Referencing gives you a chance to show off the breadth and depth of your reading. It gives due credit to others in your field, as their work was obviously significant enough for you to include in your own work. Referencing accurately shows off your academic integrity skills and ensures you don't get caught out for plagiarising someone else's ideas. The University of Cambridge has a detailed and useful website dedicated to Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct if you want to read more about this topic.
A good starting point for referencing is Cite Them Right Online.
Stylistic conventions vary between subjects. You should consult your Course Director, Supervisor or Lecturer if you are unsure which are used in your Faculty or Department. Most lecturers also issue written guidance on the relevant scholarly conventions and you should read and follow this advice.
Referencing is definitely a process that takes time to get right but thankfully there are tools, called reference managers, available that can help take a lot of the pressure off.
We also have guides on two popular reference managers: Zotero and Mendeley.
If you need further advice or help with getting a reference manager set up, you can book a referencing 1-2-1 consultation with a member of the Biological Sciences libraries team.
It depends as the rules around who owns something and who else can use it can vary hugely. For more information on copyright, have a look at our dedicated Copyright for Researchers guide which has lots of information and contact details for further help.
Please feel free to contact the Genetics Librarian.
Help and support for detailed enquiries is also available from the Biological Sciences Libraries team. We can answer your queries by email, or by appointment in a mutually convenient location.
Email: sbslibraries@lib.cam.ac.uk
Twitter: @sbslibraries
The Cambridge Libraries Accessibility Service was established in November 2020 and is based at the University Library.
The service works across the Cambridge University Libraries network to ensure that library users have equal access to services and resources regardless of their accessibility needs. The service also works closely with other key areas of the university such as the Disability Resource Centre.
For more information about how we can support you in accessing resources, please either contact your college or departmental library, or visit the dedicated Cambridge Libraries Accessibility Service guide for details and further contacts.
The Cambridge Libraries Accessibility Service has a curated wellbeing reading list with lots of online resources on a wide range of themes such as mental health, gender identities, and race. To make suggestions about new additions to this list, please contact the Ebooks Team to make a recommendation.