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Research & Learning Connection

This research guide provides information and services to advance the research success of UTHSC faculty, staff, and students.

Research Alert Content

Information overload! How do you keep up with the information in your field? Good filters matter! For example, setting up search alerts on your research topics using emails with key databases. Another tool is Really Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS feeds can bring you all the latest information you need in one location and you don't have to search for information in databases or the Web again and again. 

  • RSS -- Use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed to stay current
  • Setting up alerts with email -- Instructions on how to set up topic and journal table of content alerts
  • Setting up alerts with RSS feeds -- Instructions on how to set up topic and journal table of content alerts 
  • Mobile apps -- Introduction to some journal reading apps that can help keep current with medical journals 

Setting up Alerts with Email

1. Setting up topic alerts with PubMed/Medline

  • Search PubMed/Medline on your topic
  • Once you are happy with the search results, click on Save search above the search box
  • You will be asked to sign in NCBI which is your personal account associated with PubMed. Log in your NCBI account if you already have on or create an account if you don't have one
  • Name your save search and click on Save
  • You are at My NCBI Save Search Settings
  • Click on Yes to the question: Would you like e-mail updates of new search results?
  • Choose frequency, format, and number of items
  • Save

2. Setting up journal table of content alerts with ScienceDirect

  • Pick a journal you would like to receive its table of contents
  • Click on Subscribe to new article alerts
  • Sign in ScienceDirect or create an account if you don't have one
  • Select the alert type: Table of Contents or Articles in Press
  • Save and it will be in your alerts

RSS-Really Simple Syndication

What is RSS? - Video: RSS feed in plain English 

RSS Feeds

Journal RSS Feeds

Other RSS Feeds

  • ClinicalEvidence - From BMJ Group, Clinical Evidence is one of the world's most authoritative medical resources for informing treatment decisions and improving patient care.
  • NIH Research Matters: Research highlights with links to PubMed. If interested, subscribe to its RSS Feed. 
  • MedWorm - Find a medical RSS feed that interests you! MedWorm collects updates from over 6000 data sources on various medical topics organized by specialty, condition, procedure, drug, and more.

Setting up Alerts with RSS Feeds

        1. Setting up topic alerts with PubMed/Medline

  • Search PubMed/Medline on your topic
  • Click on RSS orange icon above the search box
  • Choose a limit (5-100) and create a name for your feed
  • Click Create Feed
  • Click the XML button and choose a feed reader (e.g., Feedly.com, MyYahoo) to subscribe
  • Log in your reader account and PubMed RSS feed will be in your reader.

         2. Setting up topic alerts with OvidSP databases

  • Search for your topic
  • Click RSS orange icon on the right corner of the search box
  • Name the search and add comment if you like
  • Save the search
  • Log in your Ovid account. Create one if you don’t have one.
  • You will see “Search History saves as … and the RSS URL is here”
  • Click Here link and you will be asked to choose a feed reader (e.g., Feedly.com,Yahoo) to subscribe.
  • Log in your reader account and Ovid RSS feed will be in your reader.

3. Setting up journal TOC alerts with ScineceDirect

  • Go to ScienceDirect
  • Choose your favorite journal(s) by browsing Journals/Books by Subject or by using Browse tab
  • Click the RSS feed orange icon 
  • Choose a feed reader (e.g., Feedly.com, MyYahoo) to subscribe.
  • Log in your reader account and the RSS feed will be in your reader.
4. Setting citation alert with Scopus
  • Conduct a search (i.e., an article or an author) in Scopus
  • On the results page, click on the article title
  • Click on Set Feed RSS icon under “Inform me when this document is cited in Scopus”
  • Name the RSS feed and click Continue
  • Choose a feed reader (e.g., Feedly.com, MyYahoo) to subscribe.

Journal Reading Apps

  • BrowZine, a subscription-based journal table of contents (TOC) browser. Once you create an account and link it with your UTHSC NetID, you will be able to create your BrowZine Bookshelf where you can organize and track your favorite journals. This video shows how to use BrowZine to keep up to date with your favorite journals. 
  • Read by QxMD: a free journal-reading app available for iPhone and iPad providing a simple interface that enables you to access the full text content of the library subscription journals using your NetID and password. 
  • Docphin: another journal reading app that works for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, and the Web. Once linking your Docphin account with the library’s proxy server, it works quite well on campus in getting full text PDFs if the subscription comes directly from the publisher.