage measurements.
We sampled after two years of amending and planting: unamended tailing soil (UTS), non-rhizospheric amended tailing soil (ATS), rhizospheric soil from four species, and non-rhizospheric native forest soil (NS), which acted as reference.
Saturated calomel electrode (SCE) and platinum electrode with 1 cm2 surface area acted as reference and counter electrodes, respectively.
Physical features like roads, schools, springs and boreholes acted as reference points to identify the extent of the various land use and land cover types during the periods under study.
V, N co-doped TNAs (an active area of 4 cm2) and platinum foil electrode were used as working electrode and counter electrode, and saturated calomel electrode (SCE) acted as reference electrode, respectively.
It was fabricated on Teflon material containing three silver wires, where both working and counter electrodes were made of CN and third silver wire was acted as reference electrode.
The microarray experiments were conducted in a reference design, where tissue samples from unstressed plants acted as references against stressed plants.
Friction stir spot welding windows developed, can act as reference maps for future design engineers to achieve better spot joints.
Housing demand, which is a classical discussing point in academia, also acts as reference for governments to enact loose, tense or neutral housing policies.
But of course the information provided in this appendix is also relevant for the subsequent chapters and will therefore act as reference beyond this chapter.
