Keeping up to Date Using database alerts and RSS feeds to keep up to date in your research Networking tools to keep in touch

Session Overview 1.Alerts alerting and RSS going to a feed reader Exercise to set up a feed reader and add news alerts Exercise to use EBSCO to set up RSS feeds 2.Networking & keeping in touch lists, blogs & social software Feedback questionnaire in Moodle

Format of alerts Alerts via RSS feeds being pushed into a feed reader

Why are alerts useful for on- going research Useful if have a complicated search string Can set up to alert other researchers Don’t have to re-enter details each time Don’t have to remember when a database is updated May include direct links to articles Don’t have to look up lots of individual pages/resources

Types of alerts: from databases & journals Saved Searches-not sent to you but saved within database Search Alerts Table of Contents Alerts Citation Alerts alerts can be sent to groups of researchers May require you to register with the database updates from organisations etc e.g. Social Care onlineSocial Care online

What is RSS? Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary Recommend BBC Guide to find out moreBBC Guide Useful for fast changing information (news) but also for research Useful for site updates Set up a Reader and information comes to you – don’t have to trawl through lots of sites individually Look out for the symbol (in browser)

Class Activity 2 and 3 1.Using Google Reader (as an example) 2.Adding a news feed from the BBC Image: screen grab of Google reader Subscription resource: no URL: Amendments: 1) cropped to exclude browser window

Class Activity 4 Setting a feed from the CLT blog or LSE Library on Twitter Library Library Look for the RSS symbol

Class Activity 5 - RSS feeds from EBSCO Set up RSS feed of literature search from EBSCO databases Every time a new article is added which matches your search term, you will be sent an update to your Google reader Access database via the Library Catalogue or Subject pages

E-Journals troubleshooting Seeing an error when adding a feed from a journal? LSE logon details need to be removed Remove gate2.library.lse.ac.uk from your feed URL

Further tools to network & keep up to date lists e.g. JISCMailJISCMail Google Groups & Yahoo Groups Google Alerts (covered in class 2) Google GroupsYahoo Groups Google Alerts LSE PhDnet via Moodle

Social Software Blogs, Twitter Use their RSS feeds Useful for following conferences Use # to search Twitter for topics Can search & read without joining Networking Linked In Pronetos Academia.edu Vitae: Researchers portalVitae: Researchers portal LSE PhDNet CLT run Digital Literacy classes on using these tools: also on MoodleMoodle

Research in Progress Useful links from LSE ESRC Society Today for current ESRC research awards oCentre/index.aspx oCentre/index.aspx Social Science Research Network – may need to register. Material can be available via other LSE routes

Apply alerts/RSS to what we’ve learned in MI512 Set alerts or RSS feeds for databases and resources used including: IBSS / ISI / SCOPUS Google (alerts) Organisational websites News, conferences & research papers Scan your alerts for useful items and then store and cite them correctly

MI512 Overview How to find useful materials from the Library’s databases and from the internet How to assess, store and cite these How to build this in as part of your ongoing research

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