Databases use alerting features to help you save searches for later reuse. It automates searching the database for the latest records matching your saved searches. The database then sends you updated results for the search by e-mail or RSS feed.
Search alerts can differ from database to database, but the general principles are similar. Alerts are usually set up from a database Search History or equivalent after the user has signed in using their profile/account details.
Conduct a search using relevant search term/s and limits.
Save the search as an alert. You will be prompted to sign-in or register.
Name the alert and select alert option (e.g. email alert).
Choose alert notification frequency (e.g. receive weekly or monthly alerts).
As more documents matching your search are added to Scopus, you will receive alerts from Scopus sent to your email.
As more documents matching your search are added to Web of Science, you will receive alerts from Web of Science sent to your email.
Google scholar alerts and Google alerts are a great tool for research, as you can set an alert so that Google searches the web on a regular topic gathering hits on a topic of interest from a range of sources (including news sources, videos and blogs).
You can run a number of alerts concurrently, and revisit your Google Alerts account to modify/add/remove alerts.
For advanced Google searching tips, look towards the Advanced Google searching guide.
Search alerts over a broad range of multidisciplinary, social sciences, life and medical sciences, music, architecture, news and history EBSCOhost databases can be created. In 2025 the new EBSCOhost search platform will be adopted and this resource will be replaced with an updated version.