diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 6957df0..d1cfe3a 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -17,4 +17,6 @@ REDIS_PORT=6379
 REDIS_PASSWORD=
 SMTP_HOST=
 SMTP_PORT=
-RESEND_API_KEY=
\ No newline at end of file
+RESEND_API_KEY=
+OPENSEARCH_HOST=http://localhost
+OPENSEARCH_CORE=tethys-records
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/checkReferenceType.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/checkReferenceType.yaml
index 2e0d1c1..ab88380 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/checkReferenceType.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/checkReferenceType.yaml
@@ -1,24 +1,78 @@
+# This is a Gitea Actions workflow configuration file for running CI tests on the `feat/checkReferenceType` branch.
+# The workflow is named "CI" and runs on the latest Ubuntu environment using a Node.js 20 Docker container.
+# It sets up a PostgreSQL service with specified environment variables and health checks.
+# The workflow includes the following steps:
+# 1. Checkout the repository using the actions/checkout@v3 action.
+# 2. Install Node.js dependencies using `npm ci`.
+# 3. Create a `.env.test` file by copying from `.env.example`.
+# 4. Set up environment variables in the `.env.test` file, including database connection details and other app-specific settings.
+# 5. Run functional tests using the `node ace test functional --groups "ReferenceValidation"` command.
 name: CI
-run-name: ${{ github.actor }} is testing out Gitea Actions
+run-name: Running tests for checkReferenceType branch
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - feat/checkReferenceType
+    push:
+        branches:
+            - feat/checkReferenceType
 
 jobs:
-  test:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    container-job:
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+        # Docker Hub image that `container-job` executes in
+        container: node:20-bullseye
 
-      - name: Set up Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
-        with:
-          node-version: '20'
+        services:
+            # Label used to access the service container
+            postgres:
+                image: postgres:latest
+                env:
+                    POSTGRES_USER: alice
+                    POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
+                    POSTGRES_DB: tethys_dev
+                # ports:
+                #   - 5432:5432
+                options: |
+                    --health-cmd pg_isready
+                    --health-interval 10s
+                    --health-timeout 5s
+                    --health-retries 5
 
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: npm install
+        steps:
+            - name: Checkout repository
+              uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Run tests
-        run: node ace test functional --groups "ReferenceValidation"
\ No newline at end of file
+            #   - name: Set up Node.js
+            #     uses: actions/setup-node@v2
+            #     with:
+            #       node-version: '20'
+
+            - name: Install dependencies
+              run: npm ci
+
+            - name: Create .env.test file
+              run: cp .env.example .env.test
+
+            - name: Set up environment variables        
+              run: |
+                  echo "DB_CONNECTION=pg" >> .env.test
+                  echo "PG_HOST=postgres" >> .env.test
+                  echo "PG_PORT=5432" >> .env.test
+                  echo "PG_USER=alice" >> .env.test
+                  echo "PG_PASSWORD=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}" >> .env.test
+                  echo "PG_DB_NAME=tethys_dev" >> .env.test
+                  echo "NODE_ENV=test" >> .env.test
+                  echo "ASSETS_DRIVER=fake" >> .env.test
+                  echo "SESSION_DRIVER=memory" >> .env.test
+                  echo "HASH_DRIVER=bcrypt" >> .env.test
+                  echo "HOST=127.0.0.1" >> .env.test
+                  echo "PORT=3333" >> .env.test
+                  echo "APP_NAME=TethysCloud" >> .env.test
+                  echo "APP_URL=http://${HOST}:${PORT}" >> .env.test
+                  echo "CACHE_VIEWS=false" >> .env.test
+                  echo "APP_KEY=pfi5N2ACN4tMJ5d8d8BPHfh3FEuvleej" >> .env.test
+                  echo "DRIVE_DISK=local" >> .env.test
+                  echo "OAI_LIST_SIZE=200" >> .env.test
+                  echo "OPENSEARCH_HOST=${{ secrets.OPENSEARCH_HOST }}" >> .env.test
+                  echo "OPENSEARCH_CORE=tethys-records" >> .env.test
+
+            - name: Run tests
+              run: node ace test functional --groups "ReferenceValidation"