LibGuides: Law (Postgraduates): Keeping current

Types of alerts

Keep up-to-date by receiving notices of articles as they are published. Many databases offer an "alert" service in your chosen area of research. Once alerts are established you will receive regular information via email or RSS Feeds.

Table of Contents (ToC) Alerts
Receive the Table of Contents of each issue of your favourite journals as they are published.

Saved Search Alerts
Create a specific search using your own keywords. This is run at regular intervals with the results emailed to you.

Citation Alerts
Be notified when an article of your choosing has been cited by a new article.

Databases offering alerts

Here are a sample of some SCU databases from which you can create alerts. There are many more available, like Proquest, which you may use depending on your field of research.

Ebsco databases This link opens in a new window
Sign in and create a new account for yourself which you can use with all of the EBSCO databases. Table of Contents alerts can be created from the ‘My journal list’ section.
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Create a personal user name and password. Any search can be used for an alert.
Web of Science Core Collection This link opens in a new window
You may save your search history and create an alert for any new records matching your search terms. This could be a keyword search, a journal table of contents, or an update of articles citing an article of interest, or your own published article.

How to establish alerts

Databases which offer alerting systems usually require you to become a registered user. This is a free one off process completed on the database homepage and commonly involves creating a user name and password. Users need to be logged into the database to establish alerts.

Your liaison librarian can give advice on ways to set up alerts so that you receive only the types of articles you want. This can be done by personal appointment, telephone, or Blackboard Collaborate session.

Database RSS Feeds & EZproxy Links

You can create RSS feeds from our databases - on specific search terms or authors, or by journal (so you receive each new 'table of contents'.

1. Do your search in the database, then look for the Create Alert (or Save/Alert) prompts.
2. Generate the RSS feed link. Right click on the RSS Feed URL and select Copy Shortcut
3. Click on the Save button.

4. Paste the URL into your RSS feed reader.
5. Remove .ezyproxy.scu.edu.au from the URL then click on Add
6. If you need assistance, contact your liaison librarian.

RSS feeds

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are a web-based alternative to email for receiving alerts from some databases and web-sites.

Once you have subscribed, alerts are delivered to your chosen 'feed reader' as an XML file. You will be provided with a url to paste into the feed reader.

Some free feed readers are:

MySCU Blackboard Toolbox has a simple feed reader.
Feedly - keep up with all the topics that matter to you, al in one place.
Netvibes - put apps and devices to work for you by automating custom actions.