Alert Services and RSS Feeds

Many databases have alert services to help you stay current in your field.

Different Types of Alert Services

• Saved searches, search-alerts and SDIs (Selective Dissemination of Information) will notify you when new articles match a saved search. Searches can be on a subject, author, or contain specific keywords.
• Citation alerts notify you when new publications cite a particular work.
• Table of Contents (TOC) services will send you a journal table of contents when a new issue has been published.
• RSS Feeds will automatically check for updates and displays them for you on a single webpage.
  
  Setting up Alert Services

• In most cases, you will need to register with the database or publisher site in order to set up an alert. Registration and related services are free to Vanderbilt users with a VUNet ID and Password.
• Start with the database(s) and journals you use most frequently.
• Look on the home page for terms such as "alert", "email updates", "sign-in", or "my account". Some databases, don't link to alert services from the home page, but the services are offered once you sign-in or after you perform a search.
• See the list below of Alert Services for Major Databases.
  
  Setting up RSS Feeds

• To follow or subscribe to an RSS feed, you need a "feed reader". Some popular readers are: Bloglines, Firefox (browser), Google Reader and NewsGator but there are many others. To find out more about feed readers and choosing a reader, try reading this article.
• If you are wondering if a journal, magazine, newspaper, website or database has RSS available, be on the look-out for icons such as these: or
• See the list below of some RSS Feeds for Major Journal Aggregators and look for the RSS symbol in the list of Alert Services for Major Databases.

You can ask your librarian to advise you on creating alerts, RSS feeds and optimal search strategies.

 

Alert Services for Major Databases:

Acorn	Called: Acorn Alerts Start by clicking Account Login. After performing a search, click on item Details for alert options.
America: History and Life	Called: Clio Alert Click on Advanced Search and then click on the Personal Profile [view] link.
Art Full Text	Called: SDI Start by clicking the SDI link on the top navigation bar of the home page.
A.T.L.A. Religion Database	Called: Alerts Start by clicking on Sign In in the upper left of the main page. Then click on folders to see alert options. Instructions.
BIOSIS	Called: Citation Alerts & Table of Contents Alerts Start by clicking the Citation Alerts or My Journals link on the right side of main page.
Business Source Premier	Called: Alerts Start by clicking on Sign In in the upper left of the main page. Then click on folders to see alert options. Instructions.
Compendex	Called: Alerts Start by clicking on the My Alerts link in the upper-right of the search page.
EconLit	Called: SDI Start by clicking on the SDI link in the upper-right of the search page.
Education Abstracts	Called: Alerts Start by clicking on the Create Alerts link on the left side of the search page. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
Google	Called: Alerts Start by going to the Google Alerts page.
Historical Abstracts	Called: Clio Alert Click on Advanced Search and then click on the Personal Profile [view] link.
Index to Legal Periodicals	Called: Alerts Start by clicking on the Create Alerts link on the left side of the search page. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
MLA (Literature Online)	Called: Author Alerts Start by clicking on My Archive and sign in. Then click on Author Alerts.
PAIS	Called: Alerts To subscribe, click on alerts, you will be prompted to sign-in/sign-up. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
Philosophers Index	Called: Alerts To subscribe, click on alerts, you will be prompted to sign-in/sign-up. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
Prisma - Publicaciones y Revistas Sociales y Humanisticas	Called: Saved Searches To subscribe, click on My Archive, you will be prompted to sign in/sign-up. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
ProQuest	Called: Alerts After performing a search, scroll to the end of search results and click on Set up Alert. See also the Help on Alerts.
PsycINFO	Called: SDI Start by clicking the SDI link on the top navigation bar of the home page.
PubMed (Medline)	Called: Saved Search Start by clicking on Sign In the top right of the PubMed main page. After performing a search, click on Save Search.
ScienceDirect	Called: Alerts Start by clicking on the alerts link on the ScienceDirect/Elsevier home page. You will be prompted to sign-in/sign-up. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
Sociological Abstracts	Called: Alerts To subscribe, click on alerts, you will be prompted to sign-in/sign-up. You can save alerts after you have performed a search.
Web of Knowledge	Called: Citation Alerts & Table of Contents Alerts Start by clicking the Citation Alerts or My Journals link on the right side of main page.

RSS Feeds for Major Journal Aggregators:

IngentaConnect	Click for instructions. Search the publication you are interested in, the orange RSS button appears to the right of the list of volumes and issues available.
Project Muse	Click for instructions and RSS available journals.
Religion and Philosophy Collection	Click for instructions and information.
Springer LINK	Click for instructions and RSS available journals by topic.

 

Please send comments, additions and corrections to: Hilary Rudsenske