We are delighted to share an update on the Library and Information Service’s recent Open Access (OA) ‘read and publish’ agreements with various publishers. Over the years, we have established deals that provide substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) and, in many instances, enable authors to publish their work open access at no cost to them. In practical terms, as of 2026, SU researchers can now publish Open Access in 10 933 journal titles, many of which are subscription-based journals to which the Library subscribes. These advancements are largely facilitated through SANLiC (South African National Library and Information Consortium) negotiated ‘read and publish’ agreements with the aim of removing financial barriers to information access and boosting the global visibility of South African research.

For some of the agreements, there is a cap on the number of articles that may be published by South African authors, while others are unlimited. Unfortunately, in the last few months of 2025 and in early January 2026, there were instances where authors were informed that the cap for South African open access publishing had been exhausted. In response, the Library has put a monitoring mechanism in place this year to ensure that authors are informed timeously when the publishing cap for specific publishers is reached. We hope that all authors whose open access publications could not proceed towards the end of last year due to the exhaustion of the publication cap for South African authors have already been informed of the renewal of the publisher agreements.

In 2026, the American Institute of Physics was added to the list of publishers with which the Library holds “read-and-publish” agreements. Six agreements due to expire in 2025 were successfully renewed: the American Chemical Society, Elsevier, IOPscience Extra, Oxford University Press, Springer Nature, and Wiley. These were in addition to agreements still in force with the Association for Computing Machinery, Cambridge University Press, Emerald, the Royal Society of Chemistry, SAGE Publishing, Taylor & Francis, and The Company of Biologists.

The Library will continue to pursue opportunities to make open-access publishing the default for SU researchers, to enhance global visibility, research impact, and ultimately the University’s ranking. For the latest eligible journals, publisher-specific details, or submission guidance, you can visit the SU Library’s Open Access publishing support page and libguide.

For enquiries about open access agreements or any open access related queries, contact Mr Sizwe Ngcobo (Manager: Open Access Scholarship).

Telephone: 021 808 9907

Author: Sizwe Ngcobo

Researchers have witnessed exponential growth in the number of journals and articles published over the past few decades. Much of this expansion is often attributed to the public introduction of the internet in 1993. However, it has also created challenges such as broken links, researcher name ambiguity, and difficulty in distinguishing between different articles and journals. To address these challenges, persistent identifiers (PIDs) were introduced.

Persistent identifiers are unique, long-lasting, and machine-resolvable codes that serve as permanent references to digital objects, people, or organisations on the web. Unlike standard URLs, PIDs ensure that resources remain accessible even if their location changes, making them essential for scholarly publishing processes.

Some of the key features of PIDs include reliability and resolvability. A PID never changes and therefore helps to avoid broken links. Each PID is a unique identification and assists with the disambiguation of authors, research data, publications and more. The embedded metadata often found in PIDs provides more context, for example publisher details and publication dates.

The following common types of PIDs are available in the research and publishing environment:

• DOI (Digital Object Identifier): Used for articles, datasets, and publications.
• ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID): Identifies individual researchers throughout their careers.
• ISSN/ISBN: Mandatory identifiers for journals and books
• Handles/URNs: Used by some repositories for persistent, non-commercial identification.
• ROR (Research Organisation Registry): Identifies research organisations and institutions.
• ARK (Archival Resource Key): Provides stable, long-term access to digital information, physical objects, and concepts.
• IGSN (International Generic Sample Number): Identifies physical samples in scientific research.

The importance of PIDs lies in the enhanced discoverability of research outputs, to find them, cite and track them and therefore increasing the visibility of the item, author, resource or sample. Disambiguation and interoperability are two other very important features of PIDs. They work across different systems, libraries and publishers to ensure seamless data connections. They also contribute to the reproducibility and trustworthiness in scientific scholarly communication.

For authors and researchers, one of the most important PIDs is your ORCID iD. Stellenbosch University has been a member of ORCID since 2015. By February 2026, at least 9 504 SU-affiliated researchers and students have ORCID IDs. About
5 250 of these have added a current affiliation to their records. 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 and their research outputs. Researchers can link their ORCID iDs to their researcher profiles on Sympletic Elements and then export their research output from here to ORCID. The more well-populated ORCID records there are, the more value the research community will gain from participating in ORCID.

Please contact Marié Roux for further assistance.

To strengthen research support in the Library’s offering, the following three staff members have been appointed or promoted in the past few months at the Research Services or Information Services divisions. We welcome them warmly to their new positions.

Sizwe Ngcobo

To strengthen our open access support, Sizwe Ngcobo was recently appointed as Manager: Open Access Scholarship. Prior to him assuming this position, he served as Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Research Data Services Librarian, where he was responsible for the management and curation of research data assets, as well as providing specialised research data management support to SU researchers.

Sizwe joined SU as a qualified Information Professional, holding a B Information Science Honours degree from the University of South Africa. He completed his Master’s in Information Science from the same institution in 2025. Sizwe demonstrates a strong commitment to promoting equitable access to knowledge and advancing the transformation of scholarly communication within the Library and Information Service.

Over the course of his career, Sizwe has developed extensive expertise in research support, scholarly publishing, and open access advocacy. In his current role, he oversees the Library’s open access initiatives, supports the publication submissions by SU researchers through SANLiC’s (South African National Library and Information Consortium) ‘read and publish’ agreements, and promotes sustainable publishing practices.

Sizwe collaborates closely with SU researchers, academic departments and divisions, and strategic partners to enhance research visibility, ensure compliance with funder mandates, and support innovative approaches to knowledge dissemination.

Bhekizizwe Nkosi

Bhekizizwe Nkosi has recently been promoted to a Scholarly Communication Librarian, where he supports and advances open scholarship and research dissemination. He joined Stellenbosch University in June 2025 as a Junior Librarian: Scholarly Communication. In his current role, he helps manage digital repository platforms and e-journal systems, provides training and guidance to researchers and students, and actively advocates for open access initiatives. His work focuses on strengthening scholarly publishing support, improving access to research outputs, and enhancing institutional research visibility and impact.

Before joining Stellenbosch University, Bheki held several roles at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), including Library Assistant and Senior Library Assistant: Research Support & Scholarly Communications, where he contributed to institutional repository management, digitisation workflows, bibliometric analysis, RDM training, journal evaluation support, and open access journal development.

Currently pursuing a Master’s in Library and Information Science with a specialisation in data stewardship and knowledge management, Bheki’s research focuses on data stewardship in physics and astronomy – bridging research excellence with responsible data practices. He is passionate about ethical, transparent, and accessible scholarly publishing and is dedicated to helping researchers navigate journal selection, research data management (RDM) best practices, and open access publishing platforms.

Grace van Niekerk

Advocate Grace van Niekerk currently serves as Senior Faculty Librarian (Law). She previously held the position of Faculty Librarian for Law at the University of the Western Cape for 29 years, where she provided specialised research support, advanced training, and academic guidance to law students, researchers, and faculty members.

Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in strengthening legal research capacity within the faculty by designing structured information literacy programmes, developing comprehensive research guides, and facilitating access to complex legal resources in both print and digital environments.

Grace holds an LLB degree together with qualifications in Library and Information Science, complemented by additional professional certifications in legal research and information management. She is also an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, bringing a distinctive integration of legal expertise and academic librarianship to her role. In addition, she has provided Commissioner of Oaths services within the university environment, reflecting her broader professional contribution to institutional support.

Recognised for her professionalism, strong organisational ability, and student-centred approach, Grace is committed to strengthening research excellence and advancing innovative library services that respond to the evolving needs of legal education.

Author: Theresa Schoeman

Surveys and other research conducted by the Library highlighted the need for a more client-focused and smarter website to better support research. As a client-centred environment, the Library took this feedback seriously. In response, on 19 December 2025, the Library and Information Service proudly launched its newly implemented website, now live at https://www.su.ac.za/library.

This launch forms part of Stellenbosch University’s broader initiative to migrate all SharePoint website content to the institutional Drupal web content management system. By leveraging SU-specific templates and Drupal components, the library has been able to streamline content, present information more compactly, and deliver a fresh, modern, and user-friendly online experience.

The library supports researchers at every stage of research, and these resources are designed to guide you through every phase of your academic journey. From starting a project with information resources and consultations with librarians, to managing data and references, publishing your research and measuring its impact, the library provides expert tools and guidance, all accessible from this page. You will also find opportunities to grow through workshops, events, and training. With these services the library is your partner in discovery, research and innovation. From the Library homepage, simply select Research to explore all available research services and resources.

Some of the research services highlighted include:

• Carnegie Research Commons: A dedicated space offering support and services to strengthen postgraduate and academic research.
• Open access publishing support: Including the Read & Publish agreements with multiple publishers make open access publishing more affordable and increase visibility for SU researchers.
• Research impact tools: Access specialised resources to assess scholarly performance and measure research impact.
• Research data management: Consultations, training, interactive tools, and the secure SUNScholarData repository help researchers manage, preserve and share data effectively.
• Special Collections: Rare and valuable materials preserved for future generations, supporting current research needs.

For more information and other services, visit the Library website or consult your faculty librarian.

The Library welcomes feedback on the new website. Share your thoughts at https://web.lib.sun.ac.za/feedback.

Author: Natasja Malherbe

South Africa has made significant strides toward Open Access (OA) in scholarly publishing, yet critical challenges remain. While Transformative or Read-and-Publish Agreements (TAs) have helped shift traditional subscription models toward open access, evidence increasingly shows that these agreements have not fully delivered on their promise of equity, sustainability, and transparency.

Limitations of Transformative Agreements

Experiences from countries like Sweden and the United Kingdom reveal that despite increased OA content, paywalled research continues to grow, and costs have risen. In many cases, only well-resourced institutions can afford to participate, leaving much of the research community behind. Moreover, publisher opacity around pricing and limited competition have reinforced rather than dismantled inequitable systems.

Sweden’s recent policy shift provides useful guidance. The country has moved away from hybrid TAs and is instead focusing on agreements with fully OA publishers, developing a national OA platform, supporting researcher-owned journals, and addressing copyright barriers. Similarly, the UK’s JISC review highlights that eight years after the first TAs, full and immediate OA remains elusive.

Myths and Realities of TAs

A review of Transitional Agreements in the UK – JISC  March 2024, lists and debunks several common myths:

1. Equity – False; OA publishing remains unaffordable for many.
2. Transition to OA – Only wealthy institutions can fully participate.
3. Moving away from APCs – Caps and hybrid costs make TAs even more expensive.
4. Transparency – Publishers often refuse to reveal costs.
5. Competitive pricing – Market remains uncompetitive and opaque.
6. Better library positioning – Libraries remain intermediaries without real negotiating power.

For South Africa, the lesson is clear: it is time to move beyond Transformative Agreements to more impactful and sustainable models of OA. The Universities South Africa Research and Innovation Strategy Project proposes a forward-looking solution — a national Diamond Open Access publishing platform that removes author and reader fees, promotes equitable participation across institutions, raises the visibility of South African research, and fosters collaboration by removing access barriers. Coalition S defines Diamond Open Access as “a scholarly publication model in which journals and platforms do not charge fees to either authors or readers. These journals are community-driven, academic-led, and academic-owned publishing initiatives… They are equitable by nature and design.” Through its SUNJournals platform, the Library is able to provide Diamond Open Access publishing services to faculties and departments.

It is critical that we ensure that true open access enhances broader and deeper research impacts to serve the public good, not commercial interests. South Africa has a great opportunity to lead the way in building a more inclusive, transparent, and sustainable open scholarly ecosystem. However, this will require bolder decisions by the government and other stakeholders that will move us beyond the extortionate and unsustainable TA models.

For information on how to join the Diamond Open Access movement by publishing Stellenbosch University journals on the SUNJournals platform, please contact Mrs Mimi Seyffert-Wirth.

References

A review of Transitional Agreements in the UK – JISC  March 2024. https://zenodo.org/records/10787392/files/A_review_of_transitional_agreements_in_the_UK.pdf?download=1

Widmark, W. (2024). How can we get beyond the Transformative Agreements: a Swedish perspective. Revista Española De Documentación Científica, 47(4), e402.

Author: Ellen Tise

As a transformative approach to scholarly communication, Open Access (OA) seeks to remove barriers to accessing, sharing and reusing research outputs.

Scholars such as Raffaela Kunz and Monika Plozza believe that this approach not only contributes to the sharing of research but could potentially advance universal access to information, as envisioned by the United Nations Human Rights framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It can also play a transformative social justice role by closing the digital gaps and dismantling information disparities between those who have the resources and means to purchase and access information and those who do not, according to Paul Ginsparg, founder of the open-access archive arXiv. University of Cape Town academics Laura Czerniewicz and Sarah Goodier highlight the need for OA as both an economic and democratic one.

Worldwide, universities and academic libraries are involved in OA advocacy, encouraging researchers to publish their work in OA platforms.

These institutions believe that OA enhances the reach and impact of scholarship.

The commitment of Stellenbosch University (SU) to OA was cemented 15 years ago with the signing of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access by the former rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Russel Botman, on 20 October 2010. In doing so, Botman became the first VC of an African university to sign the declaration, positioning SU as a pioneer on the continent in taking the OA pledge.

This landmark commitment marked the acceleration of OA, giving the university library strategic impetus and legitimacy in its advancement, support and advocacy of OA and other open-science initiatives.

The signing of the declaration itself was symbolic as it was signed during International Open Access Week. In an opinion piece for the Mail and Guardian on 29 October 2010, aptly titled ‘Stellenbosch takes open access lead’, the Senior Director of the SU Library and Information Services, referred to the signing of the OA pledge as “an important step towards sustainable human development” and towards the realisation of equitable information access.

Fifteen years later, we reflect on the progress, challenges, and future under the theme of the International Access Week 2025: “Who Owns Our Knowledge?”‘

Open Access has been embraced by the Library and the University and has become a vehicle for increasing the impact of research at this institution and allowed the library to go on this journey.

The Library’s OA journey began in 2008 with the establishment of the institutional repository, SUNScholar, and the implementation of an electronic submission system for theses and dissertations. SUNScholar boasts over 35 000 full text research outputs with more being added annually.

The Library’s commitment to Open Access was furthermore manifested in the establishment of an Open Access Publication Fund in 2009, which funded 1035 SU research publications until its closure in 2021.

The hosting of an Open Access Seminar in 2010 was also a highlight where Stellenbosch University became the first African University to sign the Berlin Declaration of Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

In 2011 the Library established SUNJournals, an open access journal hosting platform for journals with an SU affiliation. We currently host 23 journals in various disciplines.

In 2012 we hosted the International Berlin Conference on Open Access. This was the first time that the Berlin Open Access Conference was held in Africa. It explored the transformative impact that open, online access to research has on scholarship, scientific discovery, and the translation of results to the benefit of the public.

In 2013 the library established an open digital heritage repository to showcase and allow access to the library’s special and unique collections and currently provides access to over 18 000 unique records in 50 collections. We can see examples of these materials being accessed and used in a range of outputs.

In 2014 the University adopted a self-archiving policy that asks SU authors to submit a copy of their accepted manuscript to the institutional repository.

In 2019, with research data widely recognised as crucial to the research process and the preservation of and access to such data becoming an absolute necessity, the library launched SUNScholarData.

This research data repository enables Stellenbosch University researchers to share and disseminate their research data in accordance with good research data management practices and will serve to facilitate the findability, accessibility and reusability of the university’s research data.

In 2023 the Library hosted the International Open Repositories Conference, the first time this event was held on African soil.

Our Open Access journey continues with ongoing negotiations regarding transformational agreements and our commitment to Open Access will remain steadfast and help us to take on whatever new OA developments may come our way.

Authors: Ellen Tise, Mimi Seyffert-Wirth, Siviwe Bangani

This article is based on notes prepared for Miss Ellen Tise’s speech during the International Open Access Week celebrations and the 15-year commemoration of the signing of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access at Stellenbosch University on 22 October 2025. Some of the text was extracted from an article Open access and research outputs: Who owns our knowledge? which was published in University World News, Africa Edition.

The establishment of institutional repositories such as SUNScholar, SUNScholarData, SUNDigital Collections, and SUNJournals stands as a direct testament to the University’s ongoing investment in supporting and expanding OA. The Library continues to promote OA through initiatives such as staff and student training, Open Access workshops, and participation in International Open Access Week.

In recognition of the role of OA in enhancing research visibility, impact, and societal benefit, the Library and Information Service initiated the introduction of the Open Access Awards at the University’s Research and Innovation Excellence Awards held on 22 October 2025. This initiative acknowledges that OA contributions often remain under-recognised, despite their importance.

2025 Open Access Award Categories and Winners

Category 1: Most Prolific OA Author (Scopus-indexed)

Awarded to the SU-affiliated researcher with the highest number of OA publications indexed in Scopus over the period 2022–2024. This was awarded to Professor Soraya Seedat, Department of Psychiatry. In her own words: I think I’m particularly encouraged by the Open Access Award, because it is really important. We ensure that all the work we produce is widely accessible, particularly to people living in a lower-income context, where they do not have ready access to scientific and medical literature. (View video of highlights of the event here)

Category 2: Highest Cited OA Output (Scopus-indexed)

Awarded for the OA publication by an SU-affiliated author, indexed in Scopus and published between 2022–2024, that received the highest number of citations. This was awarded to  Dr Houriiyah Tegally, Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation.

Category 3: Most Downloaded OA Output (SUNScholar & SUNScholarData)

Awarded to the SU-affiliated author(s) whose OA output deposited in SUNScholar from 2020-2024 received the highest number of downloads. This was awarded to:  Drs Jerome Joorst, Education Policy Studies, Technology Transfer/Innovation team, and  Willie Smit, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering.

Prizes were sponsored by Elsevier, while the Office of the DVC: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies provided the plaques. Through the introduction of these awards, the Library aims not only to recognise and celebrate researchers who actively choose Open Access, but also to encourage broader participation in OA publishing across the University.

Strengthening the University’s leadership in advancing equitable access to research is both a social justice imperative and a contribution toward sustainable human solutions. Increased Open Access publishing enhances the visibility and impact of SU research and aligns directly with the University’s aspiration to be Africa’s top university, which is ranked within the Top 100 globally.

From left to right: John Sterley (Research Account Manager, Elsevier), Ellen Tise (Senior Director: Library and Information Services and Dr Jerome Joorst (Education Policy Studies)

Author: Dr Siviwe Bangani

International Open Access Week is a flagship global event dedicated to open access, held annually in October.  This year’s theme was Who Owns Our Knowledge? and it took place 20 – 26 October 2025. The Library aimed to use this year’s Open Access Week event to also commemorate the signing of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access by the then Rector of Stellenbosch University, Professor Russel Botman, on 20 October 2010.

On 22 October 2025, a virtual seminar was held, involving various stakeholders. The programme included a presentation by the Library: “15 Years Unlocked: Celebrating Open Access since signing the Berlin Declaration,” by Ms Ellen Tise, the Senior Director of the Library.  She shared a candid account of the Library’s open access journey since the commitment to open access was made. She also highlighted the milestones and pitfalls encountered along the way.  This was followed by a lively panel discussion involving three experts, Emilie Algenio (Mason University Libraries), Dr Charles Akwe Masango  (University of Cape Town) and Denise Nicholson (Scholarly Horizons). While expressing frustration with the slow pace of assenting to the new South African Copyright Bill, the speakers empowered researchers and librarians on copyright, creative commons and fair use, and how these can be used by producers of knowledge to retain rights to their works. Ina Smith’s presentation “Policy and Research Ownership in the Age of Open Access” emphasised the need for clear institutional and national OA policies that prioritise researcher rights. She further encouraged universities to deposit research outputs in trusted institutional repositories for visibility and long-term preservation, as well as for compliance with funder requirements.

Screenshot of some attendees, by Theresa Schoeman

Author: Dr Siviwe Bangani