ISSN 2229-5984 (P) 2249-5576 (e)
Current Content Alerts through RSS Feeds: A Web 2.0 Approach Jayshree D. Pandya*, Sandip S. Patel* and Lalitha Poluru** To Cite: Pandya, J.D., Patel, S.S. & Poluru, L. (2012). Current content alerts through RSS Feeds: A web approach. International Journal of Information Dissemination and Technology, 2(4), 278-286.
* Library Assistant ** Librarian Institutes of Pharmacy & Science Nirma University, Ahmedabad
Corresponding Author Lalitha Poluru
[email protected]
2.0
ABSTRACT Using RSS (Really simple Syndication) is one of the best ways of keeping ourselves updated. The feeds are very helpful for providing Current Content alerts Service (CCAS) to users in a systematic way. In this paper, the first part focuses on providing CCAS using RSS feeds through Google Reader, Feed Burner for the users using gmail facility. It also describes the process of setting the alerts using the above said tools and linking with Website for more visibility of the users. The second part of the paper deals with the data analysis of the users accessing information using the CCAS provided by the Nirma University Libraries (NULs) using RSS feeds and found that users are very well satisfied with this initiative. Key Terms: Web 2.0, RSS Feeds, E journals, Current Content Alerts Service (CCAS), Web Information Services, Academic Libraries.
Received On: 04.08.12; Revised On: 09.11.12; Accepted On: 12.11.12
INTRODUCTION With the advent of ICT there is a lot of growth in terms of dimensions of libraries, volume and formats of documents, tools and techniques used for providing information services and most importantly, the demand for intensive information services from the 21st century users. Further with the advent of Web 2.0 technologies, the strategies of handling information services are changing at breakneck speed. The term Web 2.0 refers to the development of online services that encourage collaboration, communication and information sharing, CILIPS & SLIC (2009). Now a days, the libraries and librarians are embracing this technology to promote services, share information, and engage with users and network with colleagues on the globe. The present paper discusses about one such kind of services, the CCAS provided by the Libraries at Nirma University using this RSS feeds. Here Alert service refers to features included with scholarly databases or made available by journal publishers that allow the users to be notified by email when something of their interest has been added to the database or journal.
LITERATURE REVIEW The Alert service using RSS feeds is provided as a part of Current Awareness Service targeting the current information needs of the users. Information push service is one of the most important functions of a library consisting of electronic resources. Jaffries & Wallies (2006) opined that blog and XML feed technologies have provided new opportunities for information dissemination and communication. The University of Southern Queensland library developed a virtual professional reading room using these 278
technologies to provide a centralized, easily accessible source for professional reading based on SDI principles. As per the survey carried by, Chen et. al. (2009) academic libraries are using RSS in different ways, where one university implemented on blog platform, others used it as major tool for aggregating news or selected types of information at their websites. RSS, as one web tool, is apparently used for providing up-to-date news on current information to library users. Dey & Sarkar (2009) described about the benefits of RSS and technical overview of their application in libraries. They have also highlighted on the dos and don'ts of RSS technology. Hart (2007) focused on identifying targeted user groups' information needs and benefits of using RSS feeds as web content in a special library. Chen et. al. (2009) proposed a technical solution for digital libraries to establish the information needs, ontology based on a comprehensive understanding of personalized user information needs and offered an information push service by RSS in a ubiquitous computing environment. As per the need and requirement of providing information updates to the users of NULs, the authors have initiated the Current Content Alerts using RSS feeds.
About Nirma University Libraries (NULs) Functioning under the aegis of Nirma Education and Research Foundation the university presently includes of a top gradeInstitute of Technology, a leading b-school - Institute of Management, an innovative Institute of Diploma Studies, an upcoming Institute of Pharmacy, Institute of Science and emerging Institute of Law. All these institutions have emerged as centers of excellence offering various programmes ranging from
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undergraduate to doctoral levels in technology, engineering, business, pharmacy and sciences (http://www.nirmauni.ac.in). Dwelling on new digital initiatives the NULs cater to the academic interests and research needs of the student and faculty communities. There are six institutes offering UG and PG studies in varied branches of human knowledge. Each Institute has a fullfledged Library Resource Centre. In total NULs are well stocked with over 93,682 print books, 32 online databases, 776 print periodicals, more than 15,463 online journals, over 519 videos and more than 5,793 electronic media like CDs/DVDs & Floppies.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and Current Content Alerts RSS is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their contents as an RSS Feeds to the aspirants. It is the XML-based format that allows the syndication of Web content and used to refer to the standards like Rich Site Summary (RSS
0.91), RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0), Really Simple Syndication (RSS2.0) and Really Simple Subscribing (http://www.tutorialspoint.com/rss/what-is-rss.htm). RSS formats are specified using XML, a generic specification for the creation of data formats. Although RSS formats have evolved since March 1999 (My Netscape Network), the RSS icon first gained widespread use in 2005/2006. RSS also refers to as a web feed or a channel. The basic contents in an RSS feed are full or shortened text along with metadata, which gives information about vintage and ownership of articles. After a number of variations, the icon that now universally represents RSS feeds is an orange square box with white colored radio waves. The file name extensions used are usually in the format .rss or .xml, Badan, B. (2012).
Basic Structure of RSS The document has a very simple and straight forward structure. The names within the tags often explain the meaning of the elements. As shown in figure no.1, the structure is in a tree diagram.
Source: http://www.netugc.com/reallysimple-syndication-rss, Witten Brink (2005). Figure 1: Structure of a Simple RSS Document
ADVANTAGES OF RSS Among the world of blogs, RSS feeds help to filter to push the latest updates of blogs to the RSS Reader at user's desktop that meet his/her personal, professional, or business needs. Even an RSS aggregator has many blogs aggregated. Some other benefits are: Value Added Services: Ability to deliver value added q services without over taxing the existing staff members in the library. Currency and Time Saving: RSS feeds distribute q
information automatically to users when an update is made on the web content. Thus saving the time of the users that is spent for searching and browsing the information and enables the users stay current with the latest information. q Restricts Space Problems: RSS feeds are read through RSS reader or placed on web content. Thus personal email boxes are not overloaded with additional information for the user to read, Hart (2007). q Filtered Display: RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with web sites in an automated manner that can
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be piped into special programs or filtered displays. q Privacy: In the RSS environment, the user doesn't have to disclose his/her email address to others Celikbas, Z. (2004).
RSS Reader RSS feeds can be read using software called as 'RSS reader', 'feed reader' or 'aggregator', which can be Web-based Feed Readers, Desktop Feed Readers, Browser Built-In Feed Readers, EmailBased Feed Readers, and Mobile Feed Readers. So, an RSS Reader is specialized software which interprets the RSS feed (written in XML language) and present it in a readable form to end user. Using an RSS Reader to view the XML document just looks like checking the mail box. There are many RSS Readers available in the market like Blog lines, Google Reader, My Yahoo, News Gator, Alnera Feed Buster, Blog Bridge, RSS Bandit, Feed Demon for Windows, Firefox's Live Bookmarks, Mozilla Thunderbird, Newsgator Inbox, Yahoo Mobile, Google Mobile, and AOL Mobile.
It is licensed free software, that can be used anywhere via gmail account login. Feature of Feed Burner: q View and sort the list q Activate, deactivate, and delete individual email addresses q Export your list in Excel or CSV format q Receive an optional email when people unsubscribe. More details about the Feed Burner can be obtained from (http://www.feedburner.com)
Steps to Provide Current Content Alerts through RSS Subscribe to a Feed in Google Reader To subscribe to a feed in Google Reader when you know the feed address: Copy RSS Feed links from particular Journals and Select 'Subscription' and Click on Add Button as shown in below screenshots.
Feed Burner
Screenshot 1: RSS Feed Link Then go to Reader setting option from right hand side bar as shown below
Screenshot 2: Reader Setting Option 280
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Then it will show all subscribed Feed lists that has been subscribed, here subject wise folders can be created and
subscriptions can be managed as per required Institutional subject discipline as depicted below screenshot.
Screenshot 3: Subject Discipline It Shows Subject wise folders as shown in screenshot 4.
Screenshot 4: Subject wise Folder Then click on 'Folder Setting Menu' and Select 'Create Bundle' as shown in screenshot 5.
Screenshot 5: Create Bundle International Journal of Information Dissemination and Technology | Oct. - Dec. 2012 | Vol. 2 | Issue 4
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Click on 'Add a Link' as depicted in below screenshot 6.
Screenshot 6: Add a Link Now It Shows your RSS Feed Reader with URL, (as shown in below screenshot) users can Subscribe RSS feeds in their Reader
by Using this URL and get daily updates or Using Feed Burner for automatic delivering into their email accounts.
Screenshot 7: RSS Feed Reader If users only subscribe to link in their Reader then they do not get updates in their mails. So in library we provide this service by using feed burner, as subscribing to feeds by using feed burner (as
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shown below) through their E mail ids will provide them daily updates into their mail boxes.
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Screenshot 8: Feed by using Feed Burner The current Alert service has been provided through the Webpage of Institutes of Pharmacy and Science from where the
users can directly subscribe to the RSS feeds of the list of journals as grouped under respective subjects as depicted in screenshot 9
Screenshot 9: Webpage of Institutes International Journal of Information Dissemination and Technology | Oct. - Dec. 2012 | Vol. 2 | Issue 4
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Information Seeking through RSS Academic Library websites are libraries' virtual presentations to the world, Liu (2008). As per the changing user information needs and users' attitudes and with an idea of embracing technology NULs have adapted latest technology to impart information to the users. As a part of this initiative, providing CCAS using RSS feeds helped the library staff to provide information instantaneously. This service is one of the current awareness services and it is widely utilized not only by Nirma Community but also by other users out of Nirma University.
METHODOLOGY To understand the importance and users opinion about this service, the authors have conducted a survey through an online questionnaire that was generated using Google docs. This generated questionnaire's link was sent to the users through their e-mails and responses were received. As per the details of users recorded in the Feed Burner, more than 110 users are using
this service and the responses were received from 31 respondents.
DATA ANALYSIS The below mentioned are the responses of the respondents: Use of RSS q Out of 31 respondents 68% (21) responded that they were not using RSS feeds before and only 32% (10) replied that they are using them. Awareness of New Publications q From the Figure 2, though there are mixed responses, it is evident that 16 users would be aware of new publications through RSS feeds and Blogs, 18 users through interaction with colleagues, conferences and workshops, 14 users through Email alerts of Table of Contents through publishers, 15 users through book reviews in journals and magazines and 8 users through other modes.
Figure 2: Awareness about New Publications Usefulness of RSS Services in Academic and q Research Work. 65% (20) responded that the Current Content Alters through RSS is useful, 32% (10) opined that this is very useful service for their academic and research work where as 3% (1) said that it is not useful. Satisfaction with RSS (Content Alert Service). q Though all users were satisfied by the service, 81% (25) responded that they were satisfied with the service and 19% (6) responded that they were very well satisfied with the CCAS through RSS feeds as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: User Satisfaction
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q Subscription of RSS by Self Support of Library As depicted in Figure 4, 90% (28) responded very positively towards getting the support of Library staff for subscribing RSS
feeds for CCAS, where as only 10% (3) responded that they can subscribe to the service.
Figure 4: Library Support q Problems in Using RSS Feeds As shown in the Figure 5, only twenty one responded to this question where, 10 respondents opined that 'not every site offers RSS feeds'. The next highest number i.e., 5 people mentioned that
Internet Access is not available all the times. 2 responded that 'some feeds expire after a time period' and other 2 responded 'RSS aggregator is not available.
Figure 5: Problems Faced While Using RSS Feeds
CONCLUSION Out of the 31 respondents, 14 are Post graduate students, 5 are Research Scholars and rest 12 are faculty members using the CCAS facility provided by Libraries through RSS feeds. It was noticed that there is a remarkable change in the user attitudes as more than fifty percent users liked to embrace technology to keep them update. They also preferred to get the facility through library. With this it is evident that during these days of technological advancements, the users still like to depend on libraries to fulfill their information needs. The survey also thrown
light on the technological updates those are to be adopted by the service providers i.e., web content publishers, (as there are some issues of expiry of RSS feeds that is causing some inconvenience to the users while storing some information for later usage) for providing persistent seamless information to users. Though the technology is available, still more users are not using that by themselves. Hence, libraries should play a vital role in providing different information services using the Web 2.0 technology for easy accessibility of the information to the users.
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