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Frequently Asked Questions

This resource guide provides answers to many of the frequently asked questions on how to have the best experience with the library resources and services.

Google Scholar Alerts

Google Scholar is a search engine that specializes in searching scholarly literature and academic research. It allows you to set up alerts for new results matching your search. Alerts come out many times per week.

To set up alerts:

  • Build a search that brings back results that are relevant to you - including keywords, known items, specific authors, and more.
  • Click the envelope at the bottom of left column of the search screen "Create Alert."
  • Select whether you'd like to receive 10 or 20 alerts per message, and specify which email you'd like to use.
    • You do not have to use a gmail account.
  • You will get an email confirming that you want to set this alert.
  • To unsubscribe, you may do so at the bottom of any alert email you receive.

Screenshot of Google Scholar Alert Screen. Google Scholar. Alerts. Alert query: coerced contraception AND pregnancy coercion AND intitle: "reproductive coercion." Email: kstrahan@uthsc.edu. Number of results: Show up to 10 results. Update results. Create Alert. Sample results since 2019.

How to get to your alerts page once you're logged into Google Scholar:

  1. Go to scholar.google.com
  2. In the upper left corner click on the menu, which is three lines next to "My profile"
  3. Click on "Alerts"

For more information on searching Google Scholar: check out our Google for Researchers Guide on the Health Sciences Library website.

Following Author Profiles

You may set up author alerts like you set up search alerts. Additionally, you can follow authors that publish work related to your research.

To follow specific authors:

  1. Go to scholar.google.com.
  2. Search a keyword or an author's name.
  3. If you searched an author's name, and they have an author profile, their profile will appear directly underneath the search bar.
  4. If you searched a keyword, click on the menu in the upper left corner, which is three lines next to the "Google Scholar" icon.
  5. Click on "Profiles" in the menu.
  6. This will open a search of people with Google Scholar profiles who have identified the keyword you searched as a research interest.
  7. Once you identify an author you'd like to follow, click on their profile.
  8. There is a blue "Follow" icon next to their name. Clicking that takes you to a page where you can confirm what alerts you'd like to receive from them.

Staying Current by Database

To set up and manage email alerts with major databases, you will need to create an account with each source. Click for tutorials or directions on setting up alerts from these popular databases:

PubMed

Embase

Scopus

CINAHL, Medline, Discovery Service (EBSCO)

Google Scholar