Staying Current: keeping up-to-date

Introducing search alerts

Alerting services in databases can help you save searches for later reuse. The alert automatically searches 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. 

Different databases follows different procedures for setting up search alerts, 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. 

Getting started:

1. Conduct a search using relevant search term/s and limits  

2. Save the search as an alert. You will be prompted to sign-in or register (see box above)

3. Name the alert and select alert option (e.g. email alert)

4. Choose alert notification frequency (e.g. receive weekly or monthly alerts)

1. Scopus search alerts

As more documents about your search are added to Scopus, you will receive alerts from Scopus sent to your email.

Setting Scopus search alerts

2. Web of Science search alerts

3. Google Scholar topic alerts

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). 

1. Create a Google account if you do not already have one.
2. Go to Google Alerts.
3. Create Topic alerts: Fill in the search terms for the topic you wish to monitor, and other details in the Create Alert box.
4. Enter your email address.

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.

Setting Google Scholar topic alerts

4. Ebscohost search alerts

5. Dimensions email updates

Creating Dimensions email updates