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Using RSS to Keep Up with Research

  • see also RSS Feeds in the WNCLN Library Catalog [1]

RSS (Real Simple Syndiation) is an XML-based format for sharing and distributing web content that a user "subscribes" to.

An RSS reader allows you to view information from multiple web sites in a single interface.

You can use RSS to keep up to date on news headlines, and 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 [2] or My Yahoo. Readers are also embedded in popular applications, like Microsoft Outlook, Firefox, and Internet Explorer 7.
  • Go to your favorite websites and 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 apprear in your reader.
  • Check the reader for new content on your subscribed sites, and save, tag, share, or email items of note
  • Some feeds to consider:
    Project Muse [3] or Academic Search Complete (in EbscoHost- check the "help" pages - type in "Alerts" for more information or tutorials)
Resources and Collections [4]

Source URL: http://www.library.appstate.edu/news/2012/07/using-rss-keep-research

Links:
[1] http://wncln.wncln.org/feeds
[2] http://www.google.com/reader
[3] http://feeds.muse.jhu.edu/
[4] http://www.library.appstate.edu/news-tags/resources-and-collections