Current Awareness


It's important to keep up with the latest research, news and developments in your chosen field - especially so if you're engaged in writing a research project or dissertation.

There are numerous 'alerting services' out there which can make this task a lot easier - and can help you to manage your time. Below are listed some of the most useful:

  • Ebscohost Search Alerts - the 'Search Alerts' feature in Ebscohost allows you to save your search terms as an alert. Once you've done this you'll be sent an email everytime a new record containing your search terms is added to the database. You will first need to set up a personal account (which is free). See the brief video below.
 
 
  • RSS Feeds - RSS (Really Simple Syndication) allows you to receive alerts from websites and blogs. Each time the site is updated an alert is sent to one single site called a feed reader or news reader which you have subscribed to. Most web browsers (such as Interner Explorer or Firefox have an RSS feed button in the top menu bar to allow you to subscribe to feeds. 
          Alternatively you can sign up to one of the many free news reader services on the web such as  
          Google Reader.
 
 
RSS feeds are more convenient than email alerts as you only visit one site to access all your feeds rather than visiting all the different sites you have registered with. 
 
 
 
Look out for the RSS feed icon as you search the web. Click on this icon and follow the instructions to subscribe to a feed.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment