Alert Services Available through the UW Libraries

Many of the databases provided by the UW Libraries offer alert services that automatically send email notifications for new citations or table of contents that match a requester's interests.

The names (alert, autoalert, sdi) 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 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.

Here is a list of alert services available through the major databases available at the UW. There are many more - ask us if you have questions about an alert service.

Databases	Description of Service
UW Libraries Catalog	Preferred Searches - is a function available through the Libraries catalog that provides weekly updates of newly received books in the library catalog. More information.
CLIO Databases: America History and Life Historical Abstracts	Use the link to the CLIO Alert Profile. Click the Help button for more information.
CSA Databases: Aerospace & High Technology Database ASFA ATLA Communication Abstracts EconLit GeoRef Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts LISA Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts NTIS PAIS Philosopher's Index Social Services Abstracts Sociological Abstracts Water Resources Abstracts	Save your searches as alerts. Click the Alerts link located in the top right corner of the screen. Click the New user? link.
Engineering Village 2 Databases: Compendex INSPEC	Save searches and set up email alerts. Click Search History and then click Save Search. You can also check the Email Alert box to save as an alert. Email alerts are sent weekly.
ISI Databases: Arts & Humanities Citation Index BIOSIS Current Contents Science Citation Index Social Sciences Citation Index Web of Science	Save searches and set up email alerts. Click Citation Alerts in the drop-down menu located in the blue bar at the top of the screen and then click the Go button. Click the Information for New Users link for help saving your searches. For Current Contents, read What are the steps to create and alert from a search history? Migrating searches from Webspirs Current Contents to ISI Current Contents
IEEE Xplore	Set up email alerts to receive tables of contents of journals whenever a new issue is published. Click on Email Alerts on the opening page.
Ovid Databases: Cinahl ERIC PsychINFO	Click the Personal Account button on the main database page to use the AutoAlert service. Check the database's Help - Saved Searches page for more information.
ProQuest Databases: ABI/Inform Global CBCA Current Events CBCA Reference ProQuest Medical Library ProQuest Newspapers Research Library Complete	Click the Help button located in the top right corner of the screen. Search Help for alerts to learn how to save search alerts and publication alerts in ProQuest.
Science Direct	This database includes many journals, most of which are science-oriented, but some other subjects are covered. Click the MyAlerts button to save subject-type searches or table of contents searches. Click the Help button and read the My Alerts section for more information.
Silverplatter Databases: Agricola FIAF international film archive Geobase Philosophers Index TRANSPORT TREE-CD Zoological Record	Silverplatter SDI - Users can save subject-type searches or table of contents searches. Click here for help with this service.