How to save your search in EBSCO
In this post we will show how to setup an EBSCO account and save searches to run again later
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Contents
Introduction
Your EBSCO account is ready and waiting for you when you log into the databases using your University Username and Password
You may wish to save a search strategy and re-run it at a later date either in the same EBSCO database or another EBSCO database. When you save your searches on the EBSCO platform, you can use that same account to save searches on all the EBSCO products.
It is important to note that you are saving the search strategy, not the exact set of results you have found that day.
The databases are regularly updated and therefore any new records that are relevant to your search criteria will be included in the results when you re-run your search. The numbers usually only increase subtly. The only time the number of results may decrease is if you have included a search limit such as “Last 5 Years” and a new year has begun when you re-run your search.
Logging into your EBSCO account
To create an EBSCO account:
- Launch EBSCO from the Library website. You can find it in the databases A-Z list.
- You will now be prompted to login in with your University username and password. Once logged in you will be redirected to the screen below:
3. Finally select EBSCOhost Web.
Save your search strategy
- Once logged in, you will see the search screen.
- Conduct a search then click ‘Save Searches/Alerts’ to save your strategy and run again later.
3. Next you will be prompted to give some details about your search strategy. This includes:
- Giving your search a name.
- Saving your search permanently or for the next 24 hours or choose to alert you.
If you select alert, when the database is updated you will receive notifications at a time of your choosing of any new articles which are found to be relevant to your search.
4. Finally click the ‘Save’ button to save your search.
It is important to remember that if you make further changes to your search and you wish to save them you must click on ‘Save Searches/Alerts’ again otherwise subsequent changes will be lost if you close the database.
Retrieving your saved searches
- Open the EBSCO database and log into your account using the sign in link at the top of your screen.
- Click ‘Folder’ at the tops of the screen (shown in the screenshot below).
3. You will see ‘My Folder’ is located to the left side of your search screen. (Please note — If you have previously saved specific articles these may automatically display in the centre of your screen). Scroll down the column to find your ‘Saved Searches’ (shown below).
4. Click ‘Saved Searches’.
5. Click to select the tick box next to the specific search you wish to re-run.
6. Finally click ‘ Retrieve Saved Search’ and you search results will then be displayed.
Summary
In this post we have looked at creating an EBSCO account, saving your search strategy and finding your saved searches in EBSCO. You can find further support for advanced searching and systematic reviews below.
