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

October will be the final month during which we will present our #SmartResearcher webinars for the year. The focus of the webinars will be on how to supervisors can submit theses and dissertations on behalf of their students, important decisions around getting published, how to measure the impact of your research, and more.

These workshops are aimed at postgraduate students, emerging researchers and academic staff and the focus will be on the research process. The sessions vary in length depending on the subject matter, but cover a wide range of subjects related to the postgraduate research journey.

Increasing the visibility of your research output through self-archiving Stellenbosch University’s institutional policy on the self-archiving of research output is curated by the Library and Information Service. Complying with this policy, which asks researchers to deposit copies of their research output in SUNScholar, our institutional repository, can greatly increase the visibility and impact of research output. This workshop will teach participants more about the policy and how to comply with the policy in order to improve access to and visibility of their research outputs. Date: Tuesday, 1 October Time: 14:00 – 15:30 Register Here

Making important decisions about publishing your research This hands-on session covers important factors to help you decide where to publish your research. Making the right choices can increase readership and citations, diminish publication lag and ensure that your publication is eligible for government subsidy. Date: Thursday, 3 October Time: 10:00 – 13:00 Register Here

Enhancing your research impact through open access publishing This workshop will introduce attendees to the principles of Open Access and how it can benefit the impact of their research. Open access publishing is a model of scholarly communication that provides unrestricted and free access to scholarly research outputs, such as articles, papers, and data. In open access publishing, the content is made available online to the public without financial, legal, or technical barriers. Date: Tuesday, 8 October Time: 14:00 – 15:00 Register Here

Managing your unique author identity with ORCID ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. This workshop will explain what ORCID is, how to register and populate your profiles. Date: Wednesday, 9 October Time: 14:00 – 15:00 Register Here

Maximise your research impact This workshop will show how to improve your impact as a researcher. The following two sessions will be presented: Increase the visibility of your research (1 hour) Participants will learn to: ·         Find and navigate social research networks (ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Mendeley, etc.) ·         Develop research profiles ·         Understand how to increase your visibility as a researcher ·         Understand the role of science communication and social media Tracking your citations (1 hour) Participants will learn about: ·         The different citation metrics and altmetrics and where to find it ·         Awareness on methods to increase citations ·         Responsible use of metrics Date: Tuesday, 15 October Time: 14:00 – 16:00 Register Here

Submitting a thesis /dissertation to SUNScholar This library training opportunity for academic staff is designed to provide practical guidance to academic staff who are now required to submit theses/dissertations on behalf of their students. Date: Wednesday, 16 October Time: 14:00 – 15:00 Register Here

EndNote for reference management EndNote 21 offers various services, including reference management, organising and annotation of PDF documents and collaboration. In this session, we will show you how to download and install EndNote and how to set up your account. Date: Wednesday, 23 October Time: 14:00 – 16:00 Register Here