The impact of electronic theses and dissertations: a study of the institutional repository of a university in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siviwe Bangani
Author(s):  
Gesina A. Phillips

Graduate students completing an electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD) may encounter issues related to copyright, either their own or that held by others, at several points throughout the creation and submission of their ETD. Since ETDs are often hosted in an institutional repository or other online collection hosted by the library, library personnel involved in the process must be aware of these points of failure and understand the nuances of copyright with regard to reuse of materials, their institution’s policies governing student scholarship, and the policies of their institutional repository or online collection. This poster will review the relevant literature related to copyright and ETDs, outline the major junctures where librarians may contribute to copyright education for graduate students (and others), and offer suggestions for librarians seeking to engage with graduate students completing their ETDs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Massicotte ◽  
Kathleen Botter

<p><em>This study </em><em>examine</em><em>s</em><em> ETDs deposited during the period 2011-2015 in </em><em>an </em><em>institutional repository, to determine the degree to which </em><em>the documents </em><em>suffer from reference rot, that is, linkrot plus content drift. The</em><em> authors</em><em> converted and examined 664 doctoral dissertations in total, extracting 11,437 links, finding overall </em><em>that </em><em>77% of links </em><em>were </em><em>active, and 23% exhibited linkrot.  A stratified random sample of 49 ETDs </em><em>was performed which </em><em>produced 990 active links, which were then checked for content drift based on mementos found in the Wayback Machine.  Mementos were found for 77% of links, and approximately half of these, 492 of 990, exhibited content drift. The results serve to emphasize not only the necessity of broader awareness of this problem, but also to stimulate action on the preservation front.   </em></p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marielle Veve

The following case study describes an academic library’s recent experience implementing the harvesting method to submit electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) into the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database (PQDT). In this lesser-known approach, ETDs are deposited first in the institutional repository (IR), where they get processed, to be later harvested for free by ProQuest through the IR’s Open Archives Initiative (OAI) feed. The method provides a series of advantages over some of the alternative methods, including students’ choice to opt-in or out from ProQuest, better control over the embargo restrictions, and more customization power without having to rely on overly complicated workflows. Institutions interested in adopting a simple, automated, post-IR method to submit ETDs into ProQuest, while keeping the local workflow, should benefit from this method. 


2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Netta S. Cox

In today’s economic climate, many academic libraries are faced with shorter budgets and rising costs of materials.  Electronic databases and journals are growing in most libraries, while print materials are decreasing.  A shift in the change from print to electronic collections has impacted routine serials workflows.  This article examines the change from print to electronic resources, the impact of technology on traditional technical services tasks and the serials staff workflow transition from print to electronic theses and dissertations dissemination at F.D. Bluford Library.         


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Stewart Baker ◽  
Sue Kunda

Institutional repository (IR) managers often find themselves providing copyright guidance to faculty who wish to self-archive their published scholarship or to students depositing theses and dissertations. As IR managers may not be copyright experts themselves, making determinations and checking rights can be difficult and time-consuming. This article is intended as a practical guide to describe common types of material that can be placed in an IR as well as potential copyright issues and other considerations for each type. Material types covered include book chapters, journal articles, conference proceedings, student papers, electronic theses and dissertations, research data sets, historical and archival materials, and oral histories. Underlying issues such as copyright ownership, work made for hire, and the legal definition of publication are also discussed. For easier reference, the appendix contains a chart with brief descriptions of issues and resources.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Hill ◽  
Sylvia Poss

The paper addresses the question of reparation in post-apartheid South Africa. The central hypothesis of the paper is that in South Africa current traumas or losses, such as the 2008 xenophobic attacks, may activate a ‘shared unconscious phantasy’ of irreparable damage inflicted by apartheid on the collective psyche of the South African nation which could block constructive engagement and healing. A brief couple therapy intervention by a white therapist with a black couple is used as a ‘microcosm’ to explore this question. The impact of an extreme current loss, when earlier losses have been sustained, is explored. Additionally, the impact of racial difference on the transference and countertransference between the therapist and the couple is explored to illustrate factors complicating the productive grieving and working through of the depressive position towards reparation.


Mousaion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Ramothupi Matolong

Statistics and numerous authors have highlighted the reading crisis in South Africa. At the same instance, more people in South Africa are embracing the potential of digital technology to provide lifelong learning opportunities and also to strengthen the culture of reading. This study is framed against the backdrop and implementation of the Mzansi Libraries On-Line Project in South Africa – a project implemented in line with the Global Libraries Programme of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The study explored the potential of access to information of digital technology and the contribution of the project to inculcating a culture of reading at public libraries. A benchmark survey was conducted by an independent research company during the pilot phase of the project in 2015. This survey covered library users of the 27 libraries that formed part of the pilot phase, and a further 25 libraries from a representative sample across South Africa. An end-line survey was conducted through a private company towards the conclusion of the countrywide implementation in 2017, based on the Common Impact Measurement System which was customised for South Africa. The benchmark survey found that although ICT in libraries had been used by relatively few people in 2015, the impact of this technology tended to be positive and would be beneficial to the wider society by helping to redress societal imbalances, including education and the culture of reading. The end-line survey found increased benefits of library usage and library technical infrastructure to improve the lives of the communities involved.


Author(s):  
Jacques de Jongh

Globalisation has had an unprecedented impact on the development and well-being of societies across the globe. Whilst the process has been lauded for bringing about greater trade specialisation and factor mobility many have also come to raise concerns on its impact in the distribution of resources. For South Africa in particular this has been somewhat of a contentious issue given the country's controversial past and idiosyncratic socio-economic structure. Since 1994 though, considerable progress towards its global integration has been made, however this has largely coincided with the establishment of, arguably, the highest levels of income inequality the world has ever seen. This all has raised several questions as to whether a more financially open and technologically integrated economy has induced greater within-country inequality (WCI). This study therefore has the objective to analyse the impact of the various dimensions of globalisation (economic, social and political) on inequality in South Africa. Secondary annual time series from 1990 to 2018 were used sourced from the World Bank Development indicators database, KOF Swiss Economic Institute and the World Inequality database. By using different measures of inequality (Palma ratios and distribution figures), the study employed two ARDL models to test the long-run relationships with the purpose to ensure the robustness of the results. Likewise, two error correction models (ECM) were used to analyse the short-run dynamics between the variables. As a means of identifying the casual effects between the variables, a Toda-Yamamoto granger causality analysis was utilised. Keywords: ARDL, Inequality, Economic Globalisation; Social Globalisation; South Africa


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