HKIEd Library Oct 2011

Keep Updated in Research: Using Alert Services

HKIEd LibraryOct 2011http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/instruct/workshops/materials/

Contents

Basics – What are Alert Services and Why How to subscribe to a RSS feed using IE

▪ Working Example 1: subscribe a predefined news feed▪ Working Example 2: customize your own news feed

More ways to subscribe & read RSS feeds

Alerts for Academics and Researchers Journals TOC Alerts – directly at publisher's web site or via Library-

subscribed databases Customized Search Alerts Citation Alerts Free Alert Services on the Web

Use Citation Linker to check full text availability from off-campus computers

Library Research Services for Faculties

Q&A + Hands-on: create your own alerts

Basics – What are Alert Services? And Why?

What are Alert Services Used For?

Alert services help you get informed on latest updates of information based on your choice of channels or pre-set criteria.

Alerts can be chosen from pre-defined channels or customized searches1. Channels offered by the information provider ▪ E.g. table of contents of the latest issues of a particular journal; statistics

update from the HK Census & Statistics Department; monthly new book list of publications on special education from your favorite publisher; non-academic stuff like latest football match scores, etc.

2. Alerts based on your search criteria▪ E.g. new additions to a particular database written by a particular author;

anyone citing a particular article that you have written; news articles matching certain keywords like ‘cyberbullying primary school students’;

Common forms of alerts: by email or RSS feeds

What is a RSS Feed?

In the good old days, news and information are often disseminated by print materials like newsletters and print catalogues.

Now, vendors want your email address so they can send all kinds of information they want you to know

Unlike email, RSS feeds provide you with the choice to choose what kinds of information to receive. Like listening to a radio, you can choose to tune in (subscribe) to the channels that you like and turn off (unsubscribe) at any time.

And unlike email, normally you don’t need to disclose your email address or even your identity when subscribing to RSS feeds

For more non-technical introduction to the nature and use of RSS: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/rssandlivewebfeeds/f/rss.htm

Subscribing a RSS Feed

Look for wordings like "Alert Services", RSS and symbols like these

You can choose and download a RSS Reader. But the easiest way to begin is to subscribe a RSS feed using your Internet browser like the Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Simple Task: Subscribe to some News Feeds

Subscribe to Yahoo! News RSS Feed(1) Predefined News Groups

http://news.yahoo.com

Scroll to the Bottom for “All Yahoo News”

Mouse over a category and you’ll see the option to

subscribe with RSS or My Yahoo!

Add the Feed to the

"My Favorite"

bar

The RSS Feed is now added to the "My Favorite"

Bar

Now you can access the Feed any time you want to

Subscribe to Yahoo! News RSS Feed(2) Customize Your Tracking Termshttp://news.yahoo.com

Do a News Search. E.g. occupy wall

street

Note the RSS icon of

IE is currently dimmed

When RSS Feed is available for the web page, the IE RSS Icon

will be on

Or click the RSS Icon to

subscribe this search

Many More RSS Feeds Available Elsewhere … simply look for

CNN News HK Yahoo! News, Mingpao iNews,

RTHK Express News Library Pressdisplay

SCMP, The Guardian, The Washington Post, etc.

HK Gov't Services RSS

Virtually all blogs provide some sorts of RSS Feeds: e.g. the HKIEd Library Blog

Any you may already notice: RSS is just One of Many Other Web 2.0 Social Networking Features

Other Ways to Read RSS Feeds

You can add your RSS Feeds to your Google / Yahoo! Personal home page and access it anywhere My Yahoo! iGoogle or use the Google Reader

Other Ways to Read RSS FeedsGoogle Reader

Other Ways to Read RSS FeedsGoogle Reader

Other Ways to Read RSS FeedsEmail readers (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird, etc)

RSS in MS

Outlook

Other Ways to Read RSS FeedsDownload a Dedicated RSS Reader

There are many free RSS Readers. E.g. RSSOwl Reader (http://www.rssowl.org/)

RSS Reader can stay at the Windows Bar

but pop up the headings when new

feeds arrive

Alert Services for Academics and Researchers

Journals Table Of Contents Alerts

Most major publishers are providing various alert services by email and / or RSS.

For those journals that no alert services are provided by the publisher, you can probably get the TOC indirectly via Library-subscribed databases

Usually you will need to register with the publishers first before you can set up email alerts. In addition to TOC alerts, many publishers also provide additional functions like allowing you to keep a bookmark of your favorite journals, favorite articles, saved searches and even tracking services.

Links to Selected E-Journal Publishers Alert Services Instructions / Signup Pages

Cambridge Journals Online http://journals.cambridge.org/action/registration

Emerald Fulltext http://www.emeraldinsight.com/profile/index.htm

Oxford Journals Online https://access.oxfordjournals.org/oup/login/local.do

SAGE Journals Online http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts/etoc

ScienceDirect (Elsevier) http://help.sciencedirect.com/flare/Content/faq_alerts.htm

Springerlink http://www.springerlink.com/help/faq/personalization.mpx#1

Taylor & Francis http://www.tandfonline.com/page/help/account-features

Wiley Online Library http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-404512.html

Journals TOC Alerts via Publishers Example 1: Oxford Journals Online

E.g. Found Literature & Theology in Library catalogue

A typical OUP journal home

page.RSS and

other alerts options are available.

Some require a free

registration first.

Registration allows you to receive information by email

Registered users can also create Cite Alert and receive emails by setting up keywords / citation tracking

Journals TOC Alerts via Publishers Example 2: Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals E.g. Found

International Journal of Educational Research in Library catalogue

A typical ScienceDirect journal home

page.RSS and other alerts options are available.

Some require a free

registration first.

You may also save your favorite

searches and set up search alerts if you register with

Elsevier

Journals TOC Alerts via Publishers Example 3: SAGE Journals Online

E.g. Found Theory and Research in Education in Library catalogue

A typical SAGE journal home page.

RSS and other alerts options are available.

Some require a free

registration first.

Register with SAGE if you want email alerts for TOC & Customized Searches

Journals TOC Alerts via Lib Databases Example 1: ProQuest platform Found Teaching Business and Economics from

Library catalogue

You may create RSS Alerts

You may also sign up for Email Alert

You must click the confirmation link in

an email sent to your email account to activate the alert

service

You may also create your ProQuest account under "My Research" for additional functions

For more comprehensive functions on top of email alerts, create your ProQuest account under "My Research"

Journals TOC Alerts via Lib Databases Example 2: EBSCOhost platform Found

Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly from Library catalogue

Check: make sure this journal

is an active journal in this

databaseAlert options available. But

user must register and sign

in to create alerts

Add the RSS Feed but You Must Click “Save Alert” after adding the feed

Email Option Only Appears AFTER

you Sign In

Alerts using Customized Search Terms – EBSCOHost platform

Sign in first in order to be able to save your search, set up email

alerts, etc.

Click "Folder" icon to Manage Your Alerts

Sample Email Alert from Ebscohost

Citation Alerts – Tracking Citations to Articles

Citation Alert for an Article Using Web of Knowledge (Social Sciences Citation Index)

Sign in first in order to be able to save your search, set up email

alerts, etc.

Register to create search history alerts, citation search alerts,

etc.

Create Citation Alert from article

details screen

Click "My Citation Alerts" to Manage

Your Citation Alerts

Can Also Save Your Searches and Create Alerts

SCOPUS is Another Database Providing Citation Alerts

Other Free Alerts for Academicson the Web

You can create Email Alerts for your Searches

Email Alerts with Google Scholar

http://scholar.google.com

You don't need to register or login first. But you must confirm the verification email

Article Citation Alerts is also Available in Google Scholar

Click "Cited by XX" will show all works citing this

item

From this result list of entries

citing a particular article, "Create email alert" will track citations to

this article

ERICweb Also Provides RSS Alerts and it is Freehttp://www.eric.ed.gov/

Accessing Articles from Off-campus Computers – Using the Citation Linker

Links in Vendor's Email Alerts / RSS feeds may ask you to PAY …

Try Citation Linker to check if the Library has already provided full text access

Enter the ISSN or Name of the Journal; plus year, volume,

issue and start page in Citation Linker to check

Library Research Services for Research & Academic Staff

Library Research Services

We can Create Email / RSS Alerts for Faculties

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