Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 18)

Academic staff and researchers will be aware that Stellenbosch University has acquired the research profile system, Sympletic Elements, to accommodate SU researcher profiles, amongst other features.

The integration with ORCID in Sympletic Elements is an important feature. You can connect your ORCID iD on the homepage of Sympletic Elements. Approximately 459 researchers have connected their ORCID IDs as of today.

The ORCID integration in Sympletic Elements facilitates a metadata enrichment process to keep both ORCID and researcher profiles up to date. It is a great advantage for researchers to be able to push articles listed in their researcher profiles to their ORCID records. Please read more on how to do this below.

FAQ’s set up by Division for Research Development

Herewith two extracts from the FAQ’s related to ORCID:

1. How do I add my ORCID?

ORCID iDs can be claimed from within Elements. From the Elements homepage, click the banner under My Actions, which states ‘Connect your ORCID ID’. Follow the prompts, and your ORCID iD will be pulled into Elements.

2. Having your Elements account write your publications data to your ORCID account

Write integration with ORCID has been enabled for Symplectic Elements. To access your ORCID settings from within Symplectic Elements, go to
My Profile > Settings > ORCID Settings.

Please note that an update will be installed soon. From Thursday, 24 July, this path will be Profile & Work> My Research Identifiers. 

At first, you will see that the option to read and write to your ORCID account is unavailable or greyed out. In order to activate this option, you will first need to:

Reconnect your ORCID (If you have connected your iD before, it needs to be reconnected now)

Junior Librarian Zisiwe Mnothoza is not only a dedicated member of the Library’s E-resources team but also an accomplished ultra-marathon runner. With seven Comrades Marathons under her belt, she exemplifies focus, resilience, and determination. I spoke to her about what it takes to prepare for South Africa’s most iconic long-distance race while managing a full-time career.

How many Comrades Marathons have you completed so far?

I have completed seven Comrades Marathons.

What does your training programme typically look like over 12 months?

The Comrades Marathon training requires careful planning and consistent effort over many months. My 12-month programme includes a mix of base-building, speed work, long runs, and recovery phases. As race day approaches, I gradually taper the intensity and volume to avoid fatigue.

Do you follow a specific eating plan or nutrition routine while training?

I don’t follow a specific eating plan, but I make sure to eat foods that support and boost my overall health.

Do you work with a coach or follow your own plan?

I have a coach who gives me structured guidance and training programmes.

Do you train alone or with a group?

During the week, I usually train alone, but on weekends, I train with a group.

How did you experience this year’s Comrades?

In the 2025 Comrades, my training route had to change due to time constraints, which made it more challenging for me.

How did your 2025 time compare to previous years?

Technically, I was faster. In 2024, the distance was 88 km and I finished in 8 hours and 28 minutes. In 2025, the distance was 90 km, and I completed it in 8 hours and 29 minutes.

Will you be doing it again next year?

Yes, I plan to run again next year.

How do you stay motivated after such a major event?

My desire to improve every year is what keeps me going.

I’ve noticed you strength train in the mornings—does that help with recovery and preparation?

Yes, strength training definitely helps. It enhances performance and reduces the risk of injury.

 

We salute Zisiwe for her unwavering discipline and look forward to cheering her on in next year’s race!

Author: Theresa Schoeman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are thrilled to inform you that Kirchner van Deventer has been appointed as the Manager: Research Data Services.

Kirchner began his new position at the Library as the Manager of Research Data Services on 1 July 2025. He formerly held the position of Manager: Carnegie Research Commons, where he provided support to postgraduate students and university staff.

Research Data Management (RDM) involves many small sets of practices. The reason that SU researchers are encouraged to engage in these RDM practices is to ensure that they do not get stuck without their data when they need it or end up spending too much time trying to reconstruct their research data and analysis. RDM can be described as a process consisting of two components:

1. Planning the way research data will be managed during and after the research process; and
2. Controlling the collection, processing, analysis, sharing, dissemination, curation and reuse of research data

The Manager for Research Data Services is responsible for strategic planning, and leading and overseeing the development and management of data-related services within the Library. This role involves coordinating RDM activities, collaborating with researchers and stakeholders, providing support to researchers and students regarding RDM and data management plans on the respective platforms SUNScholarData and SunDMP, managing data associated with research articles published by SU researchers, contributing to the development of appropriate RDM polices, and ensuring data integrity and compliance with relevant national and international regulations.

He will work closely with the Research Data Services Librarian, Mr. Sizwe Ngcobo, who contributes to the development and provision of a range of services to support academic faculties and departments, researchers and postgraduate students in the discovery, management and sharing of data throughout the research data lifecycle. He further ensures research data practices at SU adheres to the FAIR principles, which stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable, along with any other relevant standards and best practices. Along with the Manager for Research Data Services, he provides information support related to RDM, coordinates, contributes to and facilitates RDM training sessions, workshops and webinars. He is also responsible for curating and preserving SU’s research data.

Both Kirchner and Sizwe will play an important role in the marketing and advocacy for Research Data Services by contributing to various stakeholder meetings and will work closely with other departments at the university who form part of the RDM community.

For more information on the available services, please have a look at our Library Guides:

Research Data Management

SUNScholarData

Researchers can consult with Kirchner or Sizwe on research data matters such as creating DMP plans, preserving research data, research data policies, tools for sharing research data and data citation.

Kirchner can be contacted at kvd@sun.ac.za. His phone number is 021 808 9489.

Sizwe can be contacted at sngcobo@sun.ac.za.

Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service hosted its third #BeOpenAccessSmartWebinar on 19 June 2025, titled “Beyond Transformative Agreements – Reflections from an Open Access Working Group.” The session featured renowned guest speaker Professor Astrid Söderbergh Widding, former President of Stockholm University 2013-2025, Chair of the Board of the Nobel Foundation and Chair of the Beyond Transformative Agreements Working Group in Sweden.

Opening remarks were delivered by Ms Ellen Tise, who welcomed attendees from 23 countries. Prof. Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, highlighted the global growth of “Read and Publish” agreements but noted their financial strain on institutions in the Global South. She encouraged continued use of such agreements as interim solutions, while calling for alternative and equitable Open Access models.

Prof. Widding presented a comprehensive overview of Sweden’s approach to Open Science. She explained how the Bibsam Consortium, consisting of 95 Swedish institutions, manages over 30 transformative agreements. Sweden’s national goal is to transition to a full Open Science system by 2026, with guidelines developed by the National Library and the Swedish Association of Higher Education Institutions.

She described four potential routes for moving beyond transformative agreements: (1) cancelling existing agreements with commercial publishers, (2) exploring alternative publishing platforms, (3) implementing lump-sum funding in place of APCs, and (4) adopting rights retention strategies to keep copyright within the academic community. While rights retention has gained traction in the UK and Norway, Sweden is still exploring its feasibility.

A pivotal decision shared during the webinar was the Bibsam Consortium’s plan to cease negotiating agreements for hybrid journals from 2026. Instead, future negotiations will focus solely on fully Open Access journals. Prof. Widding emphasised the importance of developing robust infrastructure for Diamond Open Access as a sustainable publishing model—one that is free for both readers and authors.

She firmly stated that the academic community must reclaim ownership of the scholarly publishing system and reduce reliance on commercial publishers. Transparency in cost models and collective academic behaviour are crucial levers for change.

The session called on global institutions—especially in the Global South—to imagine a fairer future for knowledge sharing, where access is not dictated by commercial interests, but by academic collaboration.

The next webinar in the series is scheduled for 17 September 2025.

Authors: Sakhile Mngomezulu and Theresa Schoeman

Please contact Sakhile Mngomezulu for any enquiries on Open Access publishing.

If you are newly employed at Stellenbosch University, or a postgraduate student from another institution, or simply unsure about the services and facilities on offer by Library and Information Service, then we highly recommend that you attend our upcoming Library induction for postgraduate students and academic staff. This three-hour webinar will give you an overview of all available library services and also a special focus on the Research Support services that is available to you.

The webinar is scheduled for 24 July from 10:00 to 13:00 and you can use the links below to register

Students register here

Staff register here

Below is a breakdown of what will be presented:

During the first session an overview of the Library Website is given, how to search for information via the different databases as well as where to find help. The second session goes into more depth about all the different research services that the Library is offering and is presented by the specific librarians responsible for the different divisions.

Session 1:

Participants will learn to:

• navigate the Library Website effectively
• find their way around in the Stellenbosch University Library
• find information with the Library’s search engine
• check where to find and how to use interdisciplinary academic databases such as EBSCOhost as well as electronic journals and e-books
• check the library hours, terms for access and membership privileges
• find conducive spaces to work and study
• check out or renew books and request books that are not in the library
• reach their faculty librarians as well as other tools for assistance
• use essential research skills such as avoiding plagiarism, complying with copyright, referencing techniques and using Endnote as a reference manager

Session 2:

In this session, participants will learn:

• about the available advanced research support services available
• about the Research Commons services
• how to create your unique author identity with ORCID and how to connect it with your Stellenbosch University identity
• how to find assistance on where to publish
• where to find author/article/departmental citation data (bibliometrics) and how to request assistance
• what Open Access is and which services the Library support
• where Supervisors should submit a thesis or dissertation on behalf of their students
• how to find examples of previously completed theses and dissertations within SUNScholar (institutional repository)
• what Research Data Management is and a short introduction to SUNScholarData and the tool for data management planning (SunDMP)
• where to find assistance on data analysis and data visualisation (on campus and in the Library)
• about the Makerspace, its facilities, and services on offer

We have had access to the latest version of Clarivate’s EndNote since May this year and it has some exciting new features, including an AI powered summary tool, citing directly from PDFs, improved searchability and a journal finder in the Cite-while-you-write add-on. For more on how to install EndNote and other useful information, have a look at our EndNote Library Guide.

AI Key Takeaway

Key Takeaway analyses the PDFs in your EndNote library and gives a concise summary of the key aspects of the article. It can aid in research discovery by extracting key insights and takeaways from individual papers.

Cite from PDF

You can now highlight a piece of text from a PDF to directly insert it into a document, correctly formatted and cited per the style you are using. Below is a short video demonstrating how it works.

The new Cite-while-you write Add-in

EndNote has a new add-on for desktop and online word processors that allows you to browse your EndNote library within the word processor. Unlike the toolbar extension that is automatically installed when you install EndNote, the add-in needs to be added manually. You will need to find the Add-ins option in your preferred word processor. In MS Word, it is usually in the Home tab:

Once installed, you will find it under the References tab and the first time you click on it, you will be prompted to sign in with your EndNote credentials. Once logged in, you will have access to your EndNote library. From there, you can manage your citations, edit them and select your chosen referencing style. However, only styles that have been uploaded to EndNote’s online database. The SU Harvard style is available and should be found if you search for Stellenbosch. The add-in also works well alongside the EndNote tab in Word/Pages desktop applications, so you will always be able to convert the document to a custom style once you have finished using it online. Please note these features are not available for LaTeX.

Find a Journal

The Find a Journal feature is also available via the add-in. Once you have your manuscript drafted, you can use this feature to find appropriate journals that your article may be eligible for. You just need to add your title and abstract to the relevant fields and it will identify potential journals for you, indicating the relevant impact factors as well. It does not specify whether the journals are accredited or peer reviewed, so you will need to consult with your faculty librarian to find out these details. Below is a short demonstration of how it works.

 

There are other features available and improvements to the Find Reference Updates and Find Full-Text functions. Also, when you use the Web of Science and PubMed search features within EndNote, you can access additional information about the references, including finding related articles.

 

If you would like to find out more about these features, or about EndNote in general, do not hesitate to contact us.

The manuscript section in Special Collections hosts material for answering different research questions.  Topics include: Afrikaans literature and language, Architecture and vernacular architecture, Arts, Cultural history, Education, Missionary and religion, Music, Press and journalism, Societies, Organisations and institutions, South African history, South African politics and government, South African social and economic history, South African War, Stellenbosch University / Victoria College. (Consult the SUNDigital, Finding aid page for more information.

In this blog post, the focus is on the town of Stellenbosch. The types of documents available in these collections are meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence from organisations involved in identifying and maintaining heritage buildings (e.g SAHRA (South African Heritage Resources Agency), the Simon van der Stel Foundation, the National Monuments Council, Van Riebeeck Society), and writings on South African history. These are crucial for researchers interested in the following topics:

1. Heritage Conservation: The identification, maintenance, and preservation of historical buildings and sites in and around Stellenbosch.
2. Local History: Detailed insights into the social, cultural, and economic history of Stellenbosch, which could include information on significant events, figures, and everyday life in the town.
3. Educational History: The history of Stellenbosch University, given Prof. Thom’s significant connection to the institution.
4. Cultural and Architectural Heritage: The vernacular architecture and cultural significance of buildings and structures in Stellenbosch.

H B Thom collection (MS 191)

One of the significant collections mentioned is the H.B. Thom collection (MS 191), which spans over 50 meters of documents. This collection is particularly valuable for its insights into the historical and cultural landscape of Stellenbosch, given Prof. Thom’s extensive affiliation with Stellenbosch University. His roles as a student, lecturer, and eventually Rector of the university provide a unique perspective on the town’s history.

Other significant collections to mention include: Francois Smuts -, Joanna Marx -, James Walton – and Andre Pretorius Collections.

Francois Smuts Collection (MS  229)

Prof Smuts was born on a farm in the Stellenbosch district,  matriculated from Paul Roos Gymnasium, and studied at the universities of Stellenbosch. He was lecturing Latin at Stellenbosch University since 1938. Professor from 1951 – 1981.

This collection contains information on Stellenbosch and correspondence and research from organisations like the Simon van der Stel Foundation, National Monuments Council and the manuscript and research on the book : “Stellenbosch Drie Eeue” and “Die Grondeienaars van Stellenbosch, 1693 – 1860”.

Joanna Marx Collection (MS 422)

This collection consists of South African heritage material, mainly SAHRA (South African Heritage Resources Agency).

“SAHRA is an agency of the Department of  Sport, Arts and Culture tasked with an overall legislative mandate to identify, assess, manage, protect, and promote heritage resources in South Africa.”

A large section, of the Marx Collection, consists of material pertaining to the mills (for example the Mostert Mill in Cape Town). There are pamphlets, brochures, newsletters, lecture notes, portfolios, albums, photos, sketches, plans, newspaper clippings, conservation/preservation of buildings, reports, surveys and other miscellaneous information.

James Walton– and André Pretorius collections

These collections on vernacular architecture in South Africa contain books and pamphlets, including homesteads and villages of South Africa, African villages, Cape dovecots, fowl-runs, watermills, windmills and horse mills of South Africa.

You can also consult the Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa and articles about these valuable collections.

The curation and preservation of these collections can be interpreted as a direct support to the aims of Sustainable Development Goals (especially SDG 11.4) by safeguarding cultural heritage, enabling research, and promoting awareness of Stellenbosch’s intangible heritage. To gain more detailed information or to access specific documents within these collections, consulting resources like SUNDigital and the finding aid pages, as suggested, would be beneficial steps.

Contact Marieta Buys for more information or assistance.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” With these words in mind, we invite you to explore the leisure reading bookshelf at the SU Library.

Located just inside the library entrance, this collection was established in 2012 to offer students and researchers a way to take a break from the pressures of academic life. But relaxation isn’t the only benefit. Dewan (2010) highlights multiple studies showing a strong connection between reading, cognitive development, verbal skills, academic achievement, higher-order reasoning, and critical thinking.

The books in this collection come from the library’s regular literature shelves, donations from staff and the public, and purchases made through the Library’s general book fund. The books can be identified by the letters LR in front of the shelf number. As illustrated in the image below, you can use the advanced search option in the library’s catalogue to find a list of the 1 040 titles in the collection. You will find books by authors such as Deon Meyer (Afrikaans and English versions), Jo Nesbo, Ken Follett, Marita van der Vyver and Rudie van Rensburg, and popular comic books, poetry, and many more.

With the winter holidays approaching, feel free to visit the SU Library and pick up a few titles to help you relax and recharge after a busy first semester.

Reference:

Dewan, Pauline. 2010. Why your academic library needs a popular reading collection now more than ever. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 17(1), 44–64. DOI: 10.1080/10691310903584775

Author: Naomi Visser