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Help with Creating Database Alerts

Guide to Search, Journal TOC and RSS Services

Locating Journals of Interest

  1. Search the UML e-journal title search - This will link you to the UML database that indexes the journal. Follow the directions for the database to set up an alert.
  2. Search Journal TOCs - In addition to journal TOC this site also enables searching article titles to set up alerts.
  3. Search Google for the journal - Go direct to the journal website. Most Publisher websites will let you set up a TOC or an RSS.

Alerting Services

Alerting Services allow you to keep up to date with the latest research and literature in your field of study. Most of the databases to which the library subscribes provides these services as do most journal publishers and even certain websites. Types of Alerts include:
  • Table of Contents Alerts (TOC) - The tables of contents of selected journals are sent to you by email or  to your RSS reader account
  • Saved Search Alerts (SSA) - A Saved Search Alert is based on a previous database search. The search is run at specified intervals, usually weekly, and you are alerted if any new articles based on your search have been published.
  • Citation Alerts (CA) - A Citation Alert notifies you by email when an article of interest is referenced or cited by another article.
  • New Publications Alert (NPA) - Notifies the user of new publications (not journal issues) available from the publisher or organisation.

For most alert services you must register, create a password and establish a profile or personal account; for others you simply provide your email address. Some alert services limit the number of searches you can save. In many databases you can define how often a search is run.

Saved Search Alerts

We use a number of different vendors (Ebsco, Gale, Proquest, etc.) for our databases. They each have their own way to set up a saved search. Use the tabs above to get instructions for a specific vendor. If you have problems or would like a one-on-one demonstration, you can contact me or one of the reference librarians.