WI+RE (Writing Instruction + Research Education) is a UCLA community focused on helping all learners succeed in their writing and research projects.
We support the research and learning mission of the university by providing online access to a systematic foundation of research, writing and information literacy skills. As learners ourselves, we stay current on shifts in the information landscape, and create and provide opportunities for learners to get involved with a variety of methods and technologies used in research and research production, especially through the instructional process/learning process. Our resources are designed to empower learners with practical skills and information necessary to excel at UCLA and beyond.
Get to know the new PubMed's Advanced Search Builder! Check it out to learn more about how to:
* Find articles on a topic or by subject
* Access full text versions of articles
* View your PubMed search history, including key words
* Use search filters to get the best results!
This interactive comic is your introduction to finding digital images at the UCLA Library and beyond! It covers how to find image databases and online exhibits, as well as how to approach searching for and citing online images. Check out the comic’s embedded links for additional info!
Learning Outcomes:
Use the UCLA Library website to find and cite image resources
Explain the difference between copyright and creative commons licensing
With Zotero, you'll never have to stress again about making a properly-formatted bibliography! Zotero makes collecting, organizing, and analyzing your research sources easy. This tutorial will help you navigate the application and offer some neat tips and tricks for utilizing Zotero!
Learning Outcomes:
Create Zotero Account
Organize your Library
Generate a bibliography in a chosen citation style (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
Using Google Scholar to find sources for your research can yield you a lot of articles, journals, books, and more. But how do you find the right sources? Here are some tips and tricks for maximizing Google Scholar’s potential.
Learning Outcomes:
Adopt new strategies for improving a Google Scholar search
Use Google Scholar's Advanced Search
Use quotes in their search
Use AND, OR, NOT, and Parentheses in their search.
This tutorial identifies the Digital Library as a resource for supporting primary source research, and outlines how to find and access the Digital Library as well as its scope.
Learning Outcomes:
Understand how to access and find resources on the Digital Library website
Looking to vary the ways in which you cite your sources? Here are several ideas for integrating citations with sophistication and efficiency!
Now that you've done your research, it's time to cite your sources. We sampled several academic papers to show you a variety of ways you can integrate your sources into your own writing. In these examples, we followed the APA style guidelines. Use these strategies to diversify your writing and show your readers how your sources contributed to your work!
Are you applying to present your research project at a conference or submitting it for publication? If yes, you will most likely have to submit a research abstract. Here's a quick introduction that will teach you all about abstracts.
Navigate through the module below to learn...
What is a research abstract?
How to write an effective abstract
The difference between an ineffective and effective abstract
You can also view sample abstracts for your particular…
Looking for an efficient way to get an overview of a body of research on your topic? A review article is a great place to start.
A review article provides an analysis of the state of research on a set of related research questions. Review articles often:
summarize key research findings;
reference must-read articles;
describe current areas of agreement as well as controversies and debates;
point out gaps in knowledge and unanswered questions;
You've spent weeks, months, and maybe even years working on a research project. You know why this project is important and what your next steps will be, but are you prepared to explain all of that to the next person who asks you about your research? You should take some time now and create an elevator speech to pitch in these situations.
Literature reviews are great resources for research projects in all disciplines, presenting the key ideas in a field, pointing to must-read articles, and sugesting directions for future research. How do you go about writing one, though? This page is a collection of resources and tips for creating your own literature review.
Helpful resources and a solid methodology can be key to a successful research project. We'll show you some tips for finding relevant resources, and guide you through the beginning stages of developing your methodology.
By the end of this activity, you'll be able to:
When it comes to research, a little planning goes a long way. We’ll go over how to come up with a research plan and start a research notebook!
By the end of this activity, you'll be able to:
Coming up with a good research question is essential for any research! Whether you're joining a faculty-led group or initiating an independent research project, research questions will be central to your work.
By the end of this activity, you'll be able to:
Generate potential research questions
Refine and improve your research questions
Explain the broader significance of your research question
If you are joining a faculty-led project, you can…
Once you've decided to do research, the next step is to make a list of research opportunities that interest you!
By the end of this activity, you'll be able to:
Identify your research interests
Identify potential mentors and research projects
Make a list of potential mentors and research projects
Before getting started with research, it's important to know the difference between faculty- and student-led projects, as well as how to earn course credit for your research.
By the end of this activity, you'll be able to:
Identify benefits of faculty- and student-led research projects
Identify differences between SRP 99 and Departmental 195-199.
Congratulations! You've spent weeks, months, and maybe even years working on a research project that you're proud of. Now you will need to present your research and its significance in a concise manner. You will learn how to share your research in two formats: the research abstract, and the elevator speech.
By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:
Write a research abstract
Deliver an effective elevator speech about your research project
Keeping track of all your sources can be frustrating and overwhelming—but with a little bit of organization, managing sources can be a breeze!
In this activity, you will learn how to auto-generate your bibliography in virtually any citation style, keep track of your sources, and more! This workshop will show you how Zotero can help save and organize your research sources.
By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:
Whether you're working on a capstone project, a senior thesis, or taking on an in-depth research paper, it may seem overwhelming to put together an effective plan.
In this activity, you will be asked to think about your research topic or question and come up with a few concrete project goals. Then, you will learn more about the research process, what challenges and successes are to come, and several strategies to tackle your tasks!
By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:
Navigate your research with ease and pick out the best sources for your project! In this module, you'll explore the library research guides, learn strategies for finding the information you need, and find out about research consultations.
By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:
Looking to get involved with research at UCLA? Anyone can do research, and this workshop connects you with resources and opportunities to help you get started today!
In this activity, you will learn about getting started with research at UCLA. By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:
Identify possible areas of interest for a research project
Find campus resources that match your needs and interests
Create a concrete plan with the first steps for getting…
In this interactive online workshop, you will learn strategies for generating research questions and turning those questions into keywords. Coming up with keywords will help you craft more effective searches!By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:Develop specific research questions from a topicTurn questions into keywordsConstruct a preliminary search for your specific research question
The workshop includes interactive videos and self-assessment questions.
Writing a literature review can seem like a daunting task. It involves finding sources, synthesizing them, and relating them to your research topic. This workshop will guide you through the process of writing a literature review, providing plenty of examples and tips along the way.By the end of this activity, you'll be able to:
Recognize key components of a literature review
Identify a knowledge gap in previous research and express how you can address the gap
This interactive online workshop introduces and defines plagiarism and discusses when and how to cite, quote, paraphrase, and summarize.
Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:
Identify strategies for avoiding plagiarism
Accurately cite sources in a consistent style
Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote a text
The workshop includes integrated self-assessment and feedback.
Created in collaboration with Dr. Jordan Moberg Parker, UCLA's Director of Undergraduate Laboratory Curriculum and Assessment in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, C.R.E.A.T.E.S. is a set of 6 steps that help learners read and critically analyze scientific papers. The C.R.E.A.T.E.S. method, pioneered by Dr. Sally Hoskins, has a demonstrated positive impact on undergraduate students' self-confidence in scientific reading, as well as in their general perceptions of and beliefs…