Business Source Complete: Saving searches and alerts

Saved searches: Business Source Complete provides the option to save a search so that you can re-run it at a later date and retrieve an updated set of results. By saving your search, you create a record of your keywords and when you re-run the same search, you won't need to enter the keywords again (though you will have the option to adapt your original keywords.
 

Email alerts: To help you maintain current awareness of your topic, Business Source Complete also provides the option to set up an email alert that will inform you of:

• New articles on your topic that have been indexed by the database since your original search (i.e. based on your keywords).
• The latest articles by an individual author (where indexed by the database).
• The latest tables of contents from a journal (although you may prefer to set up a journal alert in the relevant journal website instead).

Instructions

1. Before saving searches and setting up email alerts: connect to Business Source Complete via the Library website or Library Catalogue (when you click on the link, you may be required to enter your University username and password). Once you're connected, click 'sign in' at the top of the screen and log on to your personal (free) Business Source Complete account.
   
   If you haven't set up an account specifically for Business Source Complete click sign in and then register by clicking sign up next to the words, 'don't have an account'. Compete all the required fields and note the very precise requirements for registering a password. Finally, click 'Sign in'.
    
2. Setting up email alerts: once signed into your account, run a search and then click the share option just above your search results (to the right of the screen).
   
   Click the email alert option and complete the required fields i.e. select the frequency with which you receive email alerts and enter the email address(es) to which the alerts should be sent. 
   
   Finally, click 'save alert'. Then, every time the database indexes a new article on your topic (i.e. where it maps to your search terms/keywords), you will receive an email alerting you to the details.
    


3. You can also retrieve previous email alerts, should you wish to edit or delete them. To do this, sign into your Business Source Complete account. 
   
   Then, click the 'search history' option just below the search boxes and click 'retrieve alerts'.
   
   Select the box next to the relevant alert and click the 'delete items' button just above. The edit option is located just below the alert. 
    
4. Saving searches: once signed into your account, run a search and then click the Search History link (just below the search boxes). Then click 'save searches / alerts', enter a name for your search and select either save search (permanent) or save search (24 hours). Finally click 'save'. 
   
   Retrieving and re-running saved searches (e.g. at a later date): sign-in to your Business Source Complete account. Click the 'search history' option just below the search boxes and click 'retrieve searches'. Find the relevant saved search: if you wish to delete it, select the box next to its title and click the 'delete items' button just above. If you wish to edit it, the edit button is located just below the title  
   
   Combining saved searches: you can also combine sets of results from saved searches in the Search History section. To do this, select the box next to each search that you wish to combine. Then click one of the following:
   
   Search with AND: this retrieves a set of those results that overlap between the searches that you are combining. 
   Search with OR: this retrieves ALL results from across multiple sets of results (regardless of whether each result appears within one set or multiple sets).