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What if you could tell a website to let you know every time that they update? In a sense, this is what RSS does for you..

What is an RSS feed and why should I use it?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is an easy to use tool that enables you to keep up to date with the latest news and information from selected websites.

It means you can see the latest updates and news items without having to spend time visiting and searching the website itself as they are delivered direct to your browser or ‘RSS reader’.

Every time something related to a topic you select is added or updated on the Publication Hub, the RSS feed will give you the title of the update and a brief description. You will have the option to go straight to the relevant web page so that you can see the full details.

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What is an RSS reader?

This is a piece of software that stores, updates and displays all of the RSS feeds that you subscribe to.

There are a wide range of RSS readers to choose from and many of these are available for free. To find one that is suitable for your computer simply go to a standard internet search engine and type in ‘free RSS readers’.

Some web browsers have built-in RSS readers (such as Internet Explorer versions 7 and 8) that make it even easier for you to subscribe to and view your RSS feeds. If you have a browser with this feature, a small icon will appear on the browser tool bar if there is an RSS feed on the page you are looking at. On those occasions, subscribing to the feed for that page is as simple as clicking on the RSS icon.

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How do I set up an RSS feed from the Publication Hub?

Once you have an RSS reader or a web browser with the RSS reader facility setting up your Publication Hub RSS feed is simple.

If you want to view every new release or update to the Publication Hub you can navigate to the ‘Release calendar’ tab and click on the RSS icon.

To subscribe to a feed, you can do one of three things;

  • Click on the orange icon on the relevant page;
  • Drag the orange icon into your news reader;
  • Copy and paste the URL of the of RSS feed into your news reader

In all of these cases, you will be asked if you want to subscribe to the feed and you will need to click on ‘yes’, ‘ok’ or ‘subscribe’ depending on which service you are using.

If you want to make your RSS feed more specific, why not create a customised RSS feed.

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How to create your own customised RSS feed

On the Create a customised RSS feed page:

1. Enter your search criteria in the relevant field.

If you are interested in a particular publication, enter the name in ‘Search on exact title’.

If you wish to receive an RSS feed related to a specific theme, select the theme from the drop down menu.

If you would like to have statistics from a specific department displayed in your feed, select the relevant department from the drop down menu.

You can also search on keywords or if you would like your RSS feed to alert you to all statistical releases on the hub, leave the search fields blank and select ‘All’ from both drop down menus.

You can also make your search more specific by using the ‘Refine your results’ options.

2. Click ‘Create RSS’.

The results of your search will now be displayed. The releases listed will be an example of the information that will be shown in your RSS feed.

If no search results are found, try again using different search terms.

3. Click on the RSS icon or one of the RSS readers.

Clicking on the RSS Icon or ‘RSS Bookmark’ options will take you to your feed. If you are using Internet Explorer 7 or above (or other modern browsers), the feed you have generated will be displayed. Click on ‘Subscribe to this feed’. You can also copy the web address and use this in any RSS reader.

Alternatively you can use one of the other links to go directly to a RSS reader.

If you have any comments of feedback about the Create a customised RSS feed page, please contact us.

 

 

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