current awareness: using rss feeds and alerts
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From the Bodleian Law Library.TRANSCRIPT
Current AwarenessOctober 21, 2013
Penny SchenkLaw Library ICT Officer
Aims and objectives Learn how to stay up-to-date with
information on websites, blogs, podcasts and legal databases using RSS using alerting services
The old way:
New and improved:
What is an RSS “feed”? An RSS feed is website content put into
a standard XML format. Using a feed is a bit like tuning into a
radio station, or subscribing to a magazine.
It’s easy to visit the associated site if you want more information.
A little background on RSS
What does “RSS” stand for? RSS 2.0 “Really Simple Syndication” RSS 0.91, 1.0 “Rich Site Summary”
What is it? An XML format for “syndicating”
websites
the end user a way to stay up to date without
visiting multiple web sites daily the feed publisher
a convenient way to broadcast information to “subscribers” and encourage visits to website
What RSS feeds offer
Benefits for end users
Less clutter in inbox No spam No subscribe/unsubscribe hassles Easy to keep items you want to save Easy to share items with others You choose when to view information Discreet notification
Disadvantages for end users?
Not everything is available via RSS feed Can find yourself “oversubscribed” Different standards exist – RSS 2.0, Atom 1.0
Ways to read RSS feeds Built-in readers in browsers, email Web-based news readers
Accessible from anywhere Free: Feedly, Bloglines, NetVibes Paid (for full version): NewsBlur
How to get started…
Web-based services• sign up for an account and configure it• find and add feeds that you’re interested in
Web-based services: Bloglines, NetVibes
Finding a feed
Right-click on icon to get link address. In Firefox: Copy link location...
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/rss/
Add to Bloglines
Click FEED icon to preview and add to page
Add widget to page
Articles appear in chosen tab.Note: the interface for NetVibes and
Bloglines is very similar.
Can add other items, not just feeds
What to look for:
Blogs and Podcasts Blogs – popular way of keeping an online
diary on the Web Most blogs have an associated RSS feed,
so you can subscribe to them easily Podcasts – a special type of RSS feed
where each item has an audio or video file enclosed
Oxford Podcasts on iTunes U
Searching feeds, blogs and podcasts
Justia Blawgsearch - http://blawgsearch.justia.com/
Technorati focuses on searching blogswww.technorati.com
Alerting services
What are they? Keep you update to date by sending to
your e-mail address Pros
No need to use an RSS reader Cons
Can fill up your inbox Sometimes this is the only option
Things to look out for Not always called alerts – look out for
links to “Alerts”, “Updates”, “SDI”, “Save search”
Three main types Tables of contents – send TOCs of
most recent journals / law reports as published
Keyword alerts e.g. Send new materials which match your keywords, authors
Broad subject areas e.g. everything new in IP, human rights etc
Keeping up to date with Journals: Tables of Contents Services
Zetoc Tables of contents for journals received by
the British Library Subscribe by RSS feed or email alert http://zetoc.mimas.ac.uk/
iLaw Tables of contents for i-Law journals and law
reports (insurance, IP, construction) Subscribe by RSS feed or email alert http://www.i-law.com/ipiportal/Home.do
Most publishers offer TOCS from their web site
Zetoc
Receive TOCS by email
Receive TOCS by RSS feed
Zetoc TOCS by RSS feed
To subscribe click on the RSS icon
In older browsers right click on the RSS logo and choose “copy link”. This copies the URL to your clipboard. Then open your feed reader and choose “New Subscription”. Then choose EDIT / PASTE (or CTRL V) to paste in the URL for the feed.
Zetoc TOCS by email alert
Alert name – use something meaningful as this will appear as the subject of your email
Alerts that I have already set up
Zetoc TOCS by email alert
Find journals by search terms or browsing the alphabetical or subject lists
Zetoc TOCS by email alert
Zetoc TOCS by email alert
“Add” to add journals to the TOC alert
Zetoc TOCS by email alert
E.g. Email alert for Human Rights - Chicago
Keeping up to date with Journals using author/keyword alerts
Index to Legal Periodicals (WilsonWeb) (Anglo-American articles) RSS or Email Alert
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (Non Anglo-American articles) Lawtel (UK Legal Journals index on Lawtel)
Email or RSS Requires Personal Lawtel username (contact [email protected]) Search in the normal way / choose “Save this search” on results screen
Lexis Library(journals/commentary held on Lexis) Email alert only Search in the normal way and choose alarm clock icon (top right) on results
screen Social Science Citation Index – articles, books, reports etc in Social
Sciences. RSS or email Choose “search history” followed by “Alerts”
vLex
Index to Legal Periodicals
Choose which databases to search
Enter search terms
Choose “Create Alert” (for email alerts) or RSS feed from the results screen
Index to Legal Periodicals
For RSS feeds simply choose frequency and click “Create Alert”.
Click on the link to subscribe (or paste into your feed reader)
Index to Legal
Periodicals RSS feeds
Index to Legal Periodicals RSS feeds
When setting up an email alert it is best to create an account on WilsonWeb (follow instructions on screen)
Set frequency and subject line.
Index to Legal Periodicals Email Alert
Keeping up to date with primary materials
Law Reports: TOC Justis – Weekly Law Reports by RSS feed plus others iLaw – Lloyds Law Reports by RSS feed plus others
Legislation OPSI - RSS feeds for new acts and SIs
(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/whatsnew.htm)
Keyword alerts/RSS• Lawtel Alerts (UK cases, legislation, bills, command papers)
• Search in the normal way / choose “Save this Search”• Email alert only (RSS coming in Nov)
Lexis Nexis Butterworths (cases and legislation from UK, USA, Australia, Canada)
• Search in the normal way / choose alarm clock icon• Email alert only
Lexis AlertsChoose source and enter search terms as usual
Create email alert from the results screen
Lexis Alerts
Wording will appear in subject line
Lexis Alerts
Frequency
Email address
History - recent searches. Use to re- run earlier searches or to set up alerts
Alerts• Scheduled searches – keyword alerts• Updates – broad subject alerts
Managing Lexis Alerts: My Research
Lexis- My Research – Alerts – Scheduled Searches
Lexis- My Research – Alerts – UpdatesAlerts for broad subject areas
Resources types
Subjects
Jurisdiction
Lexis- My Research – Alerts – Updates
Lexis- My Research - History
Creating an alert from search history
Keeping up to date: subject alerts
Lexis Nexis Butterworths Cases, legislation from around the World Choose “My Research” / “Updates” and browse
subject categories Lawtel Updates
UK cases, legislation, bills in selected subject areas Choose “Lawtel Updates” and browse subject
categories
Keeping up to date with legal news and views, also twitter
Huge number of web sites and blogs offer feeds. e.g. Jurist (International & US Legal News)
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/ Global Legal Monitor
http://www.loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?home Law.Com
http://www.law.com/newswire_rss.xml Legal Blog Watch (monitors legal blogs)
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/
Directories of legal web sites and blogs with feeds
Justia Blawgsearch - http://blawgsearch.justia.com/ Directory of blogs organised by subject, jurisdiction,
law school etc Note – other blog directories listed at the foot of the
page Virtual chase -
http://www.virtualchase.com/topics/rss_law.shtml Directory of legal RSS feeds (recently updated)
Blawgrepublic directory - http://www.blawgrepublic.com/dir/
Directory of blogs monitored by Blawgrepublic Blawg.com http://www.blawg.com/
Directory of feeds, blogs and podcasts Almost entirely American
Intute - http://www.intute.ac.uk Browse or search for your subject then choose “Filter” –
Blogs