There are many ways to keep up-to-date with developments in your field; for instance: reading the latest literature in your subject, attending University research seminars and events (both in-person, and online), collaborating with other researchers in your discipline, and making the most of social media tools.

The information on this page supports sections 2.1; 2.3; 4.1; 4.3; 5.1 and 5.6 of the RDF. 

Ensure you are reading the most recently published literature. Here are some tools you can use to be alerted when new publications are released in your field. 

• Save your searches and create alerts in Library Search to ensure you are emailed when new results are published that match your search criteria. Many of our subject databases also have this facility. You can find the list of databases we subscribe to in our databases A-Z. 

• Use Journaltocs to set up table of content alerts for journals relevant in your field of research. 
• Create citation alerts in Web Of Science for key articles which an excellent way to find out who is citing your work or key papers in your research area.

Exchanging ideas and information with your peers is a great way to keep up to date in your subject. Email discussion lists and other online collaboration tools will help you to communicate with other researchers and experts in your field.

• Find out about research events within the University.
• JISCmail is the leading discussion list service for the UK academic community.
• Vitae Community is an online network for researchers to share practices and discuss the latest policy implications.
• You can also ask advice from your supervisor to know which societies or networks you should be aware of. These societies and groups will organise events and conferences where you will be able to learn about the most recent development in your field, as well as present your work. 

Blog and social media are a good way to stay informed of new developments in your field, and to consider how to engage with a wider audience. More and more academics use these tools as ways to share their research with a lay audience and to enhance their visibility. 

You will find blogs dedicated to your specific fields of research. Below are a few recommendations of blogs that can be helpful during your PhD:

• The London School of Economics Impact blog is really useful for anyone interested in maximising the impact of academic work in the social sciences and other disciplines, including how to communicate and disseminate your research.
• Research Whisperer blog focuses on doing research in academia.
• Thesis Whisperer is a newspaper-style blog dedicated to doing a PhD.

Engaging with your institution's social media is a great way to keep in touch and up to date with what is happening around you. Many faculties and schools within the University have their own social media presence, search it out and become involved.

• @Uniofsunlib will keep you up to date with all the latest Library news.

You could also follow the social media accounts of learned societies, research centres and individual academics in your field. Social media platforms are useful to follow, connect and start to collaborate with other PhD students and researchers in your field.

When using social media it is a good idea to think about what tools you use and why. Developing a social media strategy will help you evaluate the impact of your online activities.

• The Digital identify health check for academics is a useful aide-memoir for all researchers to ‘health check’ your digital presence.
• Consider key factors such as online safety, copyright, and data sharing. It is important to manage your online identity and reputation. 
• Get advice on making the most of attending academic conferences and using social media to enhance your engagement with the conference.

There are many web tools and platforms you can use to support your research and help you collaborate with other researchers.

• Vitae is an organisation supporting the professional development of researchers. As a member of Sunderland University, you can register with your university email to access a wealth of resources to help you become a more effective researcher and develop your career in or outside academia.
• The Access to Research service provides free, on-demand access to millions of academic articles in UK public libraries. It makes it easy for anyone to read publicly-funded research, and helps publishers share content with researchers, students and others who might benefit from it.