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Keep Updated in Research: Using Alert Services

HKIEd Library2013http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/instruct/workshops/materials/

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Contents

Basics – What are Alert Services and Why How to subscribe to a RSS feed using IE

▪ Working Example 1: subscribe a predefined topics▪ Working Example 2: customize your own news feed

More ways to subscribe & read RSS feeds

Alerts for Academics and Researchers Journals TOC Alerts – directly at publisher's web site or via

Library-subscribed databases Customized Search Alerts Citation Alerts Free Alert Services on the Web

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Basics – What are Alert Services? And Why?

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What are Alert Services Used For?

Alert services help you get informed on latest updates of information based on your choice of channels or pre-set criteria.

Alerts can be chosen from pre-defined channels or customized searches1. Channels offered by the information provider

▪ E.g. table of contents of the latest issues of a particular journal; statistics update from the HK Census & Statistics Department; monthly new book list of publications on special education from your favorite publisher; non-academic stuff like latest football match scores, etc.

2. Alerts based on your search criteria▪ E.g. new additions to a particular database written by a particular author;

anyone citing a particular article that you have written; news articles matching certain keywords like ‘cyberbullying primary school students’;

Common forms of alerts: by email or RSS feeds

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What is a RSS Feed?

In the good old days, news and information are often disseminated by print materials like newsletters and print catalogues.

Now, vendors want your email address so they can send all kinds of information they want you to know

Unlike email, RSS feeds provide you with the choice to choose what kinds of information to receive. Like listening to a radio, you can choose to tune in (subscribe) to the channels that you like and turn off (unsubscribe) at any time.

And unlike email, normally you don’t need to disclose your email address or even your identity when subscribing to RSS feeds

For more non-technical introduction to the nature and use of RSS: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/rssandlivewebfeeds/f/rss.htm

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Subscribing a RSS Feed

Look for wordings like "Alert Services", RSS and symbols like these

You can choose and download a RSS Reader. But the easiest way to begin is to subscribe a RSS feed using your Internet browser like the Internet Explorer or Firefox.

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Simple Task: Subscribe to Article Alerts/ News Feeds

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(1)Subscribe to Article Alert

http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/resources/alert/index.html

Click on the RSS icon

New

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Add the Feed to the

"My Favorite"

bar

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(2)Subscribe to Yahoo! News RSS Feed(i) News Groups

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/

Scroll to the Bottom for “網站指南”

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Mouse over a category and youll see the option to

subscribe with RSS or My Yahoo!

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Add the Feed to the

"My Favorite"

bar

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(2)Subscribe to Yahoo! News RSS Feed(ii) Customize Your Tracking Terms

Note the RSS icon of

IE is currently dimmed

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When RSS Feed is available for the web page, the IE RSS Icon

will be on

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Many More RSS Feeds Available Elsewhere … simply look for

CNN News Mingpao iNews, RTHK Express News,

SCMP Library Pressdisplay

The Guardian, The Washington Post, etc. HK Gov't Services RSS Virtually all blogs provide some sorts

of RSS Feeds: e.g. the HKIEd Library Blog

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Any you may already notice: RSS is just One of Many Other Web 2.0 Social Networking Features

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Other Ways to Read RSS Feeds Using a browser equipped with an RSS reader

- Vary in different browser RSS subscription in Internet Explorer

RSS subscription in FireFox

RSS subscription in Google Chrome

Using a dedicated RSS ReaderFree RSS readers are easy to find by searching online with keywords such as "RSS reader".

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Other Ways to Read RSS FeedsDownload a Dedicated RSS Reader

There are many free RSS Readers. E.g. RSSOwl Reader (http://www.rssowl.org/)

RSS Reader can stay at the Windows Bar

but pop up the headings when new

feeds arrive

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Alert Services for Academics and Researchers

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Journals Table Of Contents Alerts

Most major publishers are providing various alert services by email and / or RSS.

For those journals that no alert services are provided by the publisher, you can probably get the TOC indirectly via Library-subscribed databases

Usually you will need to register with the publishers first before you can set up email alerts. In addition to TOC alerts, many publishers also provide additional functions like allowing you to keep a bookmark of your favorite journals, favorite articles, saved searches and even tracking services.

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Links to Selected E-Journal Publishers Alert Services Instructions / Signup Pages

Cambridge Journals Online http://journals.cambridge.org/action/registration

Emerald Fulltext http://www.emeraldinsight.com/profile/index.htm

Oxford Journals Online https://access.oxfordjournals.org/oup/login/local.do

SAGE Journals Online http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts/etoc

ScienceDirect (Elsevier) http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (click Register)

Springerlink http://link.springer.com/signup-login?previousUrl=%2F

Taylor & Francis https://www.tandfonline.com/action/registration/1/show

Wiley Online Library http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/user-registration

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Journals TOC Alerts via Publishers Example 1: Oxford Journals Online

E.g. Found Literature & Theology in Library catalogue

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A typical OUP journal home

page.RSS and

other alerts options are available.

Some require a free

registration first.

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Registration allows you to receive information by email

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Registered users can also create Cite Alert and receive emails by setting up keywords / citation tracking

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Journals TOC Alerts via Publishers Example 2: Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals E.g. Found

International Journal of Educational Research in Library catalogue

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A typical ScienceDirect journal home

page.RSS and other alerts options are available.

Some require a free

registration first.

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You may also save your favorite

searches and set up search alerts if you register with

Elsevier

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Journals TOC Alerts via Publishers Example 3: SAGE Journals Online

E.g. Found Theory and Research in Education in Library catalogue

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A typical SAGE journal home page.

RSS and other alerts options are available.

Some require a free

registration first.

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Register with SAGE if you want email alerts for TOC & Customized Searches

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Journals TOC Alerts via Lib Databases Example 1: ProQuest platform Found Teaching Business and Economics from

Library catalogue

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You may create RSS Alerts

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You may also sign up for Email Alert

You must click the confirmation link in

an email sent to your email account to activate the alert

service

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You may also create your ProQuest account under "My Research" for additional functions

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For more comprehensive functions on top of email alerts, create your ProQuest account under "My Research"

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Journals TOC Alerts via Lib Databases Example 2: EBSCOhost platform Found

Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly from Library catalogue

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Check: make sure this journal

is an active journal in this

database

Alert options available. But

user must register and sign

in to create alerts

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Add the RSS Feed but You Must Click “Save Alert” after adding the feed

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Alerts using Customized Search Terms – e.g. in iSearch platform

Sign in first in order to be able to save your search, set up email alerts, etc. If you do have an acount, please create one.

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You can create an RSS feed or an E-mail alert

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Set Alert Frequency: once

a day, once a week, biweekly, once a month

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Click "Folder" icon to Manage Your Alerts

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If you are using E-mail alert, then you be notified by e-mail once new records are updated.

Sample Email Alert

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Citation Alerts – Tracking Citations to Articles

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Citation Alert for an Article Using Web of Knowledge (Social Sciences Citation Index) http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/cgi-bin/WAMConnMgr?sid=isiwos

Sign in first in order to be able to save your search, set up email

alerts, etc.

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Register to create search history alerts, citation search alerts,

etc.

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Create Citation Alert from article

details screen

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Can Also Save Your Searches and Create Alerts

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SCOPUS is Another Database Providing Citation Alerts

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Other Free Alerts for Academicson the Web

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You can create Email Alerts for your Searches

Email Alerts with Google Scholar

http://scholar.google.com

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You don't need to register or login first. But you must confirm the verification email

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Article Citation Alerts is also Available in Google Scholar

Click "Cited by XX" will show all works citing this

item

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EMAIL: libinfo@ied.edu.hkPHONE: 2948 6653

For Assistance