Library Research News

Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service - News from research support services

Author: Kirchner van Deventer (Page 3 of 5)

References all over the place? Try ReciteWorks!

April 26, 2023 / / 0 Comments

ReciteWorks is a program that checks a document’s in-text citations and references. It looks for referencing discrepancies in a document and then highlights them, also offering potential solutions. It makes sure you haven’t left out any references or citations and that you’ve been consistent with authors and dates. It will also point out certain stylistic issues with APA or Harvard referencing style, like missing commas, placement of parentheses, etc.

Once you have uploaded your document, Recite will give you a summary broken down in three sections, 1. in-text citations, 2. the reference list and the annotated paper.

Recite highlights in red any faulty in-text citations and references and provides you with a summary list of both:

In-text citations:

Reference list:

It then also highlights all the detected in-text citations and references in the annotated article. Green means that the in-text citation is fine, orange means there is a possible match with a reference, but there is an error and red means there is a detectable issue and/or that the reference does not have a matching citation and vice versa.

Pricing

Free access allows for 2 uploads per day and the first 2500 words and 50 references get checked.

If you need more than the free offer, please note that Stellenbosch University does not subscribe to ReciteWorks, so you will have to purchase one of the pricing plans that can be viewed here.

Let Library Research Week 2023 power-up your research pathway!

April 25, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The annual Library Research Week will take place during the week of 15 – 19 May 2023.​ Research Week 2023 will be launched on the 15th of May 2023. This year’s theme is Power-up your research pathway and there will be several webinars based on the themes Switching on for the research pathway, Connecting to the research pathway, (Em) powering through your research pathway and Energising your inner power. We hope you will join us and find value in the interesting and important research-related topics that we will cover.

To register for these webinars, click on one of the links below to view the available sessions:

15 May – Programme Launch

16 May – Switching on for the research pathway

17 May – Connecting to the research pathway

18 May – (Em) powering through your research pathway

19 May – Energising your inner power

Each day will cover theme-specific aspects related to the research process. These webinars will be presented by Library staff, experts from other SUN divisions and vendors from well-known research databases.

Enquiries: Kirchner van Deventer | E-mail ​| Tel: (021) 808 2623 or Siviwe Bangani | E-mail | Tel: (021) 808 4641

 

 

Register for the launch of Library Research Week!

April 25, 2023 / / 0 Comments

To get this year’s Library Research Week underway, we will host a panel discussion for the launch event. The topic to be discussed is A saviour or monster in our midst? AI in higher education.

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) especially the latest tool, ChatGPT, has created a lot of buzz in various fields, and higher education is no exception. As universities continue to adopt AI technologies to improve research, teaching, student learning and administrative processes, there are growing concerns about the potential risks and ethical implications of these technologies.

​In this panel discussion, experts will explore the question: “Is AI a saviour or monster in our midst?” The panel will examine the benefits and drawbacks of AI in higher education and its impact on students, faculty, and society at large.

Panel Speakers:

Mr. Wouter Klapwijk, Director: Information Technology Services, Library and Information Service, Stellenbosch University

Prof. Dion Forster, Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology, Stellenbosch University

Prof. Michael Daramola, Head of Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria

Mr. Lennox Olivier, Blended Learning Coordinator, Stellenbosch University​

Date and Time

15 May 2023 @ 15h30 – 16h30

Important: The panel discussion will be held in the Stellenbosch University Library auditorium. It will also be live streamed via YouTube and not MS Teams. Those who wish to attend online will be sent a YouTube link to the event on the day. Please ignore the Teams link you will receive in the automated email.

REGISTER HERE

 

#SmartResearcher Webinars for May 2023

April 25, 2023 / / 0 Comments

We are entering the final stretch of this semester’s #SmartResearcher webinar series and we hope to see you there!

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.
Data sharing and dissemination

The workshop is designed to illuminate the methods and platforms of data sharing and highlights various ways in which data can be shared and disseminated within acceptable ethical and legal considerations.

Date: 3 May 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book 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: 9 May 2023 @ 11h00 – 12h00

Please book here
Mendeley for reference management

Managing your references can be a daunting task. This workshop will introduce you to Mendeley, a free tool focusing mainly on reference management. Mendeley offers various services, including reference management, organising and annotation of PDF documents and collaboration.

Date: 11 May 2023 @ 14h00 – 16h00

Please book here
Data Visualisation with Power BI

The workshop will be a hands-on introduction to Power BI, available for free through SU’s subscription to Microsoft 365.

Participants will learn the following:

·         How to install the desktop application and connect to Microsoft Excel

·         Start visualising data easily with an extensive library of data visualisations.

·         How to build reports and dashboards

Date: 18 May 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
Maximise your research impact

This workshop will show how to improve your impact as a researcher.

Date: 23 May 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book 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: 24 May 2023 @ 10h00 – 13h00

Please book here

#SmartResearcher webinars in April 2023

March 24, 2023 / / 0 Comments

 

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.
How to conduct a literature review

In this webinar, participants will learn what a literature review is and the different types of literature reviews. They will learn best practices for conducting a literature review by working with their topic, structuring the literature review and how to critically analyse literature.

Date: 12 April 2023 @ 11:00 – 13:00

Please book here
Principles of Data Visualisation

This workshop will cover the key principles to keep in mind when you are planning your visualisations, from choosing the best visualisation type for your data to the effective use of colour, narrative, etc.

Date: 13 April 2023 @ 11:00 – 12:30

Please book here
Mendeley for reference management

Managing your references can be a daunting task. This workshop will introduce you to Mendeley, a free tool focusing mainly on reference management. Mendeley offers various services, including reference management, organising and annotation of PDF documents and collaboration.

Date: 18 April 2023 @ 11:00 – 13:00

Please book here
Enhancing 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: 19 April 2023 @ 11:00

Please book here
Introduction to Tableau Public and RawGraphs for data visualisation

This workshop will be an introductory course to visualise your data with Tableau Public and RAWGraphs. Both are free tools and fairly user friendly.

Date: 20 April 2023 @ 11:00 – 13:00

Please book here

Virtual Meeting Rooms now available at SU Library

March 24, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The Library is excited to announce the opening of two Virtual Meeting Rooms in Stellenbosch University Library!

​The two Virtual Meeting Rooms are located in the Learning Commons (next to the ramp on the upper level of the SU Library) and the Research Commons, which is on the lower level of the Library next to the staircase. While the Virtual Meeting Room in the Learning Commons is available for booking by all clients irrespective of year level, the one in the Research Commons is restricted to master’s and doctoral students as well as researchers and academic staff.

Pictures showing a Virtual Meeting Room, a seminar room in the RC and a discussion room in the LC

The rooms be booked on our online bookings page.

To accommodate as many clients as possible, the rooms will be bookable up to a maximum of two hours per client a day. Clients are to bring their own devices to attend or facilitate meetings and own headphones are a requirement. Please note that the rooms are only available for bookings by individuals, not groups. For groups, clients can continue making use of the Seminar Rooms in the Research Commons and Discussion Rooms in the Learning Commons per the normal booking procedure.

Survey: Preferred reference management tools at SU

February 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments

We cordially invite you to participate in a short survey that seeks to gauge Stellenbosch University’s Library clients’ experience of reference management tools and to seek your guidance on the reference management tool that the Library ought to support. Since Mendeley, the current reference management tool recommended or supported by the Library, has rolled out their newer version, many clients have expressed dissatisfaction with the product and this has prompted the SU’s Library and Information Service to seek your views on its current status as a recommended/supported reference management tool at the University. Your opinion and experience will be of great value to us in determining whether we should retain Mendeley as a supported reference tool at SU or if we should consider alternatives.

Since this is a web-based survey, you consent to participate by choosing to complete the survey. The survey will take an average of 5 minutes to complete and participation is entirely voluntary. Your responses will remain anonymous.

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please feel free to contact the researcher, Kirchner van Deventer (kvd@sun.ac.za or 021 808 2623).

If you wish to participate in the survey, please click here.

#Smart Webinars for March

February 23, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This month we continue with our #SmartResearcher and #SmartStudent series of webinars. Kindly note that you will receive a link to the webinar once you have registered. We hope to see you all there!

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.
Tips on how to format your thesis (MS Word)

This workshop will help you work around some of the common formatting glitches most postgraduate students experience, whilst getting their document ready for submission.

Date: 01 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
How to conduct a literature review

In this webinar, participants will learn what a literature review is and the different types of literature reviews. They will learn best practices for conducting a literature review by working with their topic, structuring the literature review and how to critically analyse literature.

Date: 02 March 2023 @ 14h00 – 16h00

Please book here
Library induction for postgraduate students and academic staff

In this introductory session, participants will be provided with an overview of the core services on offer by Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service. Topics include navigating the Library Website, how to find their way around the Stellenbosch University Library, how to find information through the Library’s numerous databases, what advanced research support services are available and many others.

Date: 07 March 2023 @ 10h00 – 13h00

Please book here
Introduction to Special Collections: Dealing with
primary collectionsThis workshop focuses on Special Collection material in the library. The session will guide the participant to understand and explore the secondary and primary resources accessible to researchers. The aim is to encourage staff, students, and researchers to optimise the use of primary collections and data for research projects.

Date: 08 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 13h00

Please book here
Systematic Reviews

Thinking about doing a systematic review? Having its origins in health sciences, a systematic review can be a daunting challenge. Let us help you demystify it and get started with a high-level introduction to the systematic review process.

Date: 09 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
Tools and applications for research

This workshop will offer a look at some of the top tools and applications for students, academic staff, and researchers. It will cover a variety of mobile apps for research, productivity, reading, writing, presenting, note-taking, file sharing and other essential tools for studying and publishing on the go.

Date: 14 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
An Overview of Research Data Repositories

Many funders mandate that data collected in the process of conducting research funded by them is deposited in reputable repositories, this workshop will provide an overview of research data repositories and demonstrate the manner in which the SU’s Institutional Research Data Repository functions.

Date: 15 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
Finding Government Statistics

This workshop focuses on the database Statistics SA which is available by means of the Library website. The session includes a demonstration on how to access publications on the database, do cross-tabulation and access time series data with variables over time.

Date: 16 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
Data Management Planning

This session introduces researchers to Data Management Planning. It is comprised of a presentation and practical demonstration. The presentation covers the following areas: the fundamental aspects of Data Management Planning, the structure of Data Management Plans, the regulation of Data Management Plans at Stellenbosch University as well as the resources that researchers can use in relation Data Management Planning. The presentation is followed by a practical demonstration on how researchers use Data Management Planning software to create Data Management Plans.

Date: 22 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 12h00

Please book here
Mendeley for reference management

Managing your references can be a daunting task. This workshop will introduce you to Mendeley, a free tool focusing mainly on reference management. Mendeley offers various services, including reference management, organising and annotation of PDF documents and collaboration.

Date: 23 March 2023 @ 14h00 – 16h00

Please book here
Copyright issues in theses and dissertation writing

This presentation provides an overview of the copyright issues which students typically encounter while working on their theses or dissertations.

Date: 28 March 2023 @ 12h30 – 13h30

Please book here

RDM tools, resources and training

The workshop will introduce participants to various available RDM tools, resources, and training. This will include introducing them to Information resources and technological solutions relating to data collection, sensitive data management, data storage, data sharing, data publication, game-based learning as well as researcher support.

Date: 29 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 12h00

 

Please book here

Overview of software for effective data analysis and data visualisation

An overview of tools and free software for data analysis and data visualisation will be presented. These tools are useful for statistical analysis, visualisation, mapping, data cleaning and the digital humanities.

Date: 30 March 2023 @ 11h00 – 13h00

Please book here
This programme has been developed to provide students and staff with introductory sessions to library related topics. To this end, these sessions are only 30 minutes long and you are welcome to bring along any questions. In addition, we have developed some video tutorials for quick help.
Referencing 101

This workshop will be an introductory session on Stellenbosch University’s key referencing styles and how to reference correctly. An overview of why referencing is important and some best practices will also be incorporated.

Date: 01 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
E-books workshop

Get to know the Library’s e-book collection and learn how to use e-books optimally.

Date: 07 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
Off-campus access to Library E-resources

Participants will learn how to access Library resources while off campus and via the Library website.

Date: 08 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
Improving your literature search strategy

Learn to improve your literature search strategy to get the best possible results when searching for information in databases.

Date: 13 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
Introduction to the Library

This is a basic orientation for clients new to Stellenbosch University who have not had the opportunity to attend any other orientation session.

Date: 13 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
Find books or articles using the Library search engine or subject specific databases

Learn to find appropriate academic information sources by using the Library’s discovery tool and Databases optimally.

Date: 15 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
Find trustworthy information on Google and Google Scholar

Participants will learn how to find appropriate academic information sources by using Google and Google Scholar optimally.

Date: 15 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here
Referencing 101

This workshop will be an introductory session on Stellenbosch University’s key referencing styles and how to reference correctly. An overview of why referencing is important and some best practices will also be incorporated.

Date: 23 March 2023 @ 12h00 – 12h30

Please book here

Ready to hand in? Find out where to submit your thesis or dissertation!

February 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Graduating March 2023 and needing to submit your thesis or dissertation?  Then join us for one of our online training sessions on “How to submit your thesis/dissertation to SUNScholar”.  Please join us on 16 February and you can make a booking here.

With our training sessions we will give you guidance, tips and tricks, on how to take those final steps before graduating.   This is an interactive session so you can ask those final last minute questions?

For more information, see our guidelines here.

Enquiries: Paulette Talliard

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