Q. How can I get PubMed alerts about new papers by me, my collaborators, or in my topic area?

Step 1: Sign in to PubMed 

• Go to PubMed.gov 
• Select Log in (top right) 
• Sign in or create a My NCBI account 

Step 2: Run a search 

• Use PubMed search to find what you want to track: 
  • Your own papers or a collaborator’s papers 
  • Search using an author name (for example: Smith J[Author]) 
• A research topic: 
  • Search using keywords, phrases, or MeSH terms 
• Tip: Add keywords like institution name or subject terms to reduce false matches. 

Step 3: Save the search and turn on alerts 

• On the search results page, select Create alert 
• Give the alert a clear name 
• Choose how often you want emails (daily, weekly, or monthly) 
• Save the alert 
• PubMed will email you when new articles match your search

Step 4: Manage or change alerts 

• In My NCBI, go to Saved searches 
• Edit, pause, or delete alerts at any time 

Helpful tips 

• Use separate alerts for different collaborators or topics 
• Review alerts occasionally and refine search terms if results are too broad 
• Alerts work best for tracking new publications, not citation counts