Are you a researcher looking for the best tools to visualise your research results, or an administrator eager to showcase the impact of your faculty’s work?

Since 2020, the Library has incorporated Data Visualisation as a service, as part of the division, Research Impact Services. This service has grown over the years to four workshops on the topic. If you need any assistance with visualising your data, a consultation service is also available. Libraries are taking on the role of data visualisation support worldwide. An article published in 2020 in the Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy describes the library’s role in this regard:  “As libraries already play a key role in advocacy for information literacy and ethics, they may also serve as unaffiliated, central places to gain basic competencies in associated information and data skills. Training patrons how to accurately analyze, assess, and create data visualizations is a natural enhancement to this role”.

The topics covered in these workshops vary from basic principles of data visualisation, an overview of tools available for effective data visualisation and introductory workshops on three of the tools, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau Public and Flourish. These workshops are general in nature and not directed towards specific types of visualisations used in different subject fields. The aim is also to introduce you to the tools for future self-exploration.

The workshop series on Data Visualisation for the year has concluded earlier in September. If you need access to the recordings of the workshops, you are very welcome to contact us. Or if you need one-on-one assistance, please make an appointment.

Contact: Marié Roux

Make an appointment for a consultation

Reference:

Aghassibake, Negreen; Jocque, Justin and Sisk, Matthew L. 2020. Supporting Data Visualization Services in Academic Libraries. Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy. No 18.

Introduction

A few months ago, the then newly appointed Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Stellenbosch University (SU) shared his “bolder” vision for the institution. This vision not only seeks to position SU as Africa’s leading research-intensive university but also aspires to secure a place as Africa’s first global Top 100 university. In an article published on the University’s website, “SU welcomes second cohort of SUNRISE fellows”, the VC emphasised that this ambition is not a mere slogan but a call to action, requiring the collective commitment of all University stakeholders.

In this context, it is imperative that the Library, as a strategic academic partner, clearly articulates its role in helping to realise this ambitious goal. As Mushtaq and Shahzan (2025) note, libraries have an influential role in shaping institutional rankings.

What does it mean for SU to be Africa’s first global top 100 university?

Although the vision of becoming a Top 100 university has not yet been fully unpacked, it is useful to consider how university rankings operate. A simple search reveals that there are over 47 ranking systems globally, each using its own indicators to benchmark the performance and impact of academic institutions. Despite these differences, there is broad consensus that the “Big Three” rankings: Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, or Shanghai Rankings), are the most influential (Bernal, 2019; Östlundh, 2019).

The “Big Three” institutional ranking systems

This section provides an overview of the ‘Big Three’ ranking systems as explained by Bernal (2019).

• THE World University Rankings

For nearly five decades, Times Higher Education has ranked universities and provided data to prospective students. THE uses 13 performance indicators, grouped into five categories: teaching (learning environment), research (volume, income, reputation), citations (research influence), international outlook (staff, students, research), and industry income (knowledge transfer). Citation data is drawn from Scopus and measured over a six-year window.

• QS World University Rankings

The QS rankings currently cover approximately 1,000 universities across 85 countries, based on six indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, and international student ratio. Like THE, QS also uses bibliometric data sourced from Scopus.

• Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU / Shanghai Rankings)

First published in 2003 by the Center for World-Class Universities (CWCU), ARWU evaluates institutions using six objective measures: the number of alumni and staff who have received Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals; the number of highly cited researchers (Clarivate Analytics); publications in Nature and Science; papers indexed in the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); and overall per capita performance. ARWU is the only one of the Big Three to use Web of Science (WoS) data. Each year, ARWU evaluates more than 1,200 universities and publishes the top 500.

How does the Library Contribute?

Libraries act as strategic partners in enhancing institutional rankings through the provision of quality information resources, researcher support, and visibility services (Dimzov, Matošić, and Urem, 2021).

Given the strong emphasis of most ranking systems on research impact and visibility, the Libraries contribute in several key ways:

• Open Access and Open Science infrastructure: By managing institutional repositories (IRs), negotiating favourable OA agreements, promoting OA-first policies, and raising awareness among researchers, the Library can significantly increase the visibility and citation potential of SU’s research outputs. IRs also serve as a showcase for the University’s scholarship and unique heritage collections. Stellenbosch University hosts four repositories: SUNScholar, SUNJournals, SUNDigital Collections and SUNScholarData. In addition, as a member of the South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC), SU has signed 18 “read and publish” (transformational) agreements that make it possible for researchers to publish OA in hybrid journals of those publishers and/or get a discount on Article Processing Charges (APCs). All these efforts serve to increase the reach, impact and visibility of SU research.
• Research publishing support: Librarians advise researchers on selecting reputable journals, while discouraging submissions to predatory or low-quality outlets. The Library also provides bibliometric and altmetric analyses to individuals, departments, and centres to track outputs, citations, and visibility. Additionally, the Library provides research/er assessment tools such as SciVal, Scopus and Web of Science that enable researchers and research entities to benchmark and gauge themselves and their research impact with others. Knowing where the University really stands may help galvanise it into seeking knew strategies to strengthen its research capacity or target certain publishers favoured by the ranking agencies.
• Promotion of multiple literacies: The Library has evolved beyond being a traditional hub for developing basic literacy skills. It now plays a pivotal role in capacity building by offering specialised workshops tailored to the diverse needs of students and researchers. These include training in digital and information literacy, as well as emerging areas such as data literacy and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Mastery of these literacies is essential for advancing high-quality research and innovation in the 21st century, directly contributing to the University’s academic excellence and global competitiveness.
• Research and learning spaces: The Library provides innovative and inclusive spaces, such as research commons, learning commons, makerspaces, collaborative spaces, and virtual meeting facilities, that foster both academic excellence and institutional visibility. These dynamic environments serve as incubators for innovative research ideas, support interdisciplinary collaboration, and enrich the student learning experience. These spaces have the potential to contribute to the elevation of the quality of research and innovation at the University, serving as strategic assets that contribute to its global competitiveness and ranking profile.

Conclusion

While libraries may not contribute directly to rankings through research output, their influence is nonetheless substantial. Universities rely on libraries to make research visible, accessible, and impactful, as well as to provide the essential teaching and research resources that underpin academic excellence. Additionally, these libraries provide capacity building offerings for multiple literacies required for research and academic excellence. In this way, the Library functions as an enabler of research, teaching, and innovation, all of which are critical considerations in institutional rankings and SU’s journey toward becoming Africa’s first global Top 100 university

References

Bernal, L. 2019. Library impact with international rankings—one library’s continuous journey to figure it out. https://www.libraryassessment.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/17-Bernal-LibraryImpact.pdf.

Dimzov, S., Matošić, M. and Urem, I., 2021. University rankings and institutional affiliations: Role of academic librarians. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(5), p.102387.

Mushtaq, M. and Shahzan, M., 2025. Libraries as Supporting Agencies for Enhancing the Ranking Score of Academic Institutes. International Information & Library Review, 1-14.

Östlundh, L., 2019. The role of academic libraries in ranking of institutional research impact. https://scholarworks.uaeu.ac.ae/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=presentations

Author: Dr Siviwe Bangani

FAQ’s set up by Division for Research Development

Take note of the two FAQ’s on ORCID at the bottom of the list:

• How do I add my ORCID?
• Having your Elements account write your publications data to your ORCID account

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

Race Day Moment: Zisiwe Mnothoza captured mid-race during the 2025 Comrades Marathon

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.