Slide 1
Welcome to "Creating Alerts on DialogClassic Web". This short module explains why Alerts can be cost-effective sources of crucial competitive intelligence, and it provides examples of how to set up and edit Alerts. This session assumes that you are familiar with conducting a basic search on Dialog, and it may also serve as a refresher on techniques that will help you save time and money. Alerts can be set up on any platform. This module uses the DialogClassic Web interface to demonstrate the creation of Alerts.
Slide 2
Alerts are saved searches that can be set up to run automatically and deliver the results to your desktop. Track your competitors' activities, monitor industry trends, and review press coverage of your clients. In this module you will see: How to create the delivery address on your Dialog account before you set up your Alert; Examples of creating an Alert in one database and in more than one file; Other commands to use with Alerts; and How to edit an existing Alert.
Slide 3
Dialog Alert is a current awareness service that allows a search to run automatically whenever new records are added to the database and have the results delivered electronically, via email, ftp or postal mail. You can set up Alerts in most regularly updated databases on Dialog. Alerts let Dialog run searches for you when a database updates, or at frequencies you specify. Features available for Alerts include duplicate detection for records retrieved in the same Alert for up to 12 months, as well as eLinks and customized options for delivery frequency.
What do Alerts do for you, besides saving you time and money? They allow you to:
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Before creating an Alert, make sure you:
First: Create an email address for delivery of results if you're not planning to use the default postal address on your Dialog User Number.
Second: Research and decide which databases are appropriate for your search
Third: Plan out the search strategy
Fourth: Try out the search and Type out some records in a short format to make sure you are on track to get the kinds of data you seek.
Fifth: Refine your strategy by trying other proximity options, such as the (3n) operator, rather than AND.
Do not include Publication Year or Publication Date prefix searches in the strategy.
Slide 5
Once you are satisfied with your search, you are ready to start the Alert process. Before creating an Alert, make sure you have created and stored the address to which you want to deliver the results. The command to create an email address is EDIT ADDRESS. You may already have created an email address for your Alert recipient, so first enter the command RECALL ADDRESS to view the list of Alternate Addresses stored on your User ID. You may enter these commands and create the address in a free file, such as File 410, the Dialog Community-of-Interest Newsletters. To create an alternate address, follow the command summary shown here.
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You can see behind the dialog box the command RECALL ADDR, and the resultant list of alternate addresses already stored on the User ID.
Upon entering the command EDIT ADDRESS (or EDIT ADDR), you see a dialog box. Give the address a name. Choose what kind of delivery you want, such as email, postal or FTP (file transfer protocol, available for Alerts delivery only). For this example, we have taken the default for email address. Enter the recipient's email address. Use the drop-down menu to choose the appropriate email software, such as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange Server, etc. We have taken the default of Generic (mime attachment). Click Save to complete the process.
Slide 7
Now that we have a delivery address created, let's take a look at setting up an Alert in a single database. In this example, we use a business application, where we want to stay ahead of competitor product introductions in the infant formula industry. We will follow the command summary as shown here. Begin 20, Dialog Global Reporter, a file that updates multiple times daily, with the leading newspapers, business magazines and newswires from around the world. We use the Current feature, which will restrict retrieval to records added this year and last year. Using Current saves processing time in large databases, and we are interested in testing only recent data. It does not impact the Alert strategy since the Alert will run against updates to the file only. Select key terms pertaining to the product and qualify to the Title /TI OR the Product Name /PN OR the Lead Paragraph /LP. Select Set 1 (S1) AND industry terms pertaining to product introduction. Since File 20 continuously updates, and contains numerous journals and newswires that may sometimes overlap, it is a good idea to remove duplicates. Remove Duplicates or RD creates a new set. Type out a few records in Formats 8, k, which provide indexed terms and keywords in context, to see if you are on the right track. Once you are satisfied with the strategy, enter Save Alert.
Note: if you have tried out various search statements to see which works best, Begin File 20 again to clear out extraneous sets, and run the search the way you want the Alert to run.
Slide 8
Here's how our search will run in DialogClassic Web. At the top of the DialogClassic Web screen the Retrieve Buffer shows the commands we have completed. At the bottom of the screen is the Type-Ahead buffer in which you enter your search commands. You can enter your commands one at a time, or you can enter all of your commands before logging on, as long as you have once logged on, and logged off, but left the window open. The bottom of the screen shows you how long you have been connected. Notice on the top right-hand corner the Databases pane with a hyperlink to the Dialog Bluesheet for Dialog Global Reporter. Below the Databases pane are links to all of the commands that you have run so far. For our baby formula search we have created two sets and removed duplicates. Now we are ready to display records. We enter the TYPE command, including set number S3, formats, 8,k and a few records 1-5.
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After browsing some records, we see that our search strategy has retrieved relevant records so we enter a command to create an Alert. The command is Save Alert.
Slide 10
A dialog box appears and we must give the Alert a name. Next, make sure the Remove duplicates box is checked. There are other options you can fill in, such as creating a subaccount name for accounting purposes if desired. You can add databases to the Alert if you wish. Notice that your search statement is already entered for you. The Print commands box is empty unless you entered print commands before entering Save Alert. You must ensure that there is a Print statement designating the set number, format, and records to send. Make sure the Print statement refers to the correct set. We typed in the address to which to send it: addr louise. This email address had been stored on the User ID. Notice also, there is a drop-down menu from which you can select an email address and then click the Insert Address button. We also entered a Print Title statement above the standard print statement: PRINT TITLE BABY FORMULA NEW PRODUCTS FROM GLOBAL REPORTER. This will appear as your email subject when you receive results from your Alert. When it arrives, you will easily recognize it as your Alert results. Next, we'll need to select the Alert frequency.
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You can choose the frequency based on when the database is updated or select your own schedule. In this case we have chosen to have the Alerts delivered every Monday at 7 A.M. Click Save to complete the process.
Slide 12
Dialog confirms that it has created the Alert called BABYFORMULA. We will review other Alert commands a bit later.
Slide 13
Dialog allows you to create and store Alerts in more than one database. This feature is very valuable, since you can check off a box to have duplicate records detected and removed for up to 12 months. The Alerts Dedupe feature works for records found in that Alert, so you must include the files in that Alert.
In this example, we want to receive articles about baby formula from the business trade journals. We are going to use three trade journal literature databases: Business & Industry (File 9), Gale Group PROMT (File 16) and Gale Group Trade & Industry Database (File 148). These are known as the big three in trade journal literature. We'll Begin 9,16,148 using the current feature and run the same search as was just shown including removing duplicates. Select key terms and qualify to the Title, Product Name and Lead Paragraph. Remove duplicates. Type out a few sample titles and key words in context FROM EACH database ñ a nice feature in multifile searching. Once we're satisfied with the search strategy, we'll SAVE Alert and give the Alert the name.
Slide 14
Now, when the dialog box pops up, the Alert has a name, which you could change if you wished. To deselect a file, just remove the checkmark from the file. You could add files if you wish, by clicking on the Add Files button. The box to remove duplicates is checked. Review the strategy. Since the Alert will remove duplicates, we deleted the RD statement from the strategy. Enter Print statements. The email address drop-down menu shows we're picking an address. Once you choose an address, click Insert Address.
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Choose delivery frequencies for each file. Click Save when you are satisfied.
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After an Alert is set up, you may want to review your Alert or even remove it from the system. Dialog has commands to let you review your Alerts and also modify them if you desire. First, we'll look at how to view Alerts we've already set up. To see a list of your stored Alerts, enter RECALL ALERT. There is one Alert stored. The list shows the Alert name, the date it was modified, the delivery frequency and the file number. To see a particular Alert on your User ID, enter RECALL followed by the Alert name. Note: Another RECALL Alert command RECALL ALERT DETAIL provides a list of all your Alerts and all your Alert strategies. Recall followed by an Alert name provides details about a particular Alert. It lists the file number, the frequency, the time of delivery, if it has a custom schedule, whether the dedupe feature is enabled, and what you have chosen regarding notification. In this case you will get an email only when the Alert has results. Next appear the command linesóthe strategy and the print statements. If you want to delete an Alert, enter Release and the Alert name.
Now, let's modify one of our Alerts.
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Recall Alert detail lets you view all of your Alerts and your Alert strategies. Enter recall alert detail and respond yes to the prompt.
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It is very easy to edit an Alert using DialogClassic Web. Edit Alert allows you to review your search strategy, change files, tweak keywords, and so forth.
As shown in the command summary, Begin a free file, such as File 410. Recall Alerts to check names, files, modification dates, etc. Enter the command Edit Alert followed by the Alert name. Review and make the corrections you wish. Double-check to make sure the changes you made did not affect the set number in the Print statement. Click Save.
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If we wanted to edit the Alert we set up on baby formula, here's how we could do it. First, BEGIN 410 or any free file. Enter Recall Alert. If you have more than one Alert saved, select the one you want to edit and enter EDIT <name of Alert>.
Slide 20
The Alert window opens with the options displayed for the specified Alert. Make any desired changes to the Alert options. We decided to add a new set to qualify to particular industry concepts, such as product introductions. Since we added a search statement, we must also change the Set number in the print statement from 1 to 2. If that is all you want to edit, then click the Save button at the bottom of the Alert window. Dialog confirms that the changes have been made.
Slide 21
In this session you learned why Alerts save you valuable time and keep you up-to-date on late-breaking company and industry developments. Here are some things to keep in mind as you set up your Alerts. Before creating an Alert make sure you have created and stored on your User ID the address to which you want the results sent. Test search strategies before creating an Alert. Once you are ready, BEGIN the files on which you wish to create an Alert and enter the search statements. Do not include in the strategy any search statements involving Publication Year or Publication Year. Enter the command SAVE Alert
Commands to review existing Alerts include Recall Alert, Recall, followed by the Alert name, and Recall Alert Detail.
Slide 22
What are your next steps?
First, check the Dialog training site at support.dialog.com/training. Listed here are live Web-based training, self-paced sessions, and other on-demand recorded sessions, both longer and short modules. You can also review search aids such as the How Do I series, covering the most asked search questions about patents, trademarks, pharmaceuticals, biomed, business and more. Finally, make sure you are signed up for the free Chronolog and the Training Newsletter to see all the news at Dialog including new training courses and search aids. And, if you have any questions, please contact the Knowledge Center at http://support.dialog.com/helpdesk/.
Slide 23
This completes our demonstration on creating Alerts. Thank you for your interest in Dialog. Keep checking with us for other At a Glance modules added regularly.