Libraries, Archives, Museums: Setting up your own Table of Contents Alerts: Set up at EBSCO

Pros and Cons of EBSCO TOCs

Pros: You have access to many full text journals and magazines in the EBSCO databases, and EBSCO TOCs are the only TOCs that will take you to that content. Plus, you can set up TOC alerts for a lot of different journals and magazines using one EBSCO account.

Cons: It is harder to set up TOC alerts in EBSCO than in JournalTOCs. Also, EBSCO TOC alerts occasionally stop working properly, requiring you to set them up again.

How to set up a Journal (TOC) Alert in EBSCO

EBSCOHost is available to all Alaskans and includes general interest magazines, newspapers and academic journals. Some journals includes full text articles.

STEP 1: Find the title in an EBSCOHost database. Try one of these methods:

Find your journal using the first page/tab in this guide
Most, but not all of the links on the first page in this guide lead to EBSCO.
Use Journal Finder
Enter the title, find it in the list of potential results, and select one of the EBSCO databases that shows up beneath the title. EBSCO databases appear with the note ”AK residents.” If you don't see your title, try the next method.
more...less...
If you find the title in Journal Finder, click through to one of the databases identified beneath the title. EBSCO databases are labeled with the phrase "AK Residents."
When you don't find the title in EBSCO...
Try JournalTOCs for academic/scholarly journals or the publisher's site if you know it, or ask the Alaska State Library for help

STEP 2: Sign in with your EBSCO account. If you don't have an account. Set one up. It's free! If you have not created an EBSCO account before, once you find a publication in an EBSCO database, choose "Sign In" then "Create a new Account."

How to create an EBSCOhost account

STEP 3: Set up your TOC alert.

On the EBSCO journal home page, click “Share.”
Click “E-Mail Alert.”
Select "Advanced Settings."
Fill out the alert form. You have a number of options. Enter your email address and choose your format. The detailed “Results Format” will include abstracts (if available). We recommend unchecking the box titled "Limit EBSCOHost Access to Only the Articles Sent." If you check “Alert on full text only,” you won't be notified when citations or citations with abstracts are added, so only choose that option if immediate access is critical.
Save the alert.

See EBSCO's journal alert help sheet for more detailed instructions

EBSCOHost Journal Alert Set-Up Page

When setting up your alert, we recommend choosing the detailed alert format. Also, remember to enter your email address.

An EBSCOHost alert looks like this

The journal alert email contains a link to the new issue in the EBSCOhost databases.