23 Alerting Services: Concept, Need, and Techniques Current Awareness Service (CAS)
R K Verma
I. Objectives
• To keep the information seeker up-to-date in his/her field of interest or specialization; save the time and financial resources on subscription and storage of primary information sources.
II. Learning Outcome
After reading this module, you will be able to:
• Know about the manual as well as computer-based methods and techniques to keep the information seekers up-to-date in their field of interest or specialization,
• List the various alerting services in modern library/information centres,
• Provide current awareness services in information organisations,
• Understand how to save the time of the user, and
• Learn how to save the financial resources on subscription and storage of primary information sources.
III. Module Structure
1. Introduction
2. Current Awareness Services (CAS)
2.1 Definition
2.2 Factors influencing on Current Awareness Service
2.3 Steps in Current Awareness Service
3. Need for Current Awareness Services
3.1 Growth of literature
3.2 Interdisciplinary nature of research
3.3 Types and forms of documents
3.4 Users’ help
4. Characteristics
4.1 Approach not in response to specific query
4.2 Continuous need
4.3 Retrieval not the only intention
4.4 Diverse requirements
5. Categories and types of CAS
5.1 Categories of CAS
5.1.1 CAS for all the users
5.1.2 CAS for homogeneous group of users
5.2 Types of Current Awareness Services
6. Selective dissemination of information (SDI)
6.1 Objectives of Selective dissemination of information
6.2 Components of SDI
6.2.1 User profile
6.2.2 Document profile/database
6.2.3 Matching user profile with document profile
6.2.4 Notification
6.2.5 Feedback
6.2.6 Modification
6.3 Benefits of SDI
7. Methods and Techniques of Providing CAS
7.1 Current Awareness Bulletin/List
7.2 Routing of Journals
7.3 Display
7.4 Research in Progress Bulletin
7.5 Contents by Journal Service
7.6 Newspaper Clipping Service
8. Computer-Based Alerting Services
8.1 Alerting Services, RSS Feeds & Email
8.2 Table of Content Alerts
8.3 Search Alerts
8.4 Citation Alerts
8.5 New Publication Alerts
8.6 Software packages for CAS
8.6.1 CAS provided by the External Agencies
8.6.1.1 The Online Hosts
8.6.2 By Database Producers
8.6.2.1 ISI Alerting Service
8.6.3 ISI Profile- based Alerting Services
8.6.4 E-mail and Bulletin board service
9. Summary
10. References
1. Introduction
All types of libraries/information centres are organized to provide some basic services which are rendered either in anticipation or on demand from the users. For example, a typical library brings to the notice of its users new documents accessioned and new issues of journals received to attract its potential users. It also helps to find a specific document, or a part of the same. The information services provided in anticipation are termed as alerting services as this alert the users about the new information of their interest. Broadly speaking, the same is also termed as current awareness service though there are some more services falling under the scope of alerting services. It may be noted that the term ‘alerting services’, besides containing general names of the information services, may also assume some specific names like company profiles, notification of contracts, product information bulletins, etc. in the context of a business or industrial library/information centre.
Alerting services usually referred to as Current Awareness Services have been important means for keeping the users up to date in their areas of interest. A current awareness service may be as simple as copy of table of contents or a bulletin containing bibliographic records, of articles selected from the current issues of journals and other material, and usually organized by subjects. These services satisfy the current approach of the users and have several characteristics. These characteristics have been described in this module.
In this module, we will learn the various current awareness services offered by modern library and information organisations. The various CAS covered include both the manual and computerised CAS. The computer based solution offers better services, with more flexibility and easier maintenance of the resources along with lower costs.
2. Current Awareness Services (CAS)
Alerting Services are also termed as Alert Services or Current Awareness Services or CAS. These services assist the library users in keeping up-to-date with current research in specific areas of interest. In this context, current awareness refers to a way to stay up-to-date on the latest information from journals in a field, to receive automatic alerts about new information/articles in a specific research area and using modern technology that helps a user to organize and mediate the information that is required to conduct research.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, ‘the purpose of a current-awareness service is to inform the users about new acquisitions in their libraries. Public libraries in particular have used display boards and shelves to draw attention to recent additions, and many libraries produce complete or selective lists for circulation to patrons. Some libraries have adopted a practice of selective dissemination of information………….’
The CAS is in-house services offered by information organisations. A successful CAS involves knowledge of subjects or topics to be covered, which users require what information, knowing the sources for obtaining the latest information and making available required information timely, regularly and reliably. The major benefits of CAS include providing the users latest information on desired topics, saving time and leading to creation of new ideas.
The CAS has several advantages over other information services, which are:
• Keeping users better informed
• Providing access to needed information/documents
• Supporting academic, professional and managerial tasks
• Automating the process of searching for retrieving relevant information
• Providing information in a preferred format
2.1 Definition
There are several definitions for CAS and it has been defined by several prominent library and information science professionals. Some of these are mentioned below:
Ranganathan defined CAS as ‘documentation periodical, listing the documents appearing during the period covered, and without being, selected to suit the requirements of a particular reader or of a specific topic under investigation. This is of the nature of a general appetizer. It endeavors to keep the clientele informed promptly of all the nascent thought created in their fields of work and related fields.’
Guha defines it as ‘a device of the information system through which the users of information can be informed promptly, as soon as possible after publication but before absorption into the comprehensive secondary sources of current literature on a broad subject field or on an area in which a group of persons are interested, and presented in a manner, a volume, and rhythm intended to facilitate or cultivate current approach to information. In the context of a library, the time limit should be after the receipt of the publications but well before the receipt of the secondary publications contains them.’ According to him, CAS is ‘a system of informing the users as soon as possible after publication.’
Lucille J, Strauss and others have defined it as “the establishment of a system for reviewing publications immediately upon receipt, selecting information pertinent to the programme of the organisation served, and recording individual items to be brought to the attention of those persons whose work they are related. It involves a combination of processes including the selection of pertinent information from periodicals, books pamphlets, patents and reports, in fact, anything of serious content that is received
Alasdair Kemp defines CAS as ‘a system for reviewing newly available documents, selecting items relevant so the needs of an individual or group, and recording them, so that notifications may be sent to those individuals or group to whose needs they are related.’ According to him, CAS is “a system of informing the users as soon as possible after publication.’
From the above definitions, it can be seen that CAS is the process of reviewing selected items according to the information needs of the users, selecting the relevant items according to the information needs of the users’ recording the items systematically, and sending the notifications to the users who need it.
2.2 Factors influencing on Current Awareness Service
CAS is influenced by the following factors:
• Current Approach: It is necessary for every information professional to keep abreast with the current literature or the latest development of subject. He/she must know all the important areas of research in a subject as soon as published or generated.
• Continuous need: CAS is very much required where there is continuous need of current affairs and developments by the users. More the continuous need, more Current Awareness service.
• Direct demand: For many specific research areas the user may not be immediately interested but some of the references may be demanded by them later onurgent basis. For such needs, some of the references are recorded in diaries or personal file kept with the library or information professionals, so that when need arises they may be supplied with latest developments.
2.3 Steps in Current Awareness Service
The steps in the provision of CAS are given bellow:
a. Review or scan documents immediately upon receipt.
b. Select information and record individual documents pertinent to the information requirements of the individual users or groups being served. This may be done by comparing the documents/information with the needs of users being served.
c. Send notification to the users about items or information of interest to them.
3. Need for Current Awareness Services
Current awareness process is basically the opposite of the retrospective search. The retrospective search begins with a need to locate information on a specific topic for a specific purpose. The goal of current awareness on the other hand is less specific. It is the need to understand current developments in order to do one’s work more effectively. In view of this, following needs for alerting services can be identified.
3.1 Growth of literature
The published scientific and technical information has grown rapidly on account of large expenditures on research and developments (R&D)by the government. The enormous growth of scientific information has caused serious problems of accessibility, storage, retrieval and dissemination for the researchers, scientists, etc. This results in many problems in accessing the information and keeping the researchers up-to-date in their areas of interest. CAS enables the researchers, scientists, etc. to keep themselves up-to-date and well informed in their field of specialization. Thus, CAS aims to serve the current information needs of the users.
3.2 Interdisciplinary nature of research
The interdisciplinary nature of research, nowadays, results in the scattering of information in different sources. Same type of information is available in different journals. Further, the information relevant to a given discipline may also be found in journals of other related disciplines. For example, information relevant to the Biochemistry may appear in the Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, or Indian Journal of Chemistry, etc. It is very difficult for user to find relevant information and hence there is a need of CAS.
3.3 Types and forms of documents
Although the journals are the main source of current information, useful information for researchers may appear in various types of documents such as journals, reports, seminar papers, etc. Documentation and information centers are providing a variety of information services in order to solve this problem. Providing CAS service is one of the important services which alerts the users about the current developments in their area of interest.
3.4 Users’ help
A user himself may not be able to scan literature as widely, timely and regularly as could be done by CAS, because its coverage may be wider. Also, there may be some users who do not possess the ability or willingness to do scanning of sources. In this case, CAS will help the users to keep them abreast with the latest documents on the subject of their interest. It also helps to bridge the time interval between the publication of an article and the inclusion of an abstract. Ultimately, the function of CAS is to reduce the time taken by the specialists to scan the documents in periodicals.
4. Characteristics
Characteristics of CAS are as follows:
4.1 Approach not in response to specific query
For any active user, it is necessary to be up-to-date with his/her field of work and interest. Further, as no field of study can progress in isolation, one has to keep abreast of the developments in a broader field also. So far as one’s specific field of work is concerned, one has to be very thorough regarding any important work as and when published or generated. As the current approach is not meant for any specific information, it implies that a user may not have a specific search formulation while approaching the information system.
4.2 Continuous need
Another characteristics of current approach is the continuous need irrespective of the stage of research work in hand, its findings, etc.
4.3 Retrieval not the only intention
This is an important characteristic which emphasizes that it is not always necessary to go to the original document as retrieval is not always the intention. In most of the cases, the user is satisfied to know that a particular piece of work has appeared in print or somebody is working on a particular problem or the results of a particular work is expected to be published in the near future and so on. Further, for most of the times, the user may get the information from abstracts only. For many of the items the users may not be immediately interested but some of the references may be noted by him/her in a diary or a personal file so that when the need arises the same may be retrieved.
4.4 Diverse requirements
CAS keeps the users well-informed and up-to-date about the current developments which take place in their areas of interest. This is a continuous service provided to the information seekers irrespective of the stage and progress of their research. There are some of the diverse requirements and prerequisites of CAS as described below:
• CAS is an announcement mechanism and not a pin pointed information; or a tailor- made or customized information service.
• CAS is provided to meet the current information requirements of the users.
• CAS is usually provided to a group of users (researchers, scientists, etc. having homogeneous information requirements), and not to the individuals.
• It may be available in a printed, electronic or any other appropriate form acceptable to the user.
• It is to be provided within a time frame (deadline) much before the information is published in secondary sources such as indexing and abstracting sources.
• It should be brought to the notice before the notification in secondary sources of information, e.g., abstracting and indexing services,
• Getting feedback is not a prerequisite in CAS.
• Speed, currency and ease to use are three factors to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of CAS in any organization.
5. Categories and types of CAS
5.1 Categories of CAS
There are generally two kinds of Current Awareness Services that may be recognized.
5.1.1 CAS for all the users
Services which may be provided to all the users to keep them up-to-date. These services include a list of recent additions in the libraries, compilation of bibliographies, indexing and abstracting services, table of contents of journal received in the library, etc. This may be provided in the following forms:
• Contents pages of journals
• Library bulletin
• List of new additions or accession list
• Newspaper clippings
• Routing of periodicals
5.1.2 CAS for homogeneous group of users
These are provided to a homogeneous group of users, i.e.,users having samesubject interest. These may include communication of information to individuals or group through various means such as by telephone, conversation, email, routing of journals, etc. These may also include circulation of materials in anticipation to individuals, keeping in view their information needs.
Those services, which are directed towards all users of theorganisation include accession lists (a list of recent acquisitions), bibliographies, indexing and abstracting services, bibliographic surveys, literature surveys, table of contents of periodicals received in the library, Current Awareness bulletin, etc.
5.2 Types of Current Awareness Services
Different kinds of current awareness services are offered depending upon the requirements of individual users. Listed below are main types of current awareness services offered by most of the libraries.
• Title announcement services
• Announcement of research in progress
• Notification of forthcoming conferences
• Selective Dissemination of Information (SDl)
• Newspaper clipping service
• Current awareness bulletin
6. Selective dissemination of information (SDI)
SDI is a type of CAS which keeps the users in touch with the latest developments in the field of users’ interest. In other words, it is a personalized service meant for the individuals or a group of users having identical information needs. The characteristics of SDI service are:
• It is concerned with the published information.
• The source of current information may be available both within and outside the organization.
• It is a computerized assisted service.
There is urgent need for selective dissemination of information service for technology enabled academic, research and other special libraries as:
• The literature output at present is multiplying at a fast pace.
• The volumes of record information are growing exponentially.
• The users do not have time for reading the available voluminous literature in their respective fields.
• Modern technologies can help to satisfy the researchers’ information requirements and their needs.
6.1 Objectives of Selective dissemination of information
• To provide current information on a particular subject, To receive, scan and provide the literature to right users,
• To notify the latest information about the particular subject clearly, To delegate the computer base technique for relating current profile of information to the interest of users,
• To achieve current requirements through the scan of journals, current awareness bulletins, and other important resources, and Expeditious service/time saving.
6.2 Components of SDI 6.2.1 User profile
It contains a file describing the subject field of the researcher by indicating proper indexing terms as keywords. The process of its creation includes the users’ identification, as individual or a homogeneous group. The objective is to define the information needs properly. The requirement of information is collected by using questionnaire which is converted in to machine readable form (user profile).
6.2.2 Document profile/database
It is a bibliographical record of the documents related to user’s information needs and areas of interest. It may be in-house or a commercial database. Both the systems have relative advantages and disadvantages. For example, coverage and scope of commercial database may be more than the in-house created one. On the other hand, in-house database despite being very time-consuming as compared to commercial database, may ensure pin-pointed and better customization of information requirements
6.2.3 Matching user profile with document profile
It consists of matching the user’s profile (UP) with the document profile (DP), i.e., contents of the DP with those of UP with the help of a computer. It is advisable to use computer rather than manual work if users are more than 100 or so. The task of the librarian/information professional is to translate the information requirements of user in to descriptors taken from the controlled vocabulary or thesaurus as it helps in perfect searching of documents/information stored in the database.
6.2.4 Notification
It is based on the match between the user’s interest profile and the document profile. At the first instance, the individual user receives notifications from the system.If any loose match is observed between his/her profile and any document in the database, the same may be taken care of. Further, the user may indicate the usefulness of the documents/information disseminated to him/her. The notification may be sent by taking printouts along with the covering letter and feedback form. The same may be sent by e-mail or by using Bulletin board service, if the request from users is common.
6.2.5 Feedback
The user is expected to provide feedback to the SDI providers in a prescribed feedback form indicating whether the documents/information notified is most relevant, relevant but not needed, or not relevant at all. In case most of the items of information are found useful, then it can be concluded that the user profile has been properly prepared. On the other hand, if most of the information is not found useful, then it can be said that user profile does not match with the user’s interest areas and hence must be modified.
6.2.6 Modification
In case, the user indicates through the feedback form that the output is not useful, the SDI provider takes action to modify the profile on the basis of the results provided by the user. The reasons for disseminating information that is not useful are analysed which may result in revision or modification of the user’s profile. In some cases, the users’ interest may also change due to the change in research projects or so. In such cases, the modification of user’s profile itself is required. An active interest and personal contact between the user and the researcher is of great importance to ensure modification of the profiles.
6.3 Benefits of SDI
In SDI, an accurate representation of a user’s interests is crucial to the performance of personalized search as this leads to a perfect match of user’s information requirements and the information/document provided to the user.The following are benefits of SDI service.
• In view of users interest, it encourages the research scholars to utilize current literature.
• Satisfies the researchers requirements and their information needs.
• Enables access to latest and particular subject information very quickly.
• Motivates research mindset and knowledge skills.
• Provides quality and current awareness literature.
7. Methods and Techniques of Providing CAS
Current awareness services alert scholars, researchers, and other users to recently published literature in their fields of specialization. Librarians who provide these services use various methods to keep current with academic and professional literature. Traditional methods include routing print journals, distributing photocopied journal tables of contents, and simply browsing professional publications. Newer methods include conducting saved searches in preferred databases and creating email table of contents alerts.CAS can be provided by the following methods:
7.1 Current Awareness Bulletin/List
This is one of the most popularform of current awareness service provided by libraries. In this type of service, the library or documentation center scans primary journals and other sources of current information received in the library. It may be provided in the form of library bulletin. It consists of a list of recent additions or a list of periodicals or indexing periodical (a list of articles from periodicals).The typical bulletin may contain all or some of the items which are given below:
• Library publicity and announcements in general
• News items (selected from news in the form of clippings)
• Announcements of forthcoming conferences/seminars and meetings
• List of current acquisitions (such as books, periodicals)
• Details of contents of recent periodicals
• Publication details from the secondary sources in original or as the reproduced one
The objective of CAS is to keep the R&D activities of the organisation and other interested organisations abreast with the current developments in their respective field of interest. For example, Chemical Titles of the Chemical Abstract Service produced by American Chemical Society, a professional body. The simplest form of a library bulletin is a list of recent additions. A list of contents based on journals is a quick and cheap method. Sometimes, it is used as an alternative to routing of periodicals in many of the areas, especially in science and technology. There are excellent international indexing and abstracting services, but there is very often time lag in receiving these. Therefore, local indexing and abstracting services (another name of documentation list) may have to be brought out. Very often, these services may be found more useful because these are tailor-made or customized. The scope of the bulletin depends upon the needs of the organisation and the resources made available to the library.
7.2 Routing of Journals
Routing or circulating the journals is an important means of dissemination of information. Generally in special libraries/information centers, the bound volumes of journals are circulated, but the current issues are also routed. Before the current issues of periodicals are issued, the library/information professional can scan these current issues and mark certain articles to draw the attention of individuals. In this method the library sends the current issues to the first person on the list, who passes it on to the next name in the list, ultimately the last person returns it to the library.
7.3 Display
Display is considered as an important method of offering CAS.It is a general practice of a library to display either all or selective items of recent acquisitions as part of their publicity programme. The item may be a book or periodical. It may be the jacket of a new book. This enables users to be aware of recent developments in their field of interest or related areas.
7.4 Research in Progress Bulletin
It is an alerting service which alerts the users about the new research projects and the progress made in the projects already in progress. This type of service generally requires joint efforts of more than one organisation or institution working in similar or closely related research areas. A parent body which funds or controls a group of research organisations could also bring out research-in-progress bulletin. For example, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), etc. bring out such bulletins in India.
Research in progress contains information about the organization/laboratory at which the project is being carried out, name of the researchers, sources of funds, duration of the project, etc. It also includes information about the status of the research in terms of the progress achieved and thereby keeps the interested researcher up-to-date.
7.5 Contents by Journal Service
This service can be provided in-house or by commercial publishers. In this service, the library or documentation centers or commercial publishers distribute a publication which consists of content pages of the journals in various subject areas. For Example, in humanities, social sciences, etc. In this service, photocopies of the content page of the selected journals can be circulated to the users. There are some agencies such as Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Philadelphia (now Thomson Reuters) which publish the content pages of journals entitled Current Contents which is a rapid alerting service database.
The main idea behind publishing the content pages of journals is that journals are important medium for communicating new information. If the users can be regularly informed of articles appearing in current journals in broader or narrow areas, they would come to know of recent developments that are taking place in their fields of interest. The simplest way is the duplication of the content pages of the journals and sending to the users. Another reason of providing this type of service is that this service enables the users to quickly know the titles of the articles which they value very high. Once they identify useful papers relating to their field of interest, they can then go to the library and read the papers.
Alternatively, they can also write to the author of the paper and can get copies of that paper. In this way, the user can build up good personal collection of articles of his area of interest. For example, Current Contents published by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) in the USA. The Current Contents—Physical Science, published weekly reproduces the contents pages of over 700 journals.
Nowadays, creation and maintenance of research in progress databases in computer readable form is available. Such databases can be used both for retrospective search before a new project is formulated and for CAS too. This will be further discussed in section on Computer-based services.
7.6 Newspaper Clipping Service
Newspapers are considered as a valuable source of current information as these are the current awareness media. They publish news of recent happenings in various fields such as in politics, health, sports, business, etc. Newspapers carry useful information for everyone from housewives to top management. They are of various kinds such as regional, national or international. Some newspapers specialize in particular subjects such as in Economics and allied fields, for example, Economic Times, Financial Express. They contain an in-depth knowledge of industry, trade, banking, etc. Important information available in the newspapers may be useful to the users. Newspaper clipping covers the clippings of daily newspapers, weeklies, current magazines, etc. Clippings may pertain to different languages.
Various libraries and documentation centers provide information services based on these newspaper clippings, known as the newspaper clipping service. For providing newspaper clippings, libraries/documentation centers subscribe to several newspapers, which may be daily or weekly newspapers. Each of these newspapers is scanned and any items of interest to the user groups are clipped, i.e., cut and pasted on a sheet of good quality paper. One or more clippings are then assigned sub-headings or class numbers or some code. At periodic intervals, i.e., daily or, weekly, the clippings are arranged by subject headings or some code and disseminated to the users. In smaller organisations, batches of clippings in one or more groups may be circulated to users. In large organisations or where the circulation is wide, a bulletin containing news items with or without an annotation may be circulated. The clippings themselves are filled in verified or in file folders for use at later date.
8. Computer-Based Alerting Services
Electronic current awareness uses a computer-based technique for matching the contents file of the information product with the interest profile of the user. The computer based solution offers both a better service, with more flexibility and easier indexing and maintenance of the library’s database in the longer term, coupled with lower costs. In ICT-enabled environment, information organisations can compile current awareness bulletins using predefined search strategy and search directly from the databases either on CD-ROM or online for getting the desired output. Subject to copyrights, the output can also be stored on a local system, and disseminated online (internet, intranet) and offline (print, CDROM, email). Table of contents of most journals are available free from the publishers’ sites. Some publishers even offer free email update of table of contents. A large number of electronic publishing sites or portals now offer current information via email to registered users. Internet has also enabled a lot of innovations in contents, methods of production and distribution of current awareness products.
Given below are some examples of computerised current awareness services.
8.1 Alerting Services, RSS Feeds & Email
At one time, librarians regularly scanned manually through new journal issues, comparing contents against index cards submitted by uses listing areas of interest and typing up bibliographies of potential matches. Now alerting services (current awareness services) can provide such lists automatically. Alerts can be sent from publishers, article-indexing databases, or third parties that combine these sources.
Alerting services are offered by many databases that allow the users to keep up-to-date with new research in a particular field of study. For this purpose, one has to get himself/herself registered in return of which the alerts via email straight to the inbox or via an RSS feed are received. RSS, or ‘Really Simple Syndication’ is a family of formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds, journal alerts or podcasts. With an RSS reader (or aggregator) one can subscribe to many feeds and read the new entries all in one place, without having to visit individual Web sites to find them. Many publishers are using RSS feeds to provide an alerting service to advice on new information as it becomes available. Various types of journal alerts are available.
Examples of Alerts via RSS & Email
SCOPUS Multidisciplinary
ISI Web of Knowledge Multidisciplinary
EbscoHost Multidisciplinary
PROQuest Multidisciplinary
Pubmed Nursing; Medicine; Health Sciences IEEE Xplore
Electrical & electronics engineering; IT
EI Engineering Village Engineering, IT, Earth Sciences
Some of the Useful websites are enumerated below:
• Feedly RSS Reader – create your own account:http://feedly.com/#discover
• Google Alerts (email alerts):http://www.google.com.au/alerts?hl=en
• Obtain details of other RSS readers:http://allrss.com/index.html http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Feed_Readers/
• Subscribe to the FeedMyInbox Service from here:https://www.feedmyinbox.com
• TicTOCs – Journal Table of Contents Service: find scholarly journal TOC’s and export the RSS feeds straight to your reader:http://www.tictocs.ac.uk
There are several kinds of alerts one can receive, through email or RSS feeds as listed in subsequent sections.
8.2 Table of Content Alerts
One can receive the table of contents of newly published journals which have been selected, often with links to the publisher’s site with the article. However, it may not be from the location from where one can obtain the full article. These are often available well before the print issue is published.
8.3 Search Alerts
These are also called Saved Search Alerts or Keyword Alerts. A search is created that is periodically re-run, with new matches to one’s search criteria already sent. A well-focused search is then constructed to limit the number of results sent and to ensure results are on- topic.
8.4 Citation Alerts
One can track when a specified article or author is cited in newly published articles with citation alerts. Most publisher sites limit results to citations appearing within their own journals, while databases can provide citations from many sources.
8.5 New Publication Alerts
In this case, notification of new publications (other than journal issues) from a publisher or professional organization are received. This could include books, proceedings, newsletters, standards, etc.
Many journal and other academic publishers provide alerting services for their publications. Most publishers provide this service for free (so a library subscription to their publications is not needed), though registration is typically required. As is often the case, one can receive alerts to publications to which the library does not have a subscription, or for which access from another source is received. For details of publishers, databases, RSS feeds, and books the URL http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/alerts/ may be visited.
8.6 Software packages for CAS
Many of the databases provided by the academic institutions, e.g., University of Washington (UW) Libraries offer alert services that automatically send email notifications for new citations or table of contents that match a requester’s interests. These are termed as alert, auto alertorsaved search and the procedures for setting them up vary among vendors, but they generally operate in the same way. By specifying the search terms or the journal titles, the database automatically provides with updated results via email. One has to register with a password and establish a profile or personal account besides providing email id. Some alert services limit the number of searches one can save.
The received items can be scanned through electronic means in order to make CAS more efficient and current. For example, the same can be put on the LAN of the organization. This service can be updated more frequently in the computerized mode than the manual mode.
This type of service has more flexibility, currency and fast delivery of information to the end users. It can be generated as information product of an in-house database. The basic advantage of this mode is that a number of different information products in printed, and electronic form, can be generated from the same database. Computerized in-house service offers flexibility and easier indexing and maintenance of database.
There are number of software packages available commercially which are suitable for the generation of computerized CAS. Some of the examples are as below:
Software Package Vendor/Supplier
DATAFLEX Data flex
ORBIT Maxwell on-line Inc
TINLIB Information Made Easy Ltd.
STATUS Harwell Computer Power
Besides the above, a number of personal bibliographic software packages are also available, which support users creating their own database on PCs for storing and displaying of desired records. Some of the examples are: Reference Manager, ASK SAM, Notebook, etc.
8.6.1 CAS provided by the External Agencies
This type of CAS is provided by some external agencies also. These are available from two main sources:
8.6.1.1 The Online Hosts
Services provided by online hosts are primarily generated from databases mounted by these hosts. This type of CAS service is available with almost all online hosts in a variety of subject areas. Notification is received from these hosts in print format, machine readable format, CD- ROM or directly to the computer of the user.
The following features have made this service more valuable.
• Downloads and stores records for future use on the basis of the contractual agreement.
• Avoids duplicate records received from various bibliographic databases.
• Handles graphics, chemical formula structure, trademarks, design and other complex figures.
• Offers cross-file searching ability to use one profile across several databases is available with online host.
8.6.2 By Database Producers
CAS are also provided by database producers. There are a large number of publishers and database producers worldwide who offer CAS online. On the basis of subject coverage, libraries and information centers may select appropriate database.
Some of the important producers and their services are as follows:
8.6.2.1 ISI Alerting Service (http://altertrng, http://isinet.com).
It is an alerting service that includes both profile-based and Tables of Contents (TOC)-based alerting service. It delivers current bibliographic information. It includes full length, English language author abstracts in the field of science and technology, social sciences, arts and humanities directly to the desktop of the user via web or e-mail. It is selected on the basis of the information sources selected by the user. Users may receive daily or weekly alert service by accessing the web or e-mail Users can also place order for full text documents from ISI Document Delivery Service
8.6.3 ISI Profile- based Alerting Services
Personal alert: It is a highly customized, profile-based service. It covers literature in over16,000 science and technology, social sciences and humanities journals, books and conference proceedings.
Discovery agent: It is a web-based alerting service. It can be used by the individuals for disseminating customized information A user can create and manage personal research profile. The profiles are filtered against current contents database over good journals.
Research alert: This is a print-based altering service that delivers complete bibliographic information. It is based on the personalized profiles developed for specific users.
Links alert by Springer: It is a free e-mailing CAS that delivers the table of contents of books and journals brought out by Springer.
Besides the above, there are a number of publishers and professional agencies offering CAS in various areas, e.g., DEAL Alert; IEEE-What’s new?
8.6.4 E-mail and Bulletin board service
A number of networks offer e-mail and bulletin board services. These are useful for communicating new information and sharing of research output. These services may be operated within an organization for free flow of information. A Bulletin board services is meant for making general announcement to all users of a network and is used for publication of newsletters and other information services.
9. Summary
One of the basic functions of the libraries is to keep its users in touch with its information resources for maximum utilization. The same are accomplished by way of providing various information services in anticipation of demands of users. These are collectively termed as Alerting services and also broadly known as Current awareness services (CAS). The main reasons for providing these services are because of tremendous growth of literature, interdisciplinary nature of research, various types and forms of documents. The characteristics of alerting services have been described under the heads of ‘Approach not in response to specific query’, ‘Continuous need’, ‘Retrieval not the only intention’, and ‘Diverse requirements’. The typical services under the category for all users are Contents pages of journals, Library bulletin, List of new additions or accession list, Newspaper clippings, and Routing of journals. In the second category i.e. Services for homogeneous group of users include communication of information to individuals or group through various means such as by telephone, conversation, routing of journals, etc. The various traditional methods of CAS have been identified as Current awareness bulletin/list, Routing of journals, Research in progress bulletin, Display, Contents by journal service, and Newspaper clippings. Lastly, brief accounts of some of the computer based alerting services have also been described. These are categorized as Alert services; RSS feed, Email and Bulletin board services. Typically the users can keep themselves in touch with not only the table of contents of journals, but also the citation and search alert as per their needs and requirements in a more efficient and effective way. Apart from journals they can be in touch with new publications alerts. Many database producers and online hosts provide these types of services such as SCOPUS, Thomson Reuters (earlier Institute for scientific Information) – to name a few.
10. References
- Fourie, I. “Empowering users – current awareness on the Internet”, The Electronic Library, 17 (1999), no. 6, 379 – 388
- Guha, B :Documentation and Information : Services, Techniques and Systems. The world Press, Calcutta, 1983, 380pp
- Guha, B. “The current papers in Physics and the state of current awareness service” Annals of Library and Information studies 13, no. 1 (1966), 34-37
- Joshi, Meera G and Narayana, GJ. “Current awareness service- what it is?” Annals of Library and Information Studies 19, no. 4 (1972), 179-84.
- Leggate, P. Computer-based current awareness services. Journal of Documentation, 31 (2005), no. 2, 93 – 115
- Ranganathan, SR. Documentation and its facets. Asia Publishing, Mumbai, 1963, Chap B3
- Weisman, HM. Information Systems, Services, and Centres, Becker, New York, 1972
- http://feedly.com/#discover
- http://www.google.com.au/alerts?hl=en
- http://allrss.com/index.html
- http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Feed_Readers/
- https://www.feedmyinbox.com
- http://www.tictocs.ac.uk
- http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/alerts/