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DIY Tutorials

Watch these videos at your own pace to learn more about library topics, research skills, and resources.

Library Basics

Discover why the Virtual Private Network (VPN) is important for your library research and where you can locate VPN download information.
Learn how to locate ebooks (electronic books) in UC Library Search, the Library's catalog. (1:52)
This quick video will help UC Merced faculty, staff, and students easily use our campus room reservation system, EMS, to book KL 360 or KL 397.  (3:31)

Research Skills: Introductory

This tutorial series includes eight sections:Information Privilege & Accessing InformationUnderstanding the Information CycleDeveloping a Research QuestionFinding & Selecting...
In this interactive tutorial, you will practice searching for information in the PubMed database. 
Use citation information (e.g. author, article title, journal title etc.) to find the full-text of that known item using a search tool like Google Scholar or UC Library Search. 

Research Skills: Advanced

Credo Reference is a collection of searchable online reference books including specialized encyclopedias.  This is an excellent resource for readable, background information.  This tutorial...
Use an article's citations trails to find more information related to your research. Look for citation trails in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and UC Library Search.
Learn how CREDO Reference can help you locate important background information on a variety of topics. (3:11)

Resources & Tools

Opposing Viewpoints will help you find scholarly and popular sources about current events. Opposing Viewpoints provides multiple opinions on a variety of topics. Videos, images, and other media are...
Academic Search Complete is a great database to use as you start your research. Learn how you can use it to access a wide range of materials.
PsycINFO is a psychology database that you can use to find empirical articles (articles that report on original research).