[en] Monitoring of artificial alpha airborne concentration using alpha spectrometry based continuous air monitors (ASCAM) depends greatly on the purpose, the equipment selected and the practical circumstances of use. ASCAMs are used for real-time air monitoring primarily to detect airborne plutonium and other artificial α-emitting radionuclides in nuclear installations. With drastic growth in the field of electronics and software, there are number of ASCAMs available in market. Before selecting an ASCAM, user should realize the site-specific requirements and must be aware of different engineering and analytical techniques used, that may have both cost and worker safety implications. In this paper, general characteristics of an ASCAM are described which will act as a guide to potential users