2.5 Keep up to date

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When you graduate and start working as a professional, you have a responsibility to keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Methods include:

• journal subscriptions and alert services
• habitual searching
• e-mail discussion lists
• professional organisations.

Journal subscriptions and alert services

Many professionals subscribe to a leading journal in their field to keep up to date.

You may also consider using an alert service. Publisher websites make available Table of Contents (TOC) services. TOC services send you the contents pages of the latest issues of journals at the time of their publication, upon request. This enables you to see what is being published and take steps to view any articles of interest.

Habitual searching

You may prefer to periodically run searches in various tools to find the latest information related to your field.

Consider the following approaches:

1. Use a diary to note the dates when you should run the search.
2. Keep a note of which tools you need to search.
3. Write out the search statements you will use for each tool (these may change over time).
4. As the dates come round, run the search statements in each of the access tools.
5. Print or e-mail a record of the relevant results.

An organised approach to searching diminishes the possibility of missing important information.

E-mail discussion lists

E-mail is a form of online communication. Once a suitable list (or group) has been located it is necessary to request subscription to the group. This doesn't require a payment of any kind. As a subscribed member, you will receive all group messages. You can decide how much you wish to participate. You can post questions, reply to mail or simply monitor the postings from others in the group.

Your lecturer, tutor or peers may suggest a relevant discussion list. Alternatively, use an Internet search tool to identify discussion lists in your field.

Professional organisations

Joining a professional organisation enables the opportunity to network with fellow professionals through email lists, exchanging ideas and reducing the isolation that can occur. Professional organisations provide information, publish trade journals and newsletters alerting you to new developments in the industry, continuing education opportunities and upcoming conferences. Your lecturer, tutor or librarian may suggest an appropriate professional organisation. You can often join as a student member at a discount rate.