Citing Sources, Scientific Writing, & Poster Presentations: Biology

When information is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, the source of that information must be documented. Otherwise, you are guilty of plagiarism. See the Library's Academic Integrity Tutorial.

Various standards have been created for citing sources in different disciplines such as CSE (Council of Science Editors, formerly the CBE, Council of Biology Editors), APA (American Psychological Association), and MLA (Modern Language Association). Please note that standards for citing electronic information are still evolving, and many print and electronic style guides may appear to be inconsistent in their instructions.

Your professor may have specified which format you should follow; if not, choose one style to follow, and use that style.

Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (8th edition 2014)
This manual from the Council of Science Editors contains scientific publication style and format guidelines for journals, books, and other publications.
Call Number: REFERENCE T11.S386 2014

Scientific Style and Format Citation Quick Guide (8th ed.) - Council of Science Editors

CSE Quick Citation Guide - Penn State University Libraries
Provides examples for the three systems of references for CSE.

Note: RefWorks is a web-based citation management tool you can use to create and format bibliographies. Also formats citations in MS Word documents.

Journal Abbreviations:

Bioscience Journal Abbreviations (Berkeley Library, University of California)

CAS Source Index (CASSI) Search Tool

Journals in PubMed & NCBI Databases (U.S. National Library of Medicine Catalog)

ISSN List of Title Word Abbreviations

Writing and Poster Guides:

Creating Effective Poster Presentations
by George Hess, Kathryn Tosney, and Leon Liegel, North Carolina State University.

Designing Science Presentations: A Visual Guide to Figures, Papers, Slides, Posters and More
by Matt Carter     E-Book (UPEI login)

Posters, Presentations, & Science Writing (Berkeley Library, University of California)

Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals and Presentations 2nd ed.
Call Number: STACKS Q223.H63 2014

Short Guide to Writing About Biology (9th ed. 2016) by Jan Pechenik
Call Number: STACKS QH304.P43 2016

Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-By-Step Guide for the Biological and Medical Sciences
Call Number: STACKS R119.M28 2014

Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide 2014
by Diane Schnidt    E-Book (UPEI login)

Writing in the Biological Sciences: A Comprehensive Resource for Scientific Communication
Call Number: STACKS QH304.H64 2013

Writing for Science and Engineering Papers, Presentations and Reports 2013
by Heather Silyn-Roberts

Writing Scientific Research Articles: Strategy and Steps 2013
by Margaret Cargill & Patrick O'Connor
 

Compiled by: Dawn Hooper, B.Sc., M.L.S.
Former Data & Research Services Librarian
Date Revised: June 2017

Not specified