General Information
- SSHEL Home
- About Us
- Hours
- FAQs
Services
Research
Library Links

Current Awareness: Saving Database Searches & Creating Content Alerts

Summer 2013 hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am-6pm; Sat & Sun: 1pm-5pm
SSHEL North (Room 100) and SSHEL South (Room 101)
(217) 244-1864
sshel@library.illinois.edu

Need assistance? Ask-A-Librarian!

What Are Current Awareness Features?*

Set up permanent searches.
Save a search you have created and run it manually whenever you wish.
Receive emails (auto-alerts) when new research matching your search criteria is added to the database.
Sign up for table of contents (TOC) alerts from journals.

*All features are not available in all databases.

EBSCO Databases

EBSCO databases of particular interest to social sciences, health and education researchers include:

Create a Search Alert

Run your search
Click on "Alert / Save / Share" above the search results
Click "E-mail Alert"
Click "Sign In." On the next page, sign in to your EBSCO account or create a new account (upper right)
On the Create Alert screen, fill out the required information
Click "Save Alert"
To view all Alerts, log in to your account and click on "Folder" in the upper right. "Search Alerts" is an option on the left hand side of the page.

Save a Search

Run your search
Click on "Search History" immediately below the search boxes
Check the search you would like to save
Click "Save Searches / Alerts"
Click "Sign In." On the next page, sign in to your EBSCO account or create a new account (upper right)
Fill out the required information. It's also possible to set up a search alert on this screen.
Click "Save"
To view all Saved Searches, log in to your account and click on "Folder" in the upper right. "Saved Searches" is an option on the left hand side of the page.

*It's also possible to rerun the search using the Permalink under "Alert / Save / Share" on the search results page.

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Click the Publications link at the top of the screen
Search or browse for the journal of interest
Click on the journal's title
Click on "Alert / Save / Share" in the upper right
Click "E-mail Alert"
Click "Sign In." On the next page, sign in to your EBSCO account or create a new account (upper right)
On the Create Alert screen, fill out the required information
Click "Save Alert"
To view all Alerts, log in to your account and click on "Folder" in the upper right. "Search Alerts" is an option on the left hand side of the page.

OVID Databases

OVID databases of particular interest to social sciences, health and education researchers include:

Create a Personal Account

Click "My Account" in the upper right
Log in or create a new personal account

Create a Search Alert

Run your search.
Click "Search History" near the top of the page.
Check the search you are interested in.
Click "Save Search History."
Enter a search name.
For the type of search, select AutoAlert (SDI).
Fill out the required information.
Click "Save."
To view all Alerts, log in to your account and click on "My Account" in the upper right.
Click on the "My Workspace Tab", then "My Searches & Alerts."

Save a Search

Run your search.
Click "Search History" near the top of the page.
Check the search you are interested in.
Click "Save Search History."
Enter a search name.
For the type of search, select Temporary (24 hours) or Permanent.
Click "Save."
To view all Saved Searches, log in to your account and click on "My Account" in the upper right.
Click on the "My Workspace Tab", then "My Searches & Alerts."

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Click on the "Journals" tab.
Click on the title of the journal you are interested in.
Click on "Email" above the search results.
Enter your email address, click "Subscribe."

Project Muse Journals

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Go to Project Muse Journal Alerts page.
Enter your email address and click on "Make of Change Selections."
Select individual journals you are interested in.
Click on "Save Changes and Exit."
You can also choose to save selections and be taken to a list of Project Muse Collections or Subjects.
Alerts will notify you if there are new journal issues for those you have selected or new journals added if you selected collections or subjects.

ProQuest Databases

ProQuest databases of particular interest to social sciences, health and education researchers include:

Create a Search Alert

Run your search.
Click on "Create Alert" above the search results.
Fill out the required information.
To view all Alerts, log in to your account or create a new account (My Research at the top of the screen) and click on the Alerts tab.

Save a Search

Run your search.
Click on "Save Search" above the search results.
Sign in to your ProQuest account or create a new account.
Name your search.
To access this search in the future, log in to your account (My Research at the top of the screen) and click on the Searches tab.

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Enter the title of a specific journal in the first Advanced Search box. Be sure to use quotations marks around the complete title (e.g. "Journal of Social History").
In the drop down menu, select Publication Title.
Run the search.
Click on "Create Alert" above the search results.
Fill out the required information.
To view all Alerts, log in to your account or create a new account (My Research at the top of the screen) and click on the Alerts tab.

SAGE Journals

Create an Account

Click "Sign In" at the top of the page.
Click on the "Click here" link to create a new account (middle of the page).
Fill out the required information, then click on "Register."
Log in to the Sage system with your email address and chosen password.

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Search or browse for journals using the tabs.
Click on the title of the journal you are interested in.
Click "Email Alerts" on the right side of the page.
Click on "Alert me to new issues (journal title)" on the right side of the page.
Fill out the required information, then click "Submit."

Web of Knowledge (Social Sciences Citation Index)

Create an Account

Click "Sign In."
Click "Register" on the left side.
Fill out the required information.

Save a Search

Run your search.
Click on "Search History."
Click "Save History."
Save either to the Web of Knowledge server or your computer.
To view saved searches, log in and click on "My Saved Searches."

Wiley Journals

Create an Account

Click on "Not registered" in the upper right.
Fill in the required information and read and agree to terms of use.
Submit registration.

Create a Search Alert

Run your search.
Click "Save Search" on the right.
Log in or create an account.
Click "Activate search alert" beside the search of interest.
To view search alerts, log in and click "Alert Manager."

Save a Search

Run your search.
Click "Save Search" on the right.
Log in or create an account.
Search is saved.
To view saved searches, log in and click "Saved Searches."

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Search or browse for a specific journal.
Click on the journals title to go to the journals webpage.
Click on "Get New Content Alerts" on the left side of the page.
Fill out/select the required information.
Click update.
To view all Alerts, click on "My Profile," then click "Alerts Manager."

Citation Management Support

Endnote

University of Illinois EndNote Support Information (with an emphasis on EndNote Connection Files)
Created by the Biotechnology Information Center, this page provides a FAQ on using EndNote with the databases provided by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Library. Database specific connection files are available to download. Other useful Endnote links include:

Endnote Tip Sheets

Refworks

Refworks is a citation management tool that is free to the University of Illinois' students, staff and faculty. You can read more about Refworks at the Refworks Guide. Other useful Refworks links include:

Library Links

Quick Links

Current Awareness: Saving Database Searches & Creating Content Alerts

What Are Current Awareness Features?*

EBSCO Databases

Create a Search Alert

Save a Search

Create a Table of Contents Alert

OVID Databases

Create a Personal Account

Create a Search Alert

Save a Search

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Project Muse Journals

Create a Table of Contents Alert

ProQuest Databases

Create a Search Alert

Save a Search

Create a Table of Contents Alert

SAGE Journals

Create an Account

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Web of Knowledge (Social Sciences Citation Index)

Create an Account

Save a Search

Wiley Journals

Create an Account

Create a Search Alert

Save a Search

Create a Table of Contents Alert

Citation Management Support

Endnote

Refworks