CE Research Groups

Using the Alerts features of article databases can save you time! They automate some of your literature searching.  Two common alerting features are saved search alerts and table of contents alerts.

Saved search -- receive article citations that match a specified search strategy. 

Table of contents -- receive table of contents from a journal when new issues are published.

Alerts may be in the form of email or RSS.   Email results will be sent to the email you specify when new citations match your search.  RSS results, called feeds, will be sent to your RSS reader after you have added the feed to the reader; then periodically review your "feeds" in your RSS reader.

Steps for creating a Saved Search Alert:

1. Choose a database
2. Register (create a personal space)
3. Create a search strategy that produces relevant results
4. Save the search
5. Select from the alert options (may be RSS or email). 

Steps for creating a Table of Contents Alert:

1. Choose a journal
2. Find the publisher website, or a database that covers the journal
3. Register (create a personal space)
4. Locate the publication's home page on the site, or a record from the publication with the Alerts option. 
5. Set up a table of contents alert (may be RSS or email). 

Some databases do not require registration in order to enable RSS feeds.  RSS feeds will be sent to your RSS reader after you have added the feed to the reader.  You then periodically review your "feeds" in your RSS reader.

Links below will take you to the help pages for the named database, then follow the instructions to get to the information about saved searches.