Keeping Up to Date in Law

Using RSS Feeds

Many websites and databases allow you to set up email or RSS alerts. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. An RSS feed is an easy way to be informed if there is new content on a website.

To set up and access RSS feeds, you can use a feed reader or Outlook Mail:

1. Many browsers have built in feed readers or alternatively you can sign up for a free web based reader like FeedReader, Feedly, Netvibes, etc. Once you have decided on your reader, make sure you are logged in or have the browser open, and simply click on the RSS icon on the webpage you want to receive RSS feeds from. Then click on "Subscribe to this Feed" and follow the prompts.  
    
2. If you are using Microsoft Outlook Mail, you can have feeds sent automatically to your email inbox into an RSS feed folder. For more information and help on setting this up, see the Microsoft RSS help webpage.

3. If you are using Zotero reference management software, you can use the RSS Import feature to add new materials and saved database searches to your library.

Monitoring Web Pages that have no RSS feed or email alert

You can set up an alert to monitor changes to a web page even if the website in question doesn't offer an email or RSS alert option. Here are a few suggestions on how to do this.

Setting up a web page monitoring alert

The following services send you emails when any changes have been made to a webpage specified by you. The emails include details of what has changed. You will need to register for a free account.

Converting any web page to an RSS feed

The following services allow you to generate free RSS feeds for any website:

Managing email alerts

You can manage email alerts out of your inbox by establishing mail rules based on sender or subject. These rules can file messages by subject, automatically download attachments or delete the emails after a particular period of time.