RSS (Rich Site Summary), or "Really Simple Syndication", is a format for delivering headlines, update notices, or content to an unlimited number of subscribers. The content can be delivered as a “feed” to a feed reader.
Technically speaking, RSS is written in a coding language called XML (eXtensible Markup Language). Because feeds are written in XML, they can be viewed in a variety of programs.
Have a few minutes to learn more? This video from CommonCraft that explains RSS.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ’s mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.
An RSS feed allows a user to learn when new content has been added to a site without having to return to the site directly. A site that displays the RSS icon in the browser address field or elsewhere on the browser provides an RSS feed.
Using a program called a feed ‘Reader’ or ‘Aggregator’, the user ’subscribes’ by adding a link to the designated content source; the Reader can then check the subscribed feeds to see if any of those feeds have new content since the last time it checked, and if so, retrieve that content.
Many browsers have integrated support for RSS feeds (e.g. IE 7, Firefox and Safari) requiring simple bookmarking. Web-based feed readers such as Google Reader and Bloglines require no software installation and make the user’s “feeds” available on any computer with Web access. Standalone readers such as Feed Reader and Sharp Reader can be installed on your computer.
