Help Guides image map navigation

Find Books Using the “Melvyl Catalog”
<http://searchlight.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/searchlight>

1. SELECT DISCIPLINARY CATEGORIES

2. TYPE SEARCH WORDS

3. VIEW RESULTS

4. EVALUATE RESULTS

Sift through results to find the most useful items, by answering these questions:

Who wrote it? (Expertise?) For books, who published it?
When was it published? For articles, in what publication did it appear?
Is it a peer-reviewed journal article, a magazine article, a newspaper article, etc.?

5. LOCATE ARTICLES ONLINE OR IN THE LIBRARY

For a paper copy, click on "See if your library has this..."
Couldn't find it?
Click on FULL RECORD, then on the UCLA link, & scroll down to see
the library name, call number, and list of volumes owned.

6. SEARCH TIPS: FOCUS YOUR SEARCH BY USING SUBJECTS, LIMITS OR TRUNCATION

a. Find a useful article and click on one of its subject or descriptor links—e.g., search the descriptor social dating in PsycInfo for information on interracial dating.
Couldn't find the subjects or descriptors?
Try clicking on VIEW RECORD & then scroll down.

b. Check for ways to limit your search—e.g., date range, journals only, complete text online, etc.

Couldn't find limit options?
Try using the advanced search.

c. Want to look up the singular, plural or root of a word at the same time?

Try finding the truncation or wildcard symbols in the online Help.
Then add one to a shortened version of one of your search words—e.g., caregiv*

7. PRINT, EMAIL, SAVE OR DOWNLOAD AN ITEM OR A LIST

Look for links to print, email or download citations, abstracts or complete text (if available).

Try it! Email an online article to yourself.

Questions? Ask a Librarian in-person at a reference desk, by phone, by email, OR, chat live with a librarian! <http://help.library.ucla.edu/index.cfm>

Created by Esther Grassian, 2004.
Permission is granted for unlimited non-commercial use.

© Regents of the University of California
Comments to: College Library Web Administrator
Last updated: May 2, 2004.