It is difficult today to keep current with all the research being published in any field. One answer to this problem is to create email alerts for a favorite journal. Typically these may be set up to send you the table of contents whenever a new issue is published. Some publisher sites let you set up alerts for one or many of their journals. It is also possible to set up email alerts that will let you know when articles on a specific subject or by a specific author are published in journals from a wide range of publishers. You can do this through many of the research databases licensed by the Yale University Library.

First you will pick a database that covers your subject area well. If you are unsure about which database to use, consult a reference librarian. There are several major multidisciplinary databases that offer alerting services. These include:

• Academic Search Premier
• CSA Illumina
• Ovid
• Scopus
• Web of Science
• WilsonWeb

Once you have selected the appropriate database you usually need to establish a personal account (there is no charge for this). Then you will create a search to look for articles in your area of interest, and save the search as an alert. The exact steps vary depending on the database you select. In Academic Search Premier, for example, you first sign in to your personal account. Choose "Advanced Search" and create your search. Find the "Search History/Results" tab, and then "Save Searches/Alerts." From the next screen you will choose whether to save the search temporarily, permanently, or as an alert. Select alert, and you will then be prompted for an email address, subject line, frequency, etc.

Date(s): 10/11/2005

Time:

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Page Last Updated: 11/24/2009
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