What is an Alert Service?

An alert service is a type of user account in a database that automatically sends email notifications for new citations or tables of contents. The names (alert, autoalert, favorites) and the procedures for setting up these services vary among vendors, but they generally operate in the same way:

You specify the search terms or the journal titles and the database automatically provides you with updated results via email.

For some alert services you must register with a password and establish a profile or personal account; for others you simply provide your email address. Some alert services limit the number of searches you can save. In many databases you can define how often a search is run.

Many databases now offer RSS feeds to provide you with news about their latest publications. Subscribe to them as you would any other type of Alert Service.

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