LibrarySkills@UCL

If you are new to UCL, our these pages will guide you through all you need to know to get started with using the libraries, library resources and services at UCL.

The following videos are recordings of online sessions which introduce the skills required to undertake the library research process and outline the guidance, training and support available at UCL to enable students to develop those skills.

When you start out it's important to make sure you feel confident about accessing resources. In this section you'll find information about:

• Understanding your topic
• Different types of resouce
• Finding your reading list
• Accessing our libraries

Searching for relevant useful information is not always easy, but this guide will help to get you started.

• Get to grips with using Explore.
• Find out how to search for topics in Explore.
• Learn how to find a journal article and a book using Explore.

At any stage of your academic journey, you need to be able to verify the information you use in your research and writing. When you're getting started you should aim to:

• Understand which are the key authoritative resources for your subject.
• Think critically about information to decide whether it is suitable for your academic work.

From the outset you should think about how you will ensure you are maintaining academic standards to avoid plagiarism. Having a solid knowledge of referencing formats will also help you to understand the types of items on your reading list.

In today's society, communication of information is rapid and easy through a number of tools and technologies. When you're getting started, you should understand:

• some of the different formats for communicating research
• the importance of using different sources to get a variety of perspectives on a topic.