Biochemistry: Referencing & Writing

A reference is not only the way we identify a source of information we have used, it is also a way that we can locate a source of information.

While you are studying, you will need to find and use references, and cite and reference the information you use.

Parts of a reference include:

• Author(s) or editor(s)
• Title (of book, book chapter, article, webpage, documentary, etc.)
• Date of publication
• Publisher and place of publication (books)
• Page numbers
• Journal title, journal volume and issue (articles)
• And, other elements that are specific to the type of source, e.g. edition of a book, or DOI or URL for online content.

References are formatted differently, depending on the referencing style used. Here is a break-down of an example of a journal article reference in the APA (American Psychological Association) style:

Jerrentrup, A., Mueller, T., Glowalla, U., Herder, M., Henrichs, N., Neubauer, A., & Schaefer, J. R. (2018). Teaching medicine with the help of “Dr. House”. PLoS ONE, 13(3), Article e0193972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193972

• Jerrentrup, A., Mueller, T., Glowalla, U., Herder, M., Henrichs, N., Neubauer, A., & Schaefer, J. R.

The authors are listed first, last name followed by initials.

• (2018).

The year of publication is written after the authors, in brackets.

• Teaching medicine with the help of “Dr. House”.

The title is next, e.g.; article title, book or book chapter, webpage, documentary, etc.

• PLoS ONE,

Next is the name of the wider source if there is one (in APA it is written in italics), e.g.; this is where you would write the title of a journal that an article is found in, or the title of a book that a book chapter is in.

• 13(3),

For journal articles, this is where you write the journal number (in italics), followed by the journal issue (in brackets). 

• Article e0193972.

Next, the page numbers, or the article number is written; like it is in this example.

• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193972

Finally, the DOI or an URL is included, because this is how we find the resource online.

NB: Full stops, commas, brackets and italics are all part of the referencing style, and will differ according to the particular style you are using or reading.

References will also differ depending on the source of your information, e.g., a webpage won’t have page numbers, or if you are citing a physical book, you would write the publisher last, instead of a DOI or URL.

Citing and referencing the ideas and research you use in your assignments is a critical part of all academic work because it:

• Acknowledges how others' work has influenced your thinking.
• Provides evidence for your arguments, and
• Assists other researchers to locate the sources you used.

Citing and referencing avoids plagiarism by giving you a way to correctly attribute credit to other authors or researchers.

The University of Otago takes plagiarism seriously. These resources will help you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

• Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct Information

Information about academic misconduct, including definitions.

• Plagiarism

Definition of plagiarism and information on how to avoid it.

• Where to seek advice

Identifies a range of support services and resources.

It is a good idea to have a basic understanding of what copyright is and how it pertains to what we do at University.

For information, explore the following linked websites:

• Copyright at Otago
• Copyright Information for Thesis Students
• Creating and sharing ideas in a connected world

• Scientific Writing Resource / Duke University Graduate School

A free, online course in scientific writing that teaches how to write effectively in the sciences. It is structured in three lessons, with each containing principles, examples, and a worksheet for you to complete.

• Writing the Scientific Paper / Writing @ Columbia State University

A concise section-by-section guide to writing a scientific paper, including examples and some links to further resources.

• Academic Writing @ Online Writing Lab (OWL)

This is a more general resource on academic writing from Purdue University. It has useful sections on; conciseness, paragraphs, using logic, and varying your sentences.