Author: Marié Roux (Page 1 of 13)

The Primo Research Assistant has launched on the SU Library Search . This generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool – using OpenAI’s GPT–4o mini’s Large Language Model (LLM) – enables users to research a topic in natural language, using library and expanded academic electronic resources. In the process of retrieving results, it summarises the most pertinent information from the five top-ranked articles or other e-resources that can best address your question. It allows you to expand to more results where you can either tweak the Boolean query or filter your results to find more verified sources to assist in your research.

Phrase your question to give enough context as the assistant does not (yet) allow follow-up questions. The assistant now saves your questions between sessions. Access this tool by logging in on Library Search, the search function on the library home page.

Please note that you have to click on this feature in Library Search to use it, see the two options marked with yellow circles below:

Read more about this feature here: Getting started with Primo Research Assistant 

Read this detailed review of the Primo Research Assistant by Aaron Tay.

Enquiries or feedback: Natasja Malherbe, Tel: 021 808 2845

SUNScholarData is Stellenbosch University’s institutional research data repository, has taken a pivotal step toward supporting global sustainable development initiatives. By integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our data repository framework, the University is fostering research that not only advances knowledge but also contributes to solving real-world challenges.

Through this integration, SU researchers can now tag datasets, publications, and research outputs based on their relevance to one or more of the 17 SDGs. This development enables SUNScholarData to serve as a repository not only for preserving research data but also for amplifying research impact by linking outputs to international sustainability objectives.

Aligning Research with Global Impact

The inclusion of SDG tagging in SUNScholarData encourages researchers to connect their work with broader societal goals. By categorizing research outputs according to specific SDGs, this feature aims to make sustainable research contributions more visible and accessible to both local and global audiences. This convergence with global agendas demonstrates our institution’s dedication to tackling critical societal issues through academic research and innovation.

How SUNScholarData Supports Interdisciplinary Collaboration

By enabling SDG tagging, SUNScholarData provides a platform where researchers from diverse fields can easily identify studies addressing similar goals, regardless of discipline. This feature fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting comprehensive approaches to complex global issues and advancing innovation across fields. SUNScholarData thus not only host research but also becomes a bridge that brings scholars together to tackle shared challenges.

Library Support and Guidance

SUNScholarData’s integration of SDGs reaffirms our dedication to fostering a research environment that is innovative, ethical, and globally conscious. We encourage all researchers to make use of this feature and join us in advancing research that contributes to a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive future.

Please contact Sizwe Ngcobo or Xabiso Xesi at rdm@sun.ac.za for any inquiries.

Authors: Xabiso Xesi and Sizwe Ngcobo

To measure research impact is an increasingly important aspect in securing government funding for research activity, NRF rating, institutional ranking and the management of research output within the university sector. This has placed considerable emphasis on tracking citations of a researcher’s published works and publishing within highly-ranked journals.

What is Research Impact?

Broadly speaking, the impact of research can be academic or societal and therefore can occur within academia or beyond it. Impact has academic, societal and economic elements, which are defined as follows by the University College Dublin, in their Research Impact Toolkit:

Academic impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to academic advances, across and within disciplines, including significant advances in understanding, method, theory and application.

Societal and economic impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy, of benefit to individuals, organisations and nations. This is a broad definition and research can contribute to society in many ways.

Read more in the Research Impact library guide

How do you measure Research Impact?

Tracking citations of a researcher’s published works is only one way of measuring research impact. This can be done using author metrics, article metrics and journal metrics. These are found in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Dimensions, Google Scholar, etc. Altmetrics could also be used to get input about the number of tweets or mentions in blog posts, etc.

It is important to note that researchers cannot rely only on metrics or indicators to determine impact. Julie Bayley describes in her book, Creating Meaningful Impact: The Essential Guide to Developing an Impact-literate Mindset, that “impact is the changes we can see (demonstrate, measure and capture), beyond academia (in society, economy, environment or elsewhere) which happen because of our research (caused by, contributed to and attributable to)… but ultimately is about connecting academic research to changes in the real world.” (p.11)

A researcher’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals could therefore also be a good indication of his/her impact in the real world, but only if those works have been used to make a difference.

What type of metrics could be included in a researcher impact report?

The Library offers Researcher Impact Reports which give you an overview of your citation data from different databases and a more in-depth Power Bi report which will include information on co-authorship, contribution to SDGs, subject areas and many more. A SciVal report will also be included which give you a broad overview of your metrics, but also more specific information about international collaboration and your specific subject areas.  It is important to not look at only the basic metrics such as the H-Index, but look at a broader snapshot of what your impact might be. Please note that these are only indicators and do not necessarily measure impact “in the real world”.

How do I request a Research Impact report?

You are welcome to request a report from your faculty librarian or contact Marié Roux to coordinate the request.

Why do we refer to the responsible use of metrics?

It is best practice that quantitative evaluation (metrics, numbers and indicators) should only support qualitative and expert assessment and not the other way around. Institutions and funders evaluate researchers often only by one or two indicators, such as the H-Index. There are many reasons why this is not a responsible way to measure research impact.

Read more in the Research Impact library guide

How can you improve your impact as a researcher?

A previous blog post of 2024 summarises the answer to this question: Improve the impact of your research.

Please contact Marié Roux for any further questions.

Or consult the Library Guide on Research Impact.

On 24 October 2024, Stellenbosch University (SU) Library celebrated International Open Access Week with a hybrid event focusing on the theme “Community Over Commercialisation.” Held in the SU Library Auditorium and streamed online, the event featured a panel discussion facilitated by the SU Library’s Director of Research Services, Dr. Siviwe Bangani. The panel included insights from influential voices in Open Science, both locally and internationally.

On SU’s Open Access Commitment

Opening the Discussion, Ms Ellen R. Tise, Senior Director: Library and Information Services, highlighted the university’s longstanding commitment to Open Access, from signing the Berlin Declaration in 2010, hosting Africa’s first Berlin Open Access Conference in 2012, and the Open Repositories conference in 2023. She spoke about the financial challenges, such as high subscription fees and fluctuations in local currency, that limit access for South African institutions. Tise also underscored the inequalities caused by “double dipping,” where publicly funded research becomes costly for the researchers themselves. She stressed that Open Access is essential for ensuring that African scholarship reaches a global audience.

Connecting Scholarship with Society

Prof. Marena Manley from SU’s Food Science department discussed how Open Access extends research impact beyond academia to benefit society. “It’s not just for other researchers; Open Access reaches the public,” she noted. Prof. Manley also emphasised quality control in Open Access publications, advocating for “open reviews” that involve public engagement to ensure research remains relevant and accessible. She highlighted the value of peer review and community feedback in maintaining high standards, comparable to those of traditional journals.

Reclaiming Scholarship: Challenging the Commercialisation of Knowledge

Dr. Reggie Raju, Director: Research & Learning, University of Cape Town (UCT), spoke on the dominance of commercial publishers, arguing that scholarship should be a public good rather than a profit-driven commodity. He referenced initiatives like Diamond Open Access (DOA) as viable paths for reclaiming academic publishing from commercial interests. DOA is an open access publishing model where research is made freely available to readers and authors pay no Article Processing Charges (APCs) to publish. This model is often supported by institutions (including through Institutional repositories) or sponsors. DOA promotes equitable access to knowledge by removing financial barriers for both authors and readers. Dr. Raju also mentioned a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. against major publishers for allegedly blocking Open Access alternatives, which he sees as a critical step in restoring accessibility.

Furthermore, Raju was asked about the challenges unique to Global South researchers, who often feel pressured to align with Global North priorities. He described how “research pilgrimage” affects local relevance and noted the prohibitive costs of APCs for many South African researchers. He encouraged collaborations that would enable Global South academics to publish without high costs.

Policy and Inclusivity

In response to a question on policy’s role in mitigating commercial influence, Jeroen Sondervan, Programme Leader Open Scholarly Communication, Open Science NL at the Dutch Research Council (NWO) highlighted transformative agreements and policy reforms as essential. He advocated for Diamond Open Access to promote inclusive publishing, suggesting that funding for Open Access infrastructure could reduce reliance on traditional metrics such as citations and h-index. To this, Dr. Raju added that policy change should include revisiting institutional reward systems to recognise Open Access contributions.

From Local to Global Impact: Open Access and the SDGs

Reflecting on Open Access’s broader role, Ms Tise linked it to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting its importance in education, health, poverty alleviation, and climate change. She noted how Open Access enabled rapid dissemination of COVID-19 research, emphasising that unrestricted access to information empowers communities to address societal challenges. However, she cautioned against the trend of rising publisher fees, which threaten accessibility.

Tise pointed out the need for ongoing education about Open Access models, which are constantly evolving. While libraries provide updates, she acknowledged that many researchers still struggle to navigate the options. She urged for simpler, more standardised Open Access agreements and encouraged researchers to look beyond traditional, high-prestige journals, noting initiatives like Diamond Open Access that promote free-to-publish and free-to-read models.

A Call to Action

The panel concluded with a shared commitment to foster Open Access policies that prioritise equity and community impact. As SU continues its advocacy, the event highlighted the transformative potential of Open Access to make research more inclusive, accessible, and beneficial for society.

Celebrating our International Open Access Week 2024 event at Stellenbosch University. Top Left: Mr. Jeroen Sondervan; Top Right: Ms. Mimi Seyffert-Wirth, Ms. Ellen R. Tise, Prof. Marena Manley, Dr. Siviwe Bangani; Bottom Left: Online attendees; Bottom Right: Dr. Reggie Raju

Author: Theresa Schoeman

Gallagher, J.R. 2024. Case Study Research in the Digital Age. Abingdon, Oxon; Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003402169.

The advent of information technologies (IT) has drastically changed modern life. IT has impacted how society works, for instance, writing and reading are now predominantly done on computers, instead of paper. The development of the internet further emphasises the transformational impact of IT, on daily lives, to most, unimaginably with their smart cellular phones. This era, termed the Digital Age, and sometimes, the Information Society, is characterised by rapid and constant changes in all aspects of society. This book intends to demonstrate how this digital age has permeated case studies in scientific research. Gallager argues that case study research needs to be reconsidered and updated to fit with the digital nature of modern human life. In an elaborate development of his argument, Gallagher, convincingly unpacks case study research, and recontextualizes it in the digital context.

Drawing on the author’s more than twenty years experience as a Writing and Rhetoric researcher, and affiliated with Information Science, at the University of Urbana-Champaign, the book foregrounds its theoretical rationale in the ‘Introduction’. The rationale is further developed in Chapter 1, which deals with definitions and the book’s central theme, entities [own emphasis]. In Chapter 2, a link is created between ‘Iterative bounding’ and digital research, to develop the book’s conceptual framework. Data collection, phrased as ‘collections practices’, is explained in Chapter 3. Logically, data analysis in digital case studies follows, in Chapter 4, which is divided into four parts. Chapter 5 concentrates on ethics, this chapter can be read before data collection and analysis, as it is applicable throughout the research process. Special considerations in ‘Writing and visualizing the digital case’, are explained in Chapter 6. The book concludes by noting the emergence of artificial intelligence and its potential implications on case study research.

Gallagher argues that the current digital age requires reimagining case studies, not just as a method or technique, but also as methodology. The advantage of marrying case study with digital research is motivated. Both can be understood as complex, messy, and flexible boundaries (Gallagher, 2024:3). The rationale for the book is justified by claiming that most prominent literature on case studies has not considered the digital networked nature of the modern, and therefore the
“…approaches of these books can be applied to… digital context but their frameworks are not explicitly designed for such contexts.” (Gallagher, 2024:4). Crucially the book motivates for replacing ‘unit of analysis’ with ‘entity’ as the central concept in case studies. It maintains that the term unit connotates a bounded reality, which does not suit the messy and porous boundaries of modern life, because of networked information technologies.

Although the argument is well explained, it was challenging to grasp how this necessitated reconceptualizing case studies entirely as digital phenomena. The argument of the book, to review case study in the digital pervasive human existence, is further developed in the latter chapters of the book by providing examples to demonstrate the inadequacy of the positivist bounded holism case study approaches, as espoused by Stake (1995) and Yin (2009) (Gallagher, 2024:39). Although the book adds additional digital dimensions to case studies, such as web-scraping boundaries (Gallagher, 2024:86) and facets of digital data boundaries (Gallagher, 2024:93), it does concede that the traditional case study approach should not be discarded. The book integrates the traditional qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques, for instance, workflow boundaries (Gallagher, 2024:100), data cleaning boundaries (Gallagher, 2024:105), with digital affordances, such as topic modelling using computer algorithms, and identifying themes, through machine learning language models. However, these digital additions, seem to be related to practicalities, and may not explain the call to, for instance, replace ‘unit of study’ with ‘entity’, as argued.

The concept of adapting case study as a methodology to align with the flexible, boundless and networked digital world advanced by Gallager, is timely. Especially, as the author noted, with the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethical questions around bias, because of scraping the existing unbalanced content on the internet, as well as distinguishing between human and machine writing (Gallagher, 2024:121). The thesis of the book will be of interest to researchers and students involved in case study research, and research generally, as it foregrounds digital research, which is a fact of modern-day research life.

Author: Joseph Mangadi, Faculty Librarian: Science

ORCID as a unique author identifier plays a large role in the scholarly communication process. It doesn’t only assist with name ambiguation but also supports funding applications and submissions of articles to publishers. An important aspect of ORCID is that it also enhances workflows in research systems. Several common questions about ORCID are usually addressed during the workshop on ORCID – Managing your unique author identity with ORCID. Herewith a summary of some of those questions and answers.

Why is it important to have an ORCID iD?

• ORCID improve the visibility of your work. As a researcher you want to be read, acknowledged, an cited.
• Researchers want to spend their time on research, not reporting – ORCID allows you to enter your biographical details and works only once and it could then be reused by other research information systems, publishers, funders. You could also allow publishers, institutions (such as Stellenbosch University) and databases to use your ORCID information and to update automatically.
• Name ambiguity is a fundamental issue for researchers. Ambiguity may be the result of a common name, by a person with several language variants of their name, or by variations in how name information is collected. By creating your ORCID iD this issue will be resolved.
• To support discoverability, we need to connect information across databases, disciplines and organisations.
• National funding agencies are using ORCID in their grants management systems including the National Research Foundation (NRF).

How do I connect my ORCID iD to the SU integration?

It is important to Create and/or connect your ORCID iD with the Stellenbosch University integration. Follow the link from the ORCID Library guide: http://libguides.sun.ac.za/ORCID. This will allow you to connect your iD to SU, and it will also allow SU to store an access token to your ORCID record for future use in other research systems.

Where can I use my ORCID iD?

• Sign in with ORCID in research systems: Funders, publishers, research employers, organisations, associations, institutions and repositories.
• Sign in with ORCID where you see the iD logo, for example: Submitting a manuscript, applying for a grant or depositing in a repository.
• Display your iD on your: Institutional profile page, email signature, conference presentation, media stories, CV or anywhere you have a public profile, e.g. blog, website, or social media.

Why is it important to ensure that my ORCID record is up to date?

• Empty records don’t mean anything, they will not be discoverable/findable
• Discover more complete Altmetric information via Altmetric Explorer
• Research systems that are integrated with ORCID (such as Sympletic Elements), will be able to update profiles more accurately when your ORCID iD is populated correctly.

How can I ensure that my ORCID iD is up to date?

• Connect with DataCite, and Crossref for automatic updates to your ORCID record.
• Populate your ORCID record under all the different sections: Employment, Education, Funding, Works (all publications), Peer reviews.
• Connect to systems, publishers, databases, wherever you can.

How does ORCID support the FAIR principles?

• Findable: One of the core goals of ORCID is to increase the discoverability of researchers by disambiguating them from all the other researchers with the same or even a similar name and definitively connecting them with their research contribution metadata
• Accessible: End-users visiting ORCID iDs in a standard web browser will see all the public data available for the ORCID record in the ORCID registry’s user interface.
• Interoperable: ORCID’s interoperable infrastructure can help accelerate knowledge discovery and increase the integrity, transparency, and reproducibility of research by encouraging FAIR Data Principles and Open Science practices through persistent identifiers and standardized, openly accessible data.
• Reusable: ORCID’s public data is designed to be maximally reusable. The public dataset is released under a CC0 waiver and includes detailed provenance metadata, allowing users of the data to determine its applicability and trustworthiness for their use case.

Please contact Marié Roux for any assistance with your ORCID record.

Research data management is a core part of responsible research conduct; it covers the entire research data lifecycle and ensures the integrity, confidentiality and availability of research data.  Within the legislative realm of data protection, researchers need to understand their role and responsibilities in terms of various legislation and regulatory guidelines on protection of data, most notably the South African Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). It is for this purpose that the University developed and adopted research data management regulations for researchers. These regulations are aligned with the FAIR Principles (data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), which serve as the international standard for Open Data and Open Science. The aim of these principles is to ensure that research data remains accessible and usable not only during the research lifecycle but also after the project concludes, promoting the sustainability of academic contributions.

The RDM regulations are not designed to lock research data away but rather to strike a balance between safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring ease of access for future research.

Why SU RDM regulations are crucial

SU researchers are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with these regulations, as they play a pivotal role in the proper planning, handling, and management of research data. The importance of adhering to these guidelines extends far beyond SU’s borders. The RDM regulations integrate a range of existing policies and legislations, both at the national and international levels, reflecting the complex landscape of data governance. These include national legislation, policies from research funders, regional and local guidelines, institutional policies, discipline-specific community standards, and publication-specific policies (journal requirements).

Given the diversity of data policies across these sources, researchers often find it challenging to remain compliant, especially regarding local institutional rules such as SU’s RDM regulations. This uncertainty is more prevalent in fields where data practices are less regulated. The SU RDM regulations seek to eliminate this ambiguity by equipping researchers with the knowledge and tools needed to manage their data effectively, ensuring both compliance and ethical data use.

Support and advocacy through the Library and Information Service

The  Library offers a wide range of support services to assist researchers with RDM, including guidance available through the RDM LibGuide. These resources help ensure that research data is properly managed in alignment with the institution’s standards and broader legislative requirements. To facilitate compliance with these regulations, the library services provide researchers with SunDMP, a data management planning tool designed to help structure and plan for responsible data handling throughout the research process. Moreover, research data can be stored and shared in SUNScholarData, SU’s institutional data repository, which ensures long-term preservation and access to data in line with global best practices.

SU’s RDM regulations advocate for the sharing of research data as a means of promoting scholarly communication, transparency in research, and maximizing the return on resources invested in SU’s research efforts. By encouraging the open sharing of data, these regulations support a collaborative research environment, where data is not just a byproduct of research, but a resource that amplifies the impact and reach of SU’s contributions to global knowledge.

Please contact Sizwe Ngcobo or Xabiso Xesi at rdm@sun.ac.za for any enquiries.

In light of celebrating democracy in 2024, the Library will be hosting the 14^th Annual Manuscript Lecture as part of the Woordfees on 1 October at 12:00 in the SU Library auditorium. The theme of the lecture is “Democracy through the lens of primary documents at Special Collections” and will feature a panel discussion on democracy through the lens of primary documents at Special Collections. Participants will be asked, inter alia, to reflect on their interaction with primary resources.

Dr Marietjie Oelofsen, former IDASA member and current project manager at the Stellenbosch University Museum will facilitate the panel discussion. The invited participants are Riaan de Villiers, journalist, political researcher and author, Sherie Vollenhoven and Nkululeko Ndlovu, both BA Hons Journalism students. The event will also include a viewing of the democracy exhibition.

In celebration of 30 years of democracy and South Africa, the SU Library is currently presenting an exhibition, titled 1994–2024 – Democracy in South Africa: A History Told by Unique Library Collections, in front of the Learning Commons on the upper floor. The exhibition showcases rare and historically significant items from collections in the Special Collections division that chronicle the nation’s journey to democracy.

The exhibition focuses specifically on recently acquired collections that reflect a more comprehensive view of South Africa’s history, focusing on the road to democracy and decisive moments in the nation’s history. The exhibition is by no means an exhaustive expression of recent history as it is based on collections curated by the Library.

One of the main aims of the exhibition is to highlight the research value of manuscript collections. Researching these may lead to a deeper understanding of the historical context that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994. Some of the collections featured, for example, the Foreign Debt Collection of 1985/86, contains rare documents that have not previously been examined and can shed light on the impact that negotiating the country’s foreign debt in the 1980’s had on the eventual release of Nelson Mandela.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition include:

• Handwritten excerpt from “A prayer for the ANC” by Beyers Naudé, 1994.
• A letter from Nelson Mandela indicating that the renegotiation of South African debt overseas in the 1980s played a major role in his liberation –an item from the South African Foreign Debt collection, 1985/1986.
• The Frederik van Zyl Slabbert collection with various interesting items relating to his resignation from Parliament, views on apartheid and the need for reform debate.
• The IDASA collection, focusing on material related to voter education before the 1994 election.

Author: Mimi Seyffert-Wirth

Stellenbosch University’s Library and Information Service is committed to advancing open science by implementing innovative services that support researchers, academics, and all stakeholders in the scholarly publishing process. Over the years, the Library has implemented several initiatives to promote open science/access. These include the celebration of the  International Open Access Week, an annual event where open access advocates share innovative ideas about developments in the open science/access sphere.

This year the Library’s International Open Access Week event will be celebrated in October. It will consist of a panel discussion of 3 researchers which will help increase awareness about the advantages of open science/access. Other SU open access initiatives include SunScholar, which is Stellenbosch University’s institutional repository that supports openness and dissemination of scholarly publication to wider audience with very limited access restrictions. This repository consists of theses and dissertations, journal papers, conference papers and many other types of research outputs. Another repository, SUNDigital Collections showcases digital content from the Library and Information Service’s unique digital and cultural heritage collections, while SUNScholarData is used for the registration, archival storage, sharing and dissemination of research data produced or collected about research conducted under the auspices of Stellenbosch University. The Stellenbosch University is also part of the South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC), which signed “Read and Publish” (transformational) agreements with publishers. These agreements aim to open opportunities for SU researchers to publish open access without paying article processing charges (APCs). So far, 16 publishers allow SU researchers to publish in all hybrid journals at no APCs and in selected fully open access journals, at a discount. We continue to encourage researchers to educate themselves about the different open access options.  Open access increases the visibility and impact of research published at SU. However, we understand that new models of publishing come with their challenges. Not every researcher understands the role and benefits of OA. As such, the Library has been involved in various innovative initiatives that seek to introduce the open access publishing model to researchers.

One such innovation is the recently launched #BeOpenAccessSmart webinar series which commenced with an inaugural webinar on 17 September 2024. With the introduction of the webinar series, the library aims to consolidate its role as one of the foremost critical thought leaders in the open science arena. The webinar will strengthen the Library’s advocacy role for open science and ensure that scholars understand its benefits. Open Science initiatives typically seek to democratically provide knowledge, promote collaboration, and support the advancement of scientific innovation without any financial and access hindrances.

Ms Ellen Tise, the Senior Director of the Library, officially launched the #BeOpenAccessSmart webinar series and both internal and external attendees had the opportunity to learn more about open access/science. Conducted by Mr Thanos Giannakopoulos, from the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library, the title of the inaugural presentation was “(G)AI, Open Access, and Sustainable Development: The Evolving Role of Libraries in a Transforming World.” The focus was on the intersection of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), open access (OA), and sustainable development. Among other themes, the webinar explored the evolving role of libraries in promoting AI literacy, safeguarding data privacy, elevating the need to mitigate bias, and fostering OA for all. Mr Giannakopoulos stipulated that libraries play a critical role in mitigating misinformation and raising awareness about challenges like privacy, bias, and the environmental impact of generative AI in relation to sustainable human development. He further alluded that libraries should ensure that AI tools are accessible globally, particularly for underdeveloped regions. He warned that generative AI poses risks associated with misuse and abuse of personal data, among other concerns. It is the role of libraries, working with different stakeholders, to ensure responsible AI use. These libraries must advocate for sustainable and ethical AI practices aligned with sustainable development goals.

Meanwhile 460 registrations from about 23 countries were received for the webinar of which at least 180 people attended. Attendees alluded that Mr Thanos’ presentation greatly enriched their understanding of how these dynamic fields are shaping the future and the pivotal role libraries play in this transformation. Libraries are at the centre of the OA movement, and their role is to dissect the open science or OA concept and ensure that researchers are well-informed and educated on the issues of open science/access.

The Library hopes that these webinars will be a cornerstone for the scholarly communication landscape by providing essential education and support to researchers navigating the complexities of open science/access publishing.

Please contact Sakhile Mngomezulu for any assistance with Open Access publishing or for more information about the events.

Authors: Sakhile Mngomezulu and Siviwe Bangani

Introduction

The Library and Information Service is dedicated to offering top-notch assistance for any open access-related inquiries. To guarantee that our researchers receive timely feedback on matters about open access, frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been added to LibAnswers.

Eligibility to use transformational agreements

One of the most frequently asked inquiries is concerning eligibility, and researchers are interested in the requirements, primarily the institution’s affiliation. It is also crucial to remember that, if one of our writers collaborates with an author from another university, the corresponding author of the paper needs to be affiliated with Stellenbosch University for the article to be eligible for the use of a transformational agreement.

How to avoid Predatory journals?

Finding information about predatory journals and ensuring that researchers are not duped into publishing in questionable journals are two commonly addressed questions. Ask your Faculty Librarian or Scholarly Communicaton staff to help you to avoid these journals and publishers.

Does Open Access mean lower quality?

NO, the quality of a journal is determined by its editorial standards, peer-review process, and the impact of its publications, not by its accessibility. Many reputable journals are open access including those published by major academic publishers.

Are all predatory journals Open Access?

NO, predatory journals can be both open access or subscription-based. The access model is not a determining factor, but predatory journals lack legitimate and transparent editorial practices.

Why do some researchers associate Open Access journals with lower quality?

The association stems from the existence of predatory publishers who misuse the open access model. Predatory publishers often lack proper peer review and editorial oversight, leading to the publication of low-quality or even fake research.

What are Article Processing Charges (APCs)?

Scholars consistently inquire about the types of publications included in transformational agreements and the distinction between publishing in fully open access vs hybrid journals. The FAQs have been updated, and researchers may now access crucial information including the fact that there are no APCs associated with publishing in hybrid journals, but that there are various reductions available for completely open access journals based on the institution’s arrangement with the participating publisher.

Is the Open Access Publishing Fund still available?

Scholars consistently inquire about the Open Access Publication Fund, which was discontinued in April 2021. This fund is therefore not available anymore. To address these questions, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Libanswers was created, along with a link to our open access Libguide that offers a detailed explanation of the fund’s closure.

What is a Journal finder?

Researchers are welcome to contact their Faculty Librarians or Scholarly Communication to get assistance in selecting journals to publish their articles. Most publishers have a “Journal finder” section which also assists them with locating the appropriate approved journal for a publication. See these examples: Elsevier’s Journal Finder and Wiley’s Journal Finder. 

Where can I find the list of accredited journals?

Researchers frequently have inquiries concerning the DHET accredited journals list. You can find out whether a journal is accredited by consulting the Accredited journals page under “Outputs and Journals” on the Division for Research Development website. You are also welcome to ask your faculty librarian for assistance.

What is a Read and Publish agreement?

One of the frequently asked questions, revolves around understanding what a Read and Publish agreement really means. It is also known as transformational agreements, which means that these agreements provide access to publishing and reading simultaneously. One of the benefits of open access is unrestricted spreading of knowledge to the wider audience, to ensure improved impact, consumption, increased citations and growth as an author.

Conclusion

The open access team at Stellenbosch University is responsible for ensuring that researchers are fully informed on everything related to open access. The purpose of the recently introduced FAQs is to enhance our offerings and enable customers to access information when the Library is closed. Additionally, the group is dedicated to helping users and interacting with them to improve comprehension of scientific publishing and open access.

More information:

• Stellenbosch University Transformational Agreements Libguide
• The Library’s Open Access webpage
• SANLiC
• Publisher Websites: Many publishers provide details about their transformational agreements and participating institutions.

Enquiries: Sakhile Mngomezulu