In recent issues of ResearchNOTES, I've shared some of my favorite tips for using LinkedIn and Twitter for learning. This month, I'll spotlight another way to stay informed - subject feeds, collections of news on a particular topic. Subject feeds make it easy to capture information flow - and expand your horizons:
- RSS is definitely not dead - at least for me. I've set up news feeds from reliable sources in a variety of topics of interest to me and my clients. I like to find new RSS feeds by browsing the directories at Google Reader and BusinessWire.com.
- Futurity covers the latest discoveries by scientists at the top research universities in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. Even though I'm a business researcher by trade and not a scientist, I find these reports fascinating, and they keep me informed of important industry trends.
- When it comes to keeping track of what's going on in the U.S. government, I rely on feeds and alerts from Scout. They offer updates - through RSS, email, and text - about what Congress is doing around an issue or a specific bill, as well as about bills in state legislatures and federal regulations.
What are your favorite subject feeds?
This originally appeared in the February 2013 issue of ResearchNOTES, a monthly email bulletin with my top tips for online research.