Skip to Main Content
Campus Library Logo

Faculty Guide: Research Alerts

RSS Feeds

Many journal publishers now provide RSS feeds for current and future tables of contents, most frequently read articles, and other information. Some examples are Nature and  Science.

In its simplest form RSS involves the use of:

  • A URL for an RSS feed from a website, such as Nature and Science
  • An RSS reader installed on a personal computer or hand-held device

This logo indicates an RSS feed that you can subscribe to.

Click to Chat with a UW Librarian

Research Alerts: What are they?

Research Alerts --also known as email alerts, notification services, or SDIs-- provide citations and table of contents for recently published articles, books, and research that are sent to you via email on the topics of your choosing. Research alerts are a great way to stay up-to-date on current publications in your field by having citations automatically delivered to your email inbox!

Setting up Research Alerts

The instructions for setting up automatic research alerts vary by database vendor, although the basic processes are similar. Below you'll find instructions for how to set up research alerts in a few major platforms that house many of our most popular databases:

Vendor/Database Description of Service & General Instructions
Proquest Databases Enter in your desired search term(s), then click the "Create Alert" link at the top of your search results list. Then fill out the "Create Alert" form. Visit Proquest's Help page for more information.
Ebsco Databases Save your searches as alerts. Click the "Share" link located in the top right corner of your search results. Select the "E-mail Alerts" link. You must Sign In to finish setting up your alert. Visit Ebsco's Help page for more information.

Thomson Reuters (Web of Science)

Click the "My tools" tab at the top of your search results page. Choose "Saved Searches & Alerts" in the drop-down menu. You must Sign In to finish setting up your alert. Visit the Help page for more information.

 

If you have questions about setting up research alerts in a specific database don't hesitate to ask a librarian!