Using RSS to Keep up with Research

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) allows you to view information from multiple web sites in a single interface. See also "preferred searches" for ways to keep up with favorite authors or subjects.

RSS can also help keep up with research. You can:

• view table of contents from new journals issues
• discover new journal articles on a specific topic (from multiple journals)
• view news on general topics such as science, technology, business, health, etc. from Google, New York Times, BBC, etc.
• follow blog discussions on certain topics.
  

To use RSS:

Create an RSS reader account -- for example, Google Reader or My Yahoo. Readers are also embedded in popular applications, like Microsoft Outlook, Firefox, and Internet Explorer 7.

Go to your favorite library's databases and save a search-

look for a button or the words RSS, XML or Subscribe to this Feed.

Click the RSS link, copy and paste the URL (web address) into your RSS reader and click Add or Subscribe.*

The name of the site with the number of new items in parentheses should appear in your reader.

Depending on how you cofigure your preferences, you can either check the reader for new content on your subscribed sites or get emails every time they are updated.

More about RSS at ASU