The UCLA Library has launched “Bruin Success With Less Stress,� a student-centered, interactive, online tutorial designed to guide undergraduate students through information literacy topics including intellectual property, file sharing, citing and documenting sources, project management, and academic dishonesty. The tutorial can be accessed at www.library.ucla.edu/bruinsuccess; it is open to users anywhere without restriction.

“It’s vital that the library take an active role in helping all users, particularly undergraduates, understand the complex intellectual property environment in which our academic enterprise operates,� said University Librarian Gary E. Strong. “This tutorial addresses these difficult issues with clarity, conciseness and humor.�

Users are guided through the tutorial by characters Carlos and Eddie, who represent typical students and give the content a lighthearted, informal tone. The intellectual property section covers the basics of copyright, including fair use, patents and trademarks. The file?sharing section examines file sharing in general, as well as UCLA computer network policies on this subject. The section on citing and documenting sources covers how and when to cite, as well as how to avoid accidental plagiarism. The project-management section gives strategies for organizing and tracking research, managing assignments and due dates, avoiding stress, and seeking help when necessary. The section on academic dishonesty outlines UCLA policy and how to avoid violating it.

Each section ends with an interactive quiz that gives immediate feedback on the answers. After finishing each quiz, users can print a certificate of completion. Lists of Web and print resources provide further information for each section. Users also can download Adobe PDF documents that summarize the content of each section.

The tutorial was created by the Information Literacy Program, a UCLA Library program designed to enhance students’ ability to locate information efficiently, evaluate it and use it effectively. The project was directed by Pauline Swartz, information literacy and reference librarian in the College Library, and designed by Ben Benjamin and Ellen Watanabe.

Ranked among the top 10 research libraries in the United States, the UCLA Library system is a campuswide network whose principal components are the Charles E. Young Research Library, the College Library and seven subject libraries. Its collections encompass more than 7.6 million volumes as well as important collections of archives, audiovisual materials, corporate reports, government publications, manuscripts, maps, microforms, oral history transcripts, photographs, technical reports and other scholarly resources.