Search Alerts

You can set search alerts in many library databases so that you are automatically notified when a new source that meets your search criteria is added to the database. Below is a list of tutorials for various database vendors and Google Scholar.

Journal Alerts

Some journals allow you to sign up for alerts when a new issue is available. This information can usually be found on that journal's website and will vary depending on the journal's publisher.

Just as you should check to see what a source has cited for additional sources related to your topic, you can also identify where a source has been cited since it was published. These features are not 100% accurate, but they can still be useful. 

Google Scholar

• Search for an important source on your topic in Google Scholar
• Look for the "Cited by" link under the citation and click on it to view where this source has been cited 

Google Scholar results can be a little messy, but it does a decent job of identifying citations in the humanities. 

More information about cited reference searching can be found here: