Current Awareness Tools for Grants Facilitators
36
Grant Facilitators workshop (April 29, 2010) Susan Atkey Librarian, Koerner Library ([email protected]) Sally Taylor Librarian, Woodward Library ([email protected])
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Powerpoint from a two-hour workshop on current awareness tools presented to grants facilitators at the University of British Columbia. The workshop covered RSS and how it can be used to:* follow news stories and blogs* learn of funding opportunities and upcoming conferences* be notified of new articles and dissertations on a topic* receive Table of Contents for the latest issue of a favorite journal* find out when new books have arrived in the library
Transcript of Current Awareness Tools for Grants Facilitators
Grant Facilitators workshop (April 29, 2010)
Susan Atkey Librarian, Koerner Library ([email protected])
Sally Taylor Librarian, Woodward Library ([email protected])
Workshop Objectives
o To begin discussion: “How do you stay current?” in your field?
o To introduce you to RSS as a way to keep up-to-date.
o To help you identify which alerts will work best for your needs
How do you currently stay up-to-date in your field?
Share one web site or blog that you use in your work.
Introductions
Today’s Agenda
1) RSS
2) Six types of alerts
1. News & Blogs
2. Funding & Conferences
3. Articles by topic or author
4. Journal Table of Contents
5. New Books
What is RSS?
RSS In Plain English
An excellent 4-minute video introduction to the how and why of RSS
URL: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
RSS: A quick reviewWhat is RSS? A technology that automatically
updates when new content is published.
What do you need?1. An RSS reader (aka feed reader)Popular readers include Bloglines, Google Reader
2. An RSS feedMany journals, publications, blogs, news sites, podcasts, and
videos offer RSS Feeds. Look for these icons:
Scenario One
Do you want to:o Get up-to-the-minute results on news
stories and events?
o Keep informed of new posts by favourite bloggers?
o Be notified of updates to favourite websites?
Solution:News and Blogs alerts
o Most news sites and blogs allow you to subscribe via RSS.
o You will be notified as new content appears on the site.
o This is especially useful for blogs which typically don’t follow a fixed publication schedule.
o Line between news and blogs can be blurred.
Examples
o News:o CBCo New York Times
o Blogs:o UBC Public Affairs – media releaseso Chronicle of Higher Education – many!o Medical Writing, Editing and
Grantsmanship
Google Alerts
o Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (news, web, blogs, etc.) based on your topic.
o Now RSS too!
http://www.google.ca/alerts
To set up a Google Alert
Hands-on
Set up an alert for:
News or blogs
(10 minutes)
Scenario Two
Do you want to:
o Get notified when conferences or new sources of funding are available that fit your profile?
Solution:Community of Scholar databases
o COS PapersInvited: search for upcoming conferences, special journal issues and student competitions
o COS Funding Opportunities: search by funding type, requirements, activity location, citizenship
COS: setting up an alert
o Search either database
o Click “Alert Me”o Create a My
Research account
o Select RSS or email for delivery
Hands-on
Set up an alert for:
Conferences and funding
(10 minutes)
Scenario Three
Do you want to:
o Keep on top of new research that is being published in a variety of disciplines without having to search each database?
Solution:Saved Search Alerts
o A Saved Search Alert is based on a search in a database, group of databases, or at the publisher’s website.
o The search is run at specified intervals and you are alerted if any new articles on your topic are available.
o You can set a search alert using any index available in the database, e.g., keywords, authors, journal title, etc.
Solution:Saved Search Alerts
o Many of the databases that UBC Library subscribes to offer an alerting service, including databases from the large vendors like EBSCO, CSA, ProQuest, ISI, and OVID.
o All databases can be accessed through the Indexes and Databases A-Z list on the library home page (under e-Resources)
Setting up a Search Alert via EBSCO
o Let’s walk through a Saved Search Alert using the EBSCO database Academic Search Complete (ASC) as our source.
o Find Academic Search Complete in the list of indexes and databases
o See handouts for step-by-step instructions
Hands-on
Set up a Saved Search Alertfor your research topic via a subject database
(10 minutes)
Scenario Four
Do you want to:
o Keep up-to-date with a few key journals in your field?
o Be notified about all articles that are published in a key association publication without having to constantly visit the library or the publisher’s website?
o Be notified when a new journal issue is out, and what the contents are?
Solution:Table of Contents (ToC) Alerts
o Tables of Contents of selected journals are sent to you when a new issue is released
o You don’t need to come to the Library to browse the most recent issue
o You usually need to create an account and sign in to save and edit alerts
Journal Table of Contents Alerts
To find your journal, you can:
o Search the UBC Library journal list for the title, or
o Google the journal title
Journal Table of Contents Alerts
o If the journal is available online, follow the link to the ejournal page to see if they offer alerts
o To find the alert service at the publisher’s or journal’s website, look for terms like:
• alert(s)• subscribe• notify me• email Table of Contents• set email alert• RSS or RSS feed
Journal Table of Contents Alerts
o Let’s set up a Table of Contents Alert for the journal Research in Higher Education starting from the UBC Library journal list
Journal Table of Contents Alerts
o Go to the Print & Electronic journals link on the library homepage and look up the journal …
Journal Table of Contents Alerts
Journal Table of Contents Alerts
o Click the orange RSS icon (or register for TOC alerts by email)
o If necessary, login to your account (many publishers require you to register and account with them in order to set up an alert)
Hands-on
Set up a Table of Contents Alert
for your favorite journal via the publisher’s website
(10 minutes)
Scenario Five
Do you want to:
o Get notified when new items (books, videos, music, maps) in your area are added to the UBC library collection?
Solution:New Materials at UBC
o The UBC Library New Materials and Resources page allows you to see new materials added to the UBC Library collection in your area
o http://newbooks.library.ubc.ca
Solution:New Materials at UBC
o Click the “New Materials and Resources” link on the library homepage
Solution:New Materials at UBC
o Set your parameters:o Subjecto Call number range(s)o Brancheso Format o Languages
o Click the RSS icon to generate an RSS feed
Hands-on
Set up an alert for:
New resources at UBC Library
(10 minutes)
For further help:
o UBC Library Guide:Current Awareness Toolshttp://toby.library.ubc.ca/subjects/subjpage2.cfm?id=623
o Ask Your Subject Librarian:http://toby.library.ubc.ca/libstaff/subjectlibrarians.cfm
