Evaluate the collective function of references cited together in a given text segment.
Classify their combined role into one of the following categories: 'method', 'background', or 'result'.

Text:H-type BSE has been described in cattle from France [11], Germany [1], Japan [12], the Netherlands [13], Poland [14], Switzerland [15], the United Kingdom [16], Canada [17], and the United States [18].
Category: