Information Bridge

IB Alerts Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)



What is an IB Alert?  Is there a charge for receiving Alerts?
An IB Alert is a notification of an update to the IB in a subject of interest to the user.  Some examples are "solar energy", nanotechnology, and "adenosine triphosphatases".  There is no charge for receiving Alerts.
How do I register to receive an Alert?  and how do I renew my registration?
To register to receive an IB Alert, please see the IB Alerts Registration page.  Your registration expires after six months.  To renew your registration, you must change your password
How do I request, revise, or cancel an Alert?
To request, revise, or cancel an Alert, please go to the IB Alerts Log On page and log on.
How often will I receive an Alert?
Alerts are sent weekly on Wednesdays.
Where can I find a summary of my Alerts?  And how long is my summary available?
A summary of your Alerts can be found on the Alerts Summary page.  You must log on in order to access your Alerts Summary.  Your summary is available to you as long as you are registered and have a current password.
What do I do if I do not receive an Alert that I am expecting?
If you do not receive an Alert that you are expecting, please go to the Alerts Comment form, describe your difficulty, provide your Alert Name and your e-mail address, and submit the form.

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What are the password requirements to receive Alerts?
Password requirements are as follows:
A. Your password must include
  1. at least eight non‑blank characters in both upper case and lower case
  2. a number in the first seven characters
  3. a special character in the first seven characters
  4. a nonnumeric in the first and last position, and
  5. may not contain any portion of your e-mail address.
B. Also:
  1. Your password should not include your own name, nor, to the best of your knowledge, that of close friends or relatives.
  2. Your password should not include your employee serial number, Social Security number, birth date, phone number, or any information about you that could be readily learned or guessed.
  3. Your password should not, to the best of your knowledge, include common words that would be found in an English dictionary, or from another language with which you have familiarity.
  4. Your password should not, to the best of your knowledge, employ commonly used proper names, including the name of any fictional character or place.
  5. Your password should not contain any simple pattern of letters or numbers, such as “qwertyxx” or “xyz123xx”.
  6. The passwords you use should be different than any passwords employed on any classified system that you use.
What do I do if I have forgotten my Alerts password?
If you have forgotten your Alerts password, you will need to request that your password be reset.
How do I change my Alerts password?
To change your IB Alerts password, fill in the Alerts Password Reset Request.

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How do I change my Alerts e-mail address?
To change your Alerts e-mail address, fill in the Change Alerts E-mail Address form and submit.  You will receive an e-mail with further instructions.  If your existing Alerts e-mail address no longer exists, you will need to re-register.
How do I cancel my registration for Alerts?
To cancel your registration for Alerts (which also cancels all your current Alerts), please log on, fill in the Confirm Cancellation of All Alerts form, and submit it.
How do I get help with IB Alerts?
In addition to the Alerts FAQ page that you are currently looking at, there is an IB Alerts Help page that contains additional information.  If you have questions about IB Alerts or wish to make a comment, you can do so through the IB Alerts Comment form.
How do I get help with IB?
To get help with IB, please see the IB Help page and/or the IB FAQ page.
What other databases/products/services are available from DOE's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)?
OSTI's DOE Science Accelerator searches multiple science resources, including Information Bridge. These resources, developed by OSTI, reside in the deep Web where popular search engines cannot go. The DOE Science Accelerator provides a "deeper" search that yields results ranked by relevancy. This search may take a little longer, but returns more comprehensive, higher quality science information.

Additional databases/products can be found in the left column on the OSTI Home Page.

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