Author: Marié Roux (Page 1 of 15)

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” and “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”. With this in mind, we would like to remind you of the leisure reading bookshelf in the SU Library.

This collection, just inside the entrance to the library, was started in 2012 to provide students and researchers a means of escaping from the stress related to academic life, while at the same time developing the critical thinking skills that are vital in an academic environment.

With the winter holidays around the corner, you are welcome to visit the SU Library and select a few titles.

When you search for popular fiction on the Library’s catalogue, you will find the shelf number LR for Leisure Reading. You can also search for this collection of books online. Go to the Advanced Search option and make your selection as shown in the image below:

Some of the books available on this shelf are from authors such as Deon Meyer (Afrikaans and English versions), Jo Nesbo’s crime novels and Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge books. Then there are also popular comic books, poetry, and many more.

Herewith, another few examples:

Author: Naomi Visser

Stellenbosch University’s Library and Information Service hosted its annual Library Research Week from May 12th to 16th. Under the overarching theme, “Let’s partner for research impact,” the week-long event delved into the intricacies of the research lifecycle, offering a diverse array of sessions designed to empower and inspire academics. While a comprehensive report is still being compiled, preliminary observations highlight a week brimming with intellectual exchange, practical insights, and a strong emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

The week commenced on a high note on Monday, 12 May, with Professor Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, officially opening the event. Professor Moyo underscored the critical role of Library Research Week in strengthening the University’s research ecosystem. Following Professor Moyo’s opening, the audience was given a powerful guest lecture by the esteemed Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, the 2024 Templeton Prize winner and Research Chair for Historical Trauma and Transformation. Professor Gobodo-Madikizela offered a penetrating reflection on the concept of encounters as vital sites of knowledge production. Sharing personal anecdotes of both positive and negative experiences, she illustrated how these everyday interactions have profoundly shaped her research and worldview. She concluded her impactful address with a poignant statement: “The failure to recognise humanity at all—is evil. As embodied beings, we are exposed to others. And while this allows for connection and desire, it also raises the potential for cruelty. It is within this space that our work, our research, and our humanity must reside.”

Tuesday, 13 May featured four insightful sessions on decoloniality as a research method, the impact of copyright and trademark use throughout the research process, literature reviews and systematic reviews.

Wednesday, 15 May, had five sessions dedicated to the transformative power of AI and other technological advancements. The interest in these sessions was prevalent through the high number of registrations and attendance. The webinars included presentations from Wiley, Elsevier and WWIS and also from two SU experts. The generative AI-centred webinars differentiated between traditional and generative AI, showcasing tools like Google Gemini and Copilot, and stressing ethical considerations such as copyright and disclosure.  The day also featured a session on the potential benefits and applications of using generative AI opportunities in research.

Thursday, 16 May focused on four sessions offering practical strategies and services available to SU staff, researchers and students, including the benefits of open access publishing, SU opportunities for global academic engagement, enhancing research impact and developing a data management plan using SunDMP.  The week closed off on Friday, 16 May, focusing on webinars that support researcher and societal wellbeing.

The Library Research Week working group, led by Dr Siviwe Bangani, wants to thank everyone who attended. A huge thank you also to all of the presenters, especially to Professor Moyo and Professor Gobodo-Madikizela for opening what was another successful week.

Some of the recordings are unfortunately restricted to SU staff and students. If you would like to view these, you may email Kirchner van Deventer for access. The majority of the recordings, including the Launch, can be viewed on the library’s YouTube channel.

Author: Kirchner van Deventer

Below is more information about the content and attendance of the event. Please click on the image to read.
(Infographic created by Marié Roux)

Start with planning

Every research project conducted under Stellenbosch University’s (SU) auspices that involves the collection and use of research data should have a data management plan (DMP). Ideally, the creation of a DMP should commence at the inception of any research project. While it may not be feasible to address all aspects initially, beginning the planning process enable researchers to address some key questions centred around adequate management of research data. SU’s Library and Information Service uses a series of workshop training events to encourage researchers to regard a DMP as a living document, not merely a requirement for securing funding. A DMP should often be revisited, edited, and updated as needed throughout the research lifecycle.

Consider available DMP tool and template

SU researchers need to consider tools that are openly available to them to facilitate the process of creating a DMP. SU’s Library and Information Service developed a DMP tool, SunDMP, with a template (powered by FAIR Wizard) that enables SU researchers to create the plan from scratch.

Identify any proprietary, personal or sensitive data

SU Library and Information Service provides an array of services to researchers from various subject disciplines. It is for this reason that it is imperative for researchers to identify any proprietary, personal and sensitive data in the DMP prior to data collection. This pre-emptive measure can provide legal justification for withholding such data from public access if needed.

Establish a schedule for adjustments

As previously mentioned, the DMP should not be a static document but rather subject to regular review and updates. SU researchers are encouraged to establish a schedule for incorporating new information, revising old information, and possibly editing the DMP. These scheduled reviews should coincide with key project events such as funding approval, developments in data types, research project reviews, and publication milestones.

Prioritising data management planning optimises data management practices, enhances data accessibility and reusability, and advances scientific knowledge.

Please contact Sizwe Ngcobo if you need any assistance.

Research Data Management Library Guide

Date: 19 June 2025

Time: 12:00-13:00 SAST ​​

Speaker: Professor Astrid Söderbergh Widding

Register here for the webinar

“Read and Publish Agreements”, commonly referred to as Transformational Agreements (TAs) in South Africa, continue to play a significant role in shifting traditional subscription-based publishing models toward open access. These agreements often cover Article Processing Charges (APCs), enabling open availability of scholarly content that would otherwise be locked behind paywalls.

Join us as we explore what lies ahead in the evolving open access landscape—beyond the boundaries of Transformational Agreements—to discuss emerging models, persistent challenges, and new opportunities for equitable scholarly communication.

In this webinar, Professor Astrid Söderbergh Widding will share insights from the work of the Beyond Transformative Agreements Group, a task group within the Swedish Bibsam Consortium, which sought to guide Sweden away from unsustainable TA models. She will highlight the group’s key findings, the challenges faced, and the opportunities on the journey toward open science.

Professor Astrid Söderbergh Widding is the immediate past Rector of Stockholm University (2013–2025), Chair of the Board of the Nobel Foundation, and Chair of the Beyond Transformative Agreements Working Group in Sweden. Read more about her on her Wikipedia page.

Registered participants will receive a Teams meeting link and reminder emails.

Enquiries: Sakhile Mngomezulu | tel: +27 21 8089907​

ORCID is a unique, persistent identifier that researchers can use throughout their careers as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation. It offers several benefits, including enhancing the visibility and potential impact of a researcher’s work and helping to distinguish between individuals with similar names through effective name disambiguation. Stellenbosch University has been a member of ORCID since 2015. For the University to fully realise the benefits of this affiliation, it is essential that researchers actively maintain their ORCID records and link them to the institution.

A researcher’s ORCID record is the most important profile to keep up to date and to use. The more well-populated ORCID records there are, the more value the research community will gain from participating in ORCID.  The ORCID community worldwide relies on and benefits from the activities of each other. In this blog post, we give a few tips on how to populate and optimise your ORCID record. These tips include how to connect and link your record to universities, databases and research systems, how to add and update your information on your record, how to set your visibility settings, where to use your ORCID iD, and how to maintain accuracy and completeness.

Connect and link

• Connect and link your ORCID iD with databases such as Crossref and Datacite, which enables automatic updates as you publish.
• Grant permission to Stellenbosch University, your funders, and publishers to add and update information on your record. (see the Library Guide to learn how to connect your iD to your SU identity) 
• Remember to link to other profiles you might have, for example, ResearchGate, LinkedIn, Loop, etc.

Add and update information

• Add a short biography.
• Make sure to complete your current affiliation. It is difficult to search on the ORCID registry when you have a common name. When your affiliation is available, this will show up in the search results and it will be much easier to distinguish yourself.
• Make sure all your publications and other works are added. There are numerous ways to do this, but for automatic updates, Crossref and Datacite are the best.  You can also export from your Google Scholar profile using a Bibtex file or connect your ORCID record to your Scopus profile.
• Remember to add your data sets too. This is possible via Datacite.
• Add your peer reviews. This is possible via your Web of Science profile. Add your peer reviews to your profile and connect them to your ORCID record.
• Make sure you add your University email address as primary email AND a secondary email address, such as your Gmail address.
• To have a complete record, you can also add grants and awards.

Visibility

• Review the visibility settings in all the different sections of your ORCID record. If they are not set to ‘Everyone’, your works and other information will not be publicly available.
• You can make your email addresses not visible to others if you prefer to do so.

Use your ORCID iD

• Include your ORCID iD on your personal website/blog, CV, and email signature.
• Use it when prompted during article submissions and funding applications. 

Maintain accuracy and completeness

• Check back regularly to ensure the completeness of your works/publications.
• Regularly review your record for any errors or inconsistencies. 
• Use a Trusted Individual if you don’t have time to keep your record up to date. Give an assistant or student access. This person will need to have an ORCID iD and also need to know how to do updates successfully.

Contact: Marié Roux

Library Guide

3D printing of turbines used in field sites

“We’re using the spore traps in my MSc project on Sclerotinia stem rot of canola. The goal of the spore traps is to capture airborne spores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (the fungus that causes stem rot of canola) for quantification of the airborne inoculum (i.e. to determine the quantities of spores in the fields in a given time period) – the prototypes are being tested this year on 22 field sites in the Western Cape. We aim to develop a disease prediction model for Sclerotinia stem rot, therefore we need sufficient pathogen data, and asked Dr André (van der Merwe) to help us come up with a simplified spore trap that can rotate in the wind for optimal spore catching”

— Mariana van Deventer, MSc Plant Pathology, Stellenbosch University

Mariana’s brief remark encapsulates the precise purpose of the Library Makerspace: to convert imaginative concepts into research outputs that are relevant in the field, literally. We assisted in the 3D printing of the turbines used in the field sites.

3D scanning lizards for climate‑change insights

Jody Thorburn, BSc Biodiversity & Ecology (Hons), Stellenbosch University

When simulating the vulnerability of lizards to a warming climate, it is crucial to accurately estimate their surface area, as they regulate their body temperature through the exchange of heat and water with their habitat. Jody’s Honours’ thesis investigated whether advanced 3D scanning could surpass the generic allometric equations that biologists have employed for decades.

Method at a glance

Jody utilised the Makerspace’s high-resolution 3D scanner to capture detailed digital models of preserved lizards and numerous living specimens. Subsequently, she employed specialised software to accurately measure the surface area of each lizard and compared the results to the approximations that scientists typically obtain from basic mathematical formulas. The 3D scans were significantly more precise, with an error of less than five percent, in contrast to the old formulas’ errors of up to 18 percent. Additionally, they demonstrated that preserved specimens respond similarly to live specimens for this type of measurement. This additional precision is directly incorporated into computer models that simulate the process by which lizards acquire heat and shed water, thereby enhancing the precision of our predictions regarding their vulnerability to climate change.

Why the Makerspace mattered

The Makerspace provided both the high‑resolution scanner and on‑site expertise—advising on specimen mounting, lighting, and file‑conversion scripts—so Jody could focus on ecological interpretation rather than hardware logistics. The Makerspace was acknowledged in their final output: This project would not have been possible without the generosity and involvement of the 3D scanning technicians, Norman Hebler and Darryl Geldenhuys. The technicians provided in-depth training, which helped me navigate new scanning software and played a major role in data processing.

Looking Ahead

The Makerspace’s high-definition 3D scanner is available to researchers, postgraduates, and academics for the purpose of digitising a wide range of objects. We assist you with the configuration of the 3D scanner, mesh cleaning, and file export processes to enable you to proceed directly to 3D printing, visualisation, or analysis. Don’t know which filament is best suited for your 3D printing project?  Book a consultation and we’ll walk you through the best options, ensuring your ideas move smoothly from concept to finished output.

For more information or to book a Makerspace consultation, contact Norman Hebler.

Author: Norman Hebler

The Library offers data visualisation services in the form of workshops and a consultation service. The workshops provided are Principles of data visualisation, An overview of tools for data analysis and visualisation, Introduction to Microsoft Power BI and Introduction to Tableau Desktop and Flourish for data visualisation. In this blog post, we would like to focus on the principles of data visualisation.

When you build visual representations of your data, there are many factors to take into consideration. Please see below 12 principles for data visualisation, based on an article published in a blog post by Andrew Douglas.

1. Clarity

It is important that the visualisation is clear and can be easily understood by the specific audience it is intended for. You may want to add more text to the labels for easy comprehension. If a chart is difficult to understand, or there are important relationships between variables, do the extra calculation and visualise that as well.

2. Simplicity

Keep the visualisation simple and avoid unnecessary complexity. Chart elements like gridlines, axis labels and colours can all be simplified to highlight what is most important, relevant or interesting.  You may want to hide gridlines or highlight only one data series and not differentiate between all the series of your visualisation.

3. Purposeful

Decide which message or insight you want to communicate and design for that specific purpose. Here it will be important to also take your specific audience into account.

4. Consistency

Maintain consistency in the design elements throughout the visualisation. An example of this will be to use the same colours, axes, labels, etc. across the visualisations you use for a specific document/project.

5. Contextualisation

Provide context for the data being presented. This aspect goes hand in hand with the clarity of the visualisation. For the audience to understand your point, you might need to add more context in the form of labelling, more detailed titles, etc. You could also consider to use infographics, which provide more narrative with the visuals.

6. Accuracy

The data that your visualisation represents needs to be accurate.

7. Visuals encoding

Choose appropriate visual encodings for the data types you are visualising.

8. Intuitiveness

Design the visualisation to be intuitive and easy to comprehend.

9. Interactivity

Consider adding interactive elements to the visualisation, such as tooltips, zooming, filtering, or highlighting. This will allow the audience to interact with the data and in this process learn more about what it represents.

10. Aesthetics

Although aesthetics are subjective, a visually appealing design can engage viewers and increase their interest in the data. This is also the whole point of using a visualisation instead of a long description of your data.

11. Accessibility

Make sure the tools you use and the export of data and visualisations are available to your audience.

12. Hierarchy

Work out the hierarchy of information from the start and always remind yourself of the purpose of representing the data.

Design principles play an important role in creating visuals. It is not only about a click of a button to create a graph, but you need to apply these principles carefully to effectively communicate your data story to your audience.

Our Special Collections Divisions acquires, preserves and provides access to a substantial collection of rare and valuable books, primary documents and manuscripts that have been accumulated over many decades. Most of these collections are unique to Stellenbosch University’s Special Collections and are not available anywhere else in the world. They serve as valuable resources for documenting the cultural heritage of local, national, and international significance. These collections play a vital role in enhancing the University’s research impact, often being consulted by researchers when producing books, book chapters, journal articles, conference papers, and other scholarly outputs. Every year, the Library compiles a list of research outputs that were informed by Special Collections, including Manuscripts, Rare Books, Africana, and collections in the Documentation Centre for Music (DOMUS) in the Music Library.

The publications and the collections consulted in 2024 are listed below:

Articles

Bangani, S.  2024. Leveraging community engagement to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 11. IFLA Journal, 50(3), 451-462. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352241263533

(Africana, Manuscripts: various collections)

Lambrechts, L, Lindström, K, Hansen Van der Watt, L-M, Pitta, F, Deane, N, Moreschi, B & Petersen, L. 2024. Decay without mourning: Future-thinking heritage practices. International Journal of Heritage Studies:1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2024.2417062

(DOMUS: Hidden Years Music Archive Project [HYMAP])

Ncume, PS. 2024. Stellenbosch University Library exhibition celebrates 30 years of democracy. Liasa-In-Touch, 25(3):25.

(Manuscripts: various SA political collections)

Book

Cleophas, F. 2024. Physical education and physical culture in South Africa, 1837-1966. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

(Africana)

Conference presentations

Gollom, Ingrid. 2024. An overview of the life and career of South African concert pianist Lionel Charles Bowman (1919-2006) as compiled from the primary source material in the Lionel Bowman collection. Annual Congress, International Association of Music Libraries Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML), Department of Music, Stellenbosch University, 23-28 June.

(DOMUS: Lionel Bowman Collection)

Khati, Patricia. 2024. Preservation of Special Collections material at Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service. Bi-Centenary Conference on Preservation of Knowledge and Documentary Heritage, Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village, Maseru, Lesotho, 22-24 August.

(Manuscripts: various collections)

Lambrechts, L & Van der Want, S. 2024. Life in the archive: Investigating growth and decay in the Hidden Years Music Archive. 18th annual SASRIM Conference, Department of Music, University of the Witwatersrand, 26-28 July.

(DOMUS: HYMAP Collection)

Lambrechts, L & Van der Want, S. 2024. Making the invisible visible: Investigating the hidden life of fungi in the archive. Annual Congress, International Association of Music Libraries Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML), Department of Music, Stellenbosch University, 23-28 June.

(DOMUS: HYMAP Collection)

Röntsch, M. 2024. Persona and the archive: Reconsidering the Christopher James Biography Project. 18th annual SASRIM Conference, Department of Music, University of the Witwatersrand, 26-28 July.

(DOMUS: Christopher James Collection)

Ncume, PS. 2024. Bringing the ‘hidden’ to the ‘public’: The case of Hidden Years Music Archive. Annual Congress, International Association of Music Libraries Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML), Department of Music, Stellenbosch University, 23-28 June.

(DOMUS: HYMAP Collection)

Theses and dissertations

Bergemann, Karl Jason. 2024. The Runaways: A study of enslaved, apprenticed and indentured labour flight at the Cape in the emancipation era, 1830-42. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University. [Online] Available https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/10eddb3c-72ad-431b-b737-6defe0e179ed/content

(Africana, Rare Books)

Malan, Eon. 2024. Vir die Musiekleier / To the Director of Music: Bydraes tot navorsing van orrel- en kerkmusiek (1980-2020). Unpublished Masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [Online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130257

(DOMUS: SAKOV Collection)

Struwig, Mieke. 2024. An intellectual history of institutionalised music studies in South Africa. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [Online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130248

(DOMUS: Bernard van der Linde, SASRIM)

(Africana, Manuscripts: various collections – GG Cillié Jr, WJ du P Erlank, HB Thom)

Authors: Marieta Buys, Mimi Seyffert-Wirth

Stellenbosch University’s Library and Information Service is a natural partner to the scientific research process. As such, we launched our own data management plan (DMP) tool, SunDMP, in 2024. This tool allows researchers to generate DMPs seamlessly online. Its comprehensiveness means it can be adapted for any purpose, internally to apply for ethical clearance, or externally to apply for funding. Researchers who require assistance with creating DMPs using SunDMP can contact Sizwe Ngcobo.  The information below is required when you create a DMP using the SU’s template (on SunDMP).

Researcher information

This section of the tool is meant for researchers to populate their demographic data such as their name, surname and other personal details, ORCID Identifier, university affiliation and the research data management roles they would perform when conducting a project.

Project information

As per international standard requirements, this section requires SU researchers to add basic information such as the project name, abstract, funder information (including the status), anticipated start and finish dates, and the ethics body in which they belong such as Health Research Ethics Committee; Research Ethics Committee: Animal Care and Use (REC: ACU); Research Ethics Committee: Biological and Environmental Safety (REC: BES); or Research Ethics Committee: Social, Behavioural and Education Research (REC: SBE)

Data description and collection or re-use of existing data

It is a commonly shared perspective that research projects extensively engage with data through activities such as reuse, collection, transformation, and analysis. The SunDMP template enables SU researchers to include comprehensive details of data collection in their DMPs. This ensures research data reusability and facilitates effective management throughout the research data lifecycle.

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Documentation and data quality

SU researchers are required to document their data to ensure that other researchers can understand and interpret the data generated from the project. This section aims to ensure that SU researchers describe all the sources of data, this includes data generated through various instruments or from questionnaires; data to be newly collected as part of the current project, but it can also be pre-existing data that may need proper contracts with the maintainer, some pre-processing, and quality checks. It can also be reference data that is part of curated resources and (public) databases.

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Legal and ethical requirements, codes of conduct

Research data collected or reused within a research project is subject to SU’s research data management regulations to govern permissible uses. Therefore, all SU researchers need to address various ethical, legal, and security issues within their DMPs. This ensures that all research data available for reuse undergo proper anonymisation, de-identification, and licensing procedures, thereby promoting compliance and safeguarding research data integrity.

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Data sharing and long-term preservation

In addition to ensuring comprehensive metadata and accessibility, SU researchers need to ensure that data that is intended for reuse must be securely stored (see SUNScholarData libguide for reference) and preserved. This entails that the DMP needs to address strategies for data storage and preservation to support future reuse, whether for rerunning experiments, usage as reference data, or facilitating use by other SU researchers or the general public for different purposes.

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Author: Sizwe Ngcobo

Music is more than sounds or entertainment – it has the power to heal, inspire, uplift, and connect us. But beyond the emotional and artistic impacts, music can also play a significant role in health and well-being. What if we could promote the sustainability and value of the performing and creative arts in society by uniting the concept of arts for health and well-being, with the concept of health and well-being in the arts, for mutual growth and reciprocity? Transdisciplinarity is a way of thinking that can accomplish this bridging of worlds. Importantly, music libraries are vital in facilitating innovation in this space.

Transdisciplinary research brings together experts from different fields to tackle ‘wicked problems’ with combined knowledge and methods, innovative perspectives, social engagement, and systemic thinking. Aiming for practical and sustainable solutions, transdisciplinarity has an overarching ethos towards the common good, bridging the gap between theory and practice, and driving social impact. The Health, Arts, and Performance Initiative (HAPI) at SU, led by Dr Bridget Rennie-Salonen, is a transdisciplinary research collaboration bringing experts together from multiple disciplines, such as music, health, medicine, and social science, to explore the relationship between music, health, well-being, and human performance.

Musicians and other artists face unique health challenges that often go unrecognized. From the outside, being a musician might seem like a dream job. But the reality is that many performers struggle with physical and mental health issues. Research has shown that musicians are at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders such as repetitive strain injuries, hearing and vocal health problems, and performance anxiety and mental health challenges. HAPI is working on topics such as developing health education for music students so they can learn how to prevent injuries, manage stress, and perform and teach better; addressing the mental health and well-being of performing artists; exploring social justice topics such as how music can promote positive social change; and developing support networks and resources for performing artists to seek help without stigma. Importantly, exploring these issues in the South African and African context is pivotal in order to address our unique socioeconomic challenges and diverse cultural needs, which require locally relevant research and solutions, and which will contribute valuable perspectives to the global discourse on health and well-being in and through the performing arts.

Yet one of the most overlooked enablers for this research is the music library and the librarian. Music libraries don’t just store sheet music and books; they are hubs of knowledge access, transfer, and sharing, to help transdisciplinary researchers push the boundaries of what’s possible. Music libraries are evolving too, becoming active and innovative partners, such as by providing access to essential research on musicians’ health, music psychology, and performance science; by facilitating knowledge transfer between disciplines; by helping to connect academic research and practical application; and by partnering with researchers to develop resources such as online platforms that integrate health and performance studies into music education.

Music is a universal force for well-being for all – the makers and the consumers. Music libraries are key players for shaping the future of transdisciplinary research innovation, linking music in health, and health in music.

Author: Bridget Rennie-Salonen | brsalonen@sun.ac.za | +27 72 479 9684