Some databases will allow you to register your research topics or favourite journal titles with them and will then regularly email you the references of journal articles or the contents pages of new issues of the specified journals that have been added to the database. Here are the alerting instructions for several of the most useful databases.
ScienceDirect allows you to register to receive e-mail Search Alerts and Journal Alerts. In order to do this first you need create a Personal Login. You can then set up and save your search and journal alerts. Any new references found that relate to your alerts will be sent to the email address you have registered in your profile.
You can create multiple search alerts. The e-mail will include the URL (link) to the new reference (and full text if available) in ScienceDirect.
Go to ScienceDirect click on the red register link. (Note you must have cookies enabled in your web browser to do this). Fill in the required details and password of your choice. ScienceDirect will allocate you a user name. This is usually your given name followed without any spaces by your surname. (Note: your username is case-sensitive, i.e. JohnSmith).
Once you have carried out a search and retrieved useful results, click on Save as Search Alert (at the top of the screen listing the articles found). If you have not yet logged in you will be required to do so now.
Enter a name for the Search Alert. (Tip: You may want to use the name of your research or project to help you identify the Search Alert.)
Enter your e-mail address where notifications of the Alert search results can be sent.
From the drop-down box, select the frequency for the Search Alert.
Click the Save Alert button.
To access your e-mail Search Alerts, click the Alerts button at the top of the page. Listed there are your current Search Alerts.
Several options appear as links below each Search Alert listing: Most Recent Results, Archive, Modify, and Delete. Click the appropriate link of a specific Search Alert to use the desired option.
To change any of your details including your email address go to My Profile and then Modify Personal Details and Preferences. You can also change your password under My Profile.
To create a Journal Alert go to Alerts and choose Add/Remove Volume/Issue Alerts. Browse to the title you are interested in. Click Add, then Save.
Log on to ScienceDirect, click on Alerts, add or remove journal alerts as required.
After creating a search strategy that you want to run on a regular basis, click on Search History and then Save History (Web of Science) or Save History (Current Content Connect) to create an alert. If you have not registered before you will need to register and then log in. Once logged in you can give your alert a name and description, and click on the Send Me Email Alerts box. Change Alert Type to Biblio + Abstract, select appropriate email format and click Save.
To update an alert, go to the ISI Web of Knowledge Home (as above) and click on Open/Manage Saved Searches. You can delete, run, modify or renew searches from here.
From the ISI Web of Knowledge Home page, log in and then select Create My Journal List and Table of Contents Alerts. Click on Add Journals, browse to the journal you are interested in and click on Send Me Table of Contents Email Alert. Click Submit Selections.
From the ISI Web of Knowledge Home page, log in and select Create My Journal List and Table of Contents Alerts. From here, choose Modify Settings to delete or amend your journal alerts.
It is not necessary to create a complex profile in CSA. Simply go ahead and save your search as detailed below, and you will be prompted for your email address and a password. Enter your email address and a password of your choice (remember this password to allow you to go back and amend or delete searches at a future date).
To set up a new Alert, first run a search strategy in your selected database(s) in CSA. When you are happy with the specificity of the results, click the Alert link (top right of screen).
Enter your email address and a password of your choice (remember this password to allow you to go back and amend or delete searches at a future date). Select your desired options and name your search alert. Click on the Save Alert button.
To view previously saved Alerts, click the Alerts link. If prompted, enter your email address and personal password you used to save your Alerts. Your alerts will be listed at the bottom of the page. Here you can choose to modify the strategy or your comments, or delete the Alert.
Some journals offer a contents page alert service from their home pages.
See also RSS feeds.
