Transcript Keep Updated in Research: Using Alert Services

HKIEd Library
2013
http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/instruct/workshops/materials/
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
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
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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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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
searches
Channels offered by the information provider
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▪
Alerts based on your search criteria
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▪
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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.
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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In the good old days, news and information are often disseminated
by print materials like newsletters and print catalogues.
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Now, vendors want your email address so they can send all kinds of
information they want you to know
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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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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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http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/resources/alert/index.ht
ml
New
Click on the RSS
icon
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Add the Feed
to the "My
Favorite" bar
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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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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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CNN News
Mingpao iNews, RTHK Express News, SCMP
Library Pressdisplay
 The Guardian, The Washington Post, etc.
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HK Gov't Services RSS
Virtually all blogs provide some sorts of RSS
Feeds: e.g. the HKIEd Library Blog
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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 Reader
Free RSS readers are easy to find by searching online with keywords
such as "RSS reader".
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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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Most major publishers are providing various alert services by email
and / or RSS.
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For those journals that no alert services are provided by the
publisher, you can probably get the TOC indirectly via Librarysubscribed databases
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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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Cambridge Journals Online
 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/registration
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Emerald Fulltext
 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/profile/index.htm
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Oxford Journals Online
 https://access.oxfordjournals.org/oup/login/local.do
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SAGE Journals Online
 http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts/etoc
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ScienceDirect (Elsevier)
 http://www.sciencedirect.com/ (click Register)
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Springerlink
 http://link.springer.com/signup-login?previousUrl=%2F
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Taylor & Francis
 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/registration/1/show
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Wiley Online Library
 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/user-registration
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Sample Email Alert
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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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You can create Email
Alerts for your
Searches
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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Click "Cited by XX"
will show all works
citing this item
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For Assistance
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