Yeah, I have been trying to make two points on this forum for a while:-
(1)The Amateur Radio Websites are a good resource for Engineers & Techs,whether they are "Hams" or not.
(2)The best way to learn about various types of circuitry is to see how other people have used the stuff you learned at Uni/Tech School!
It isn't really "copying",it's commonsense,as most common circuitry is public domain,anyway!
If you think you have a "new & innovative" way of doing something,you may find it has been tried & has not performed as well as traditional methods.
Of course,new components may have been developed which make a previously poor circuit a winner.
Even if your method is truly innovative,it may not perform as well as the other techniques in use.
VK6ZGO