HLI: Accessing Library Resources : Guides: Creating Alerts

Current awareness and topic alets

There are several platforms where you can set up alerts to receive the latest articles published on a topic or in certain journals.

Two are described below:

Read by QxMD, available as a smartphone app.
EBSCO Alerts available through the eLibrary, or EBSCO databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, or PsycINFO.

The choice of alerting methods can depend on the purpose or topic. If there is a very specific topic of interest, using a detailed database search might be best. Platforms for this include EBSCO, Ovid, and Pubmed.
For broader coverage Read by QxMD, which is available as an app, may be appropriate.

Read by QxMD

Read by QxMD

This is a smartphone app which can also be used on a regular computer. When you select your favorite journals and interests, notifications are sent as new articles are published. Linking the app to your HSE OpenAthens account, allows easy access to full text.

Getting set up is quick!
1. Download Read by QxMD by following this link http://qx.md/read or search for ‘QxMD’ in the app store.
A web version is also available at https://readbyqxmd.com

2. Add your institution to your “Account Settings” under “Institutional Access”.

Read by QxMD instructions

EBSCO alerts

Use the eHealth Library search

When you do a search in the eHealth Library there is the option to Create Alert.
Note you must be signed in to EBSCO (this is a separate additional account).

The frequency of alerts and date of publication can be changed.

The effectiveness of the search will depend on the search terms used. It is also possible to use a database such as CINAHL, MEDLINE or PsycINFO to create the search and the alert.

EBSCO have provided detailed instructions on How to use Search alerts.