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Email Alert Services

Email alert services deliver current citations or the table of contents of selected journals (based on a search strategy you create) directly into your email. In most cases, abstracts of the articles are also provided. Examples of email alert services include My NCBI and OVID AutoAlerts.

Why Use Email Alert Services?

Comparison of Services

Database Providers
Databases searched PubMed, Nucleotide, Genome, Protein, etc. Academic Search Complete Information About Access Restrictions, CINAHL Plus Information About Access Restrictions, Family Studies Abstracts Information About Access Restrictions, etc. ERIC Information About Access Restrictions, PsycINFO Information About Access Restrictions, etc. NTIS Information About Access Restrictions, PAIS Information About Access Restrictions, Sociological Abstracts Information About Access Restrictions, etc. BIOSIS Previews Information About Access Restrictions, Web of Science Information About Access Restrictions ScienceDirect journals
 ABI/Inform Information About Access Restrictions, Health and Medical Complete Information About Access Restrictions, etc.
Coverage Biomedical and health journals Varies depending upon database Varies depending upon database Varies depending on database Varies depending on database over 1800 science, technology and medical titles Varies depending on database
Email format(s) HTML or Text HTML or Text Text; text with links; HTML Text or text with links HTML or Text HTML or Text HTML
Search frequency Daily, weekly, or monthly Daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly Weekly, biweekly, monthly, every database update Weekly Weekly Daily, weekly, monthly Daily, weekly, monthly, every 3 months
# Searches per account Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 50 (for up to
6 months)		 Unlimited 10 Unlimited
Related articles Yes No No No Yes, with HTML results and citing articles Yes - to citing articles No
Response to zero results You choose Not notified Notified Not notified Notified Not notified You Choose
Save Format for Citation Software MEDLINE Bibliographic Manager Reprint/Medlars Any format Full Record
Field Tagged		 N/A N/A
Save Search to RSS Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

Additional Notes about Email Alert Services

  • These services are all available at no charge to you as "self-service." Your library liaison would be happy to help you create and save your strategy.
  • Many online journals also offer the ability to set up email alerts for topic searches, citing articles, or table of contents.
  • Install the Proxy Bookmarklet so links to full-text articles from your email work from off-campus.
  • Email alert services on other, fee-based databases may be set up; consult with your library liaison for more information.

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