LibGuides: IACUC Alternatives Searching: Managing Results

Retrieving Results & Setting Search Alerts

*It is highly recommended that you set up saved searches and alerts for an alternatives search. This will help to maintain current awareness of your protocol and new publications fitting your search criteria.*

These are instructions on how to set up a saved search and alert in the Web of Science family of databases. The recommended databases that fall within the Web of Science or Clarivate family are: Zoological Record and BIOSIS.

1.) Run your search in a Web of Science database.

2.) Login or create and account.

3.) Select the "Create Alert" button on the the right hand side of the screen.

4.) This will call a dialog box asking you to name the search alert and asking if automatic email updates are desired.

Highlighting create search alert feature

5.) Clicking the create button will confirm that the alert has successfully been created and will offer a link to manage the alerts.

These are instructions on how to set up a saved search and a search alert in PubMed.

1.) Once you have developed an effective serach strategy in PubMed, Click the "Create Alert" icon underneath the search box.

Screenshot identifying create alert button

2.) If you are not already signed in, PubMed will ask you to login or to create an account if you don't have one.

Note: PubMed now requires 3rd party login. You can connect your PubMed account to a Google login, UT Austin login, or ORCiD to name a few.

3.) After login, you will be guided to a page to manage your saved search. This includes naming the saved search, establishing an email address to send new results to, and establishing a frequency of the email alerts.

Screenshot of saved search

4.) Confirm your selected settings. You can manage your Saved Searches by clicking on your account name in the upper right hand corner and clicking on your dashboard.

These are instructions on how to set up a saved search and alert in the Ebsco family of databases. The recommended databases that fall within the the Ebsco family are Agricola and PsycInfo.

1.) Once you've developed a responsive search and run it in the database, click on the "Advanced Search" to find the the "Save Searches / Alerts" option.

Screrenshot identfying the location of Save Searches option

2.) After clicking on the "Save Search / Alerts" option, you'll be guided to sign in or create an account if you are not already signed in.

3.) After login, the database will bring you to a page to name the saved search and select options regarding the search. If you would like it to occur as an email alert, click select that radio button instead of saved search.

Screenshot illustrating the saved search options

4.) A folder will be established saving the selections and allowing you to modify them if needed. If you set up an alert, please note that the maximum time frame for the alerts to run is one year. After that time period, you will need to initiate the alert again.

Building Citation Managers into your Workflow

Citation managers can be an excellent tool to assist with not just alternatives searches and tracking articles, but more generally can greatly assist your day-to-day workflow. While it's not a requirement to use a citation manager in an alternatives search, it is a tool that will compliment workflows. Here are some sample steps to give you an idea of the ways you may integrate a citation manager into your alternatives searching workflow.

1.) Conduct your search using a well developed search string in your database of choice.

2.) Export the results to a citation manager supported file, including the abstract (usually the RIS file type is available)

3.) Create a folder for protocol alternatives searching in a citation manager of choice.

4.) Import the search results file obtained in step 2, into the newly created folder.

5.) Go through the citation records and determine and mark those which may be relevant articles and seek those articles in full-text for addition to your folder.

This method is modeled on one of the first steps librarians take in a systematic review process. It will allow you to return to your review processes easily at another time and keep track of the relevant articles. In these steps, the term citation manager is used several times. The citation managers that are recommended by UT Librarians are Zotero and EndNote. Learn more about citation manager workflows supported by the library here.