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Automating Searches

Set up search alerts and feeds in Google Scholar, fUSIon, EBSCO, and ProQuest

Automating Searches

Automating searches is an effective and time-efficient method for keeping up on the most current literature in your area of research. This guide provides instructions for automating searches across four different platforms: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, and fUSIon.

EBSCO Databases

In EBSCO databases (CINAHL, PsycINFO, Education H. W. Wilson, etc.), you will need to sign into your EBSCO account to save or automate searches.
*Note: EBSCO accounts are free of charge and can be linked to your Google Account. This enables the ability to save full text resources to your Google Drive.

  1. To create an automated search alert, perform a search with your desired keywords.
    *Remember that you can
  2. Select the Share dropdown menu that appears above your results list.
    screen shot of share button in ebsco databases
  3. Select your preferred alert delivery method: email or RSS feed.
  4. Specify your alert parameters.

Google Scholar

Create a Search Term Alert

  1. In Google Scholar, after performing a search, click on the Create Alert option at the bottom of the filtering options on the left side of the screen.
    screenshot of google scholar filtering options. red circle around create alert option for emphasis.
  2. Enter the email address of the account to which alerts should be sent.
  3. Choose between a maximum of 10 or 20 results per alert.
  4. Check your email account for a verification link.

Create an Author Alert

  1. Search for an author.
  2. If the author has a user profile,
    1. Select the profile
    2. Select the blue Follow button
    3. Specify your desired alert types.
  3. If the author does not have a profile,
    1. Select the Create Alert option at the bottom of the left hand column of your results page.
    2. Enter inauthor: into the Alert Query field followed by the author's name as it appears in Google Scholar citations. See image below for example.
      *Note: Enclose the author's name in quotations to ensure an exact match in your results.

screenshot of Google Scholar create alert page. alert query entry field reads inauthor:"sm gustafson". inauthor is typed as one word with no spaces.

ProQuest

Though ProQuest does not require that you create an account to automate searches via email or RSS feed, you will need a ProQuest account if you wish to modify, view, or delete your alerts. ProQuest accounts are free of charge.

  1. Perform a keyword search.
    *Note: Use the drop down menus directly following the search fields to narrow your search parameters to abstracts, authors, etc.
  2. Select the Save Search/Alert link below the search field.
  3. Select Create Alert to set up email alerts. (See image below.)
    screen shot of proquest create alert option within the save search link.
  4. Specify your alert parameters.

fUSIon

Follow these steps to set up email notifications or RSS feeds in fUSIon to keep up on new library acquisitions and updated content in our subscription databases.

  1. Perform a search in fUSIon and then select the Save Query option that appears below the search box.
    screenshot of fusion search box with save query option circled in red for emphasis.
     
  2. If you would like to immediately set up email notifications, you can do so by selecting the Turn on notification for this query option in the yellow ribbon that appears at the top of the page.
    screenshot of turn on notification option in fusion
     
  3. Otherwise, you can access your saved searches and set up alerts at any point by selecting the push pin icon (or, My Favorites option) which appears next to your name in the upper right corner of the fUSIon main menu.
     
  4. In your favorites, select Saved Searches. Then, use the RSS or email alert options (icons depicted below) to set up your preferred method of automation. You can cancel email alerts by de-selecting the alert icon.
    screenshot of RSS, email alert, and remove search options in fUSIon