RSS

Using RSS to Keep up with Research

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.

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 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:
Safari Books

Project Muse

One-step alerts offer a quick and easy way to follow updates to research in your RSS reader.

To set up a one-step RSS search alert:

From the Result List or Search History Screen, click the RSS alert icon, or the Create alert for this search link.
A pop-up screen displays with the search alert information. Copy the Syndication Feed URL into your newsreader.
If you decide that e-mail delivery of the alert information is required, click the Sign in and create a new alert link. Once you sign in to My EBSCOhost, the Search Alert Screen appears. You can save the alert as described in Saving a Search as an Alert.

Content editor: Megan Johnson johnsnm@appstate.edu