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.

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 programme for Library Research Week is now available online. You can look forward to various interesting webinars that speak to the theme, Let’s partner for research impact. The theme underscores the power of teamwork, partnerships, and shared knowledge in advancing research. It highlights the critical role of collaborations, as well as networks, in driving impactful research. The week will feature a variety of activities designed to enrich the research process and boost research impact.

Library Research Week 2025 launches on Monday, 12 May, with guest speaker Prof. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, 2024 Templeton Award winner, Professor and Chair of Research for Social Change and Transformation, Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and Reparative Quest. Professor Gobodo-Madikizela is a Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University, where she also holds the South African National Research Foundation Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma and the Research Chair in Historical Trauma and Transformation. In addition, Professor Gobodo-Madikizela is a celebrated author of works that include A human being died that night: A South African story of forgiveness and Memory, narrative, and forgiveness: Perspectives on the unfinished journeys of the past (co-authored with Chris van der Merwe), among others.

Her presentation, titled Intellectual life in academia and researching experience: On the irreducible nature of encounter will be an exploratory project where she reflects on her own research and on how one’s foundational ideas find new life when revisited in light of new questions, especially when the inquiry is ethically rich and motivated by intellectual honesty. Read her full abstract here.

As with our previous Library Research Weeks, each day will have a sub-theme connected to the overarching theme. Click on the themes below to view the programme for each day.

• Monday, 12 May: Launch of Library Research Week (Online and in-person by invitation only)
• Tuesday, 13 May: Let’s work together throughout the research process (Online)
• Wednesday, 14 May: Let’s collaborate to find the best research tools (Online)
• Thursday, 15 May: Let’s strengthen your research impact (Online)
• Friday, 16 May: Let’s support researcher well-being (Online)

Here is a teaser trailer for the full programme:

Book now and join us for a fascinating series of webinars that will aid you on your research journey!

Author: Kirchner van Deventer

Primo is the discovery search tool that enables you to search for books and full-text resources that the Library subscribes to, (e-books, articles, videos, etc.) from a single search box on the Library’s homepage.

Primo Research Assistant (Beta) is an AI-powered tool designed to streamline academic research by providing users with relevant sources and summaries. It allows you to search the Library’s catalogue using natural language questions. It analyses descriptions and abstracts from trusted academic resources to generate an overview of the tool’s top five ranked relevant sources to answer your question. Developed by Ex Libris, this assistant leverages generative AI to enhance your research, making it more efficient and accessible.

Research Assistant utilises a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, combining large language model capabilities with indexed academic materials. When you submit a query, the system converts the query into a Boolean search format and then retrieves the most relevant results from Primo’s Central Discovery Index. Using AI-driven embeddings, it ranks the top results and then generates an overview based on the abstracts of the top five sources, while also providing inline citations and references.

Users can input natural language queries, making research more intuitive and it has multilingual support, which allows you to submit your queries in various languages and it will provide results in the same language as well. It can give you direct access to available full-text sources, but it is important to note that the results are not always available through Stellenbosch University and may have to be requested via Interlibrary Loans. Clients should also keep in mind that Research Assistant is still in beta development.

Below is a short demonstration of how Research Assistant works:

By integrating AI into academic research, Primo Research Assistant can greatly aid how students and scholars access and analyse information. Its ability to provide accurate, well-referenced summaries makes it a valuable asset for our staff and students.

Author: Kirchner van Deventer

We are pleased to announce that EndNote 2025 will soon be made available to all SU staff and students. It will be released on 22 April and we will make it available soon after that. WWIS will provide training on all the new features and the date for this training will be announced once it has been confirmed. You can read more about those features: EndNote 2025

NB: Please ignore the offer to upgrade to EndNote 2025 that now appears when you launch EndNote 21!

Since its inception in 2013, Library and Information Service’s annual Library Research Week has become a highly anticipated event that offers valuable sessions on a variety of research-related topics. The aim of Library Research Week is to develop the skills and knowledge of emerging researchers and postgraduate students and to equip them with practical knowledge related to aspects of the research process. We draw from a vast source of expertise at Stellenbosch University to present the webinars and we also launch each week with a prestigious launch event where past guest speakers have included Professor Jonathan Jansen, Distinguished Professor, Education Policy Studies, Dr Balindiwi Sishi, Senior Lecturer in Physiological Sciences and Professor Jimmy Volmink, Former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at SU.

In line with the above, we are delighted to invite you to join us for the 2025 Library Research Week, which will take place from 12–16 May, under the theme ‘Let’s Partner for Research Impact.’ The week will feature a variety of activities designed to enrich the research process and boost research impact through collaboration and partnerships. The event will kick off on 12 May 2025 from 15:30–16:30, with our distinguished guest speaker, Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela. Professor Gobodo-Madikizela is a Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University, where she also holds the South African National Research Foundation Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma and also the Research Chair in Historical Trauma and Transformation. She is the 2020-2021 Walter Jackson Bate Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. In 2024 she was awarded the prestigious Templeton prize for her remarkable work.  In addition, Professor Gobodo-Madikizela is a celebrated author of works that include A Human Being died that night: A South African story of Forgiveness and Memory, Narrative, and Forgiveness: Perspectives on the Unfinished Journeys of the Past (co-authored with Chris van der Merwe), among others.

As with our previous Research Weeks, every day will have a sub-theme that is connected to the overall theme ‘Let’s Partner for Research Impact:’

• Monday, 12 May: Launch of Library Research Week (In-person and Online)
• Tuesday, 13 May: Let’s Work Together Throughout the Research Process (Online)
• Wednesday, 14 May: Let’s Collaborate to Find the Best Research Tools (Online)
• Thursday, 15 May: Let’s Strengthen your Research Impact (Online)
• Friday, 16 May: Let’s Support Researcher Well-being (Online)

Keep an eye out for the full programme and we look forward to seeing you there!

Whether you are an up and coming researcher or experienced, whether you are new to Stellenbosch University or an old hand, you may all find that we offer research support services that you were not aware of!

A great place to see all our research support services is our Research Services webpage:

You will find a range of available services here, including links to our #SmartResearcher workshop series, publishing support and open access, managing research data, managing references, measuring research impact, analysing data and our unique research collections. Another great source for information is our Research Process library guide:

The research process is a structured approach to conducting research, with several key phases that can help guide the researcher through their research journey. The guide is designed to revolve around steps of Plan & Design, Collect & Capture, Analyse, collaborate & create, Manage, store & preserve, Share & publish and Monitor & evaluate. This is also where you will find some recommended apps and software that could aid your research journey. These can be found under Useful tools for research.

With AI transforming our academic environment, it is also worth considering how it may impact or benefit the research process. AI can be considered an enabler of new methods, processes, management and evaluation in research (Chubb et al., 2022). However, any tools that can aid you must always be approached with a pinch of salt and ethical considerations and reliability must be taken into account. If you are unsure, just ask your librarian!

If any of these services piqued your interest, do not hesitate to contact us. Your faculty librarian and we at Research Support Services are just a click away!

Sources:

Chubb, J., Cowling, P. & Reed, D. 2022. Speeding up to keep up: exploring the use of AI in the research process, AI & Society, 37:1439-1457. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01259-0

Stewart, L. 2025. The research process: Steps, how to start & tips. ATLAS.ti. Available: https://atlasti.com/research-hub/research-process [2025, 27 Feb].

Taherdoost, H. 2024. The research process: From question to conclusion. LinkedIn, 2 Nov. Available: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/research-process-from-question-conclusion-hamed-taherdoost-n9ajc/ [2025, 27 Feb.].

Author: Kirchner van Deventer

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

As you may know, we switched over to EndNote as our officially supported reference management software at the start of 2024. The uptake has been impressive and our clients seem very satisfied with the software. But there are always questions and some of them get asked more frequently than others and, as EndNote can be quite a complex programme to work with when compared to Mendeley or Zotero, we’ll try and answer some of these questions here. This will be a “work in progress” as new questions continually pop up. So we’ll add a link to our EndNote LibGuide to this post so you can check back in to see if any new questions were added.

How is EndNote different from Mendeley and/or Zotero?

The core functions of all three programmes are essentially the same, to simplify in-text citations and generate a reference list for your research paper, assignment or thesis/dissertation. But there are some significant differences that we cannot go into here. Considering technical support, while Mendeley and Zotero are open source free-to-use platforms, EndNote is subscription-based and with the subscription, we get an immense amount of technical support and access to instructional resources that are of greater quality than that of Mendeley or Zotero. To read more about these differences, click here.

Is EndNote available to anyone at SU?

Yes, we have an institutional subscription, which means that any student or staff member at SU can get EndNote. However, we still discourage undergraduates from using reference managers, since they first need to learn how to reference and cite properly before they can make optimal use of reference managers.

I have been using Mendeley/Zotero to reference in my thesis, must I switch to EndNote?

No, you do not have to switch over to EndNote, especially if you are in the advanced stages of your thesis/dissertation. It can be a tedious and distracting exercise to switch over to EndNote at the later stages, so we recommend that you rather finish your current research project before switching over.

I have installed EndNote on my Mac device and clicked on it to run, but nothing seems to be happening

Unlike EndNote for Windows, EndNote Mac does not prompt you to create a new library the first time you launch the software and you need to do it manually. To learn more on how to do that, check Step 15 in the installation instructions here.

I have many folders in Mendeley, is there a way they can be replicated in EndNote?

Unfortunately, there is no way to replicate these folders and you will have to manually reorganise your references once you have imported your Mendeley library to EndNote.

Can I share my EndNote library or folders with colleagues?

Yes, you can either share your entire library, or specific folders (called Groups in EndNote) with colleagues. More about sharing with EndNote can be viewed in these PDFs:

Windows

EndNote 21 Library Sharing

MacOS

EndNote 21 Library Sharing

Can I use EndNote without internet access

Yes absolutely. EndNote works perfectly well without internet access. The online library serves more as a backup of your data.

How do I import references into EndNote

You can learn more about importing references here:

Windows

Adding a new reference

MacOS

Adding a new reference

How do I manage and edit citations in EndNote?

You can learn more about importing references here:

Windows

Managing citations

MacOS

Managing citations

For any enquiries please contact Kirchner van Deventer.