LibGuides: Current Awareness: Medline/subject Alerts

A Medline alert is a database search set to run at predetermined intervals and send you the new results.

1. Access Medline ( or any other database) through the library homepage.

2. In Ovid Medline set up an account.. This allows you to save your search and set up your alert.

This can be useful for other reasons too, for example when you want to return to a project at a later date without rewriting your search again, or to share searches between colleagues.

3. Create a search. Try to find a search broad enough to capture new material, but without too much redundant material.

eg ((reduc* or prevent* or avoid* or minimis*) adj2 fall*).ti. for articles about falls prevention.

The search works best using text words. Newly published material will not have MeSH terms added yet.

4. Save your search. When saving, choose the Autoalert option.

5. From the Actions dropdown to the right of your search history select Create Auto-Alert. 

6. Select your options

Scheduling Options choose how you want to receive your alert – weekly, monthly, etc.
- Tick the Deduping Options box to avoid material repeating (eg as articles go from epub ahead of print to fully published).
- If you want your alert on Monday morning set it to run on Sunday. Ovid is on US time.
Delivery Options - enter your preferred email at (can be multiple recipients).
- Modify the format of the citations you receive using the Fields>>Custom fields option. Title, abstract, author and source gives you a nice concise email.
- In Report Type, option 2 ‘Email includes records, a Results Display Link, and a link to each record's Fulltext or Complete Reference Display’ will give you a full text link to the article in the alert email.

If you require any assistance setting up a subject alert contact the library.