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Current Awareness 2025: January

Request a Literature Search

Struggling to find academic material for your assignment, research proposal, or thesis?

The Library can help with a literature search—a systematic and comprehensive search for published academic resources on your topic.

How to request a literature search:
Complete our online form or use the Unisa Student App (available on the Android Play Store and iStore). In the app, go to Library and select Literature Search Form.

What is current awareness

Current awareness is the term used to describe staying informed by keeping up to date with the latest publications, research and news in your field.

The perspective of current awareness is the present and the forthcoming, as opposed to the retrospective. 

Current awareness ranges from looking for information on specific topics on a regular basis (and this usually involves the assistance of your Personal Librarian to help you set up a search profile matched to your research interests) to embracing a wider, more general, and cross-disciplinary view that brings an element of serendipity into your search for the latest information.

Informally, researchers remain alert in all contexts for useful information and insights that will inform their daily practice, their research, and spark off innovative and creative ideas for new avenues of research.

Website of the month

BlindSA

What is now Blind SA originally started on 26 October 1946 as the South African Blind Worker’s Organisation with the main purpose of helping people with blindliness find meaningful careers. The organization attained its new name as BlindSA in 2004. While the primary goal of its establishment remains the same, as Blind SA we have grown over the years to provide so much more. Placing our first blind person in their new job, establishing Braille Services, awarding our first bursary, creating a skills development service, successfully lobbying and taking on any matter that concerns the blind.

 

BlindSA equip blind people with the skills they need to fully and independently participate in society. This includes support in living without assistance, getting about, using technology, reading, working and socialising. All this is made possible through advocacy.

 

 

 

Database of the Month

Unisa Open

The following sites on Unisa Open contains useful information for Unisa staff.

Archive

Should you wish to read Current Awareness guides of previous years, please visit the archive:

2014-2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

About the monthly awareness page

The year is marked with many special days, weeks, and months dedicated and devoted to raising awareness about important issues.

This monthly post, compiled by the Information Search Librarians Team, will note special dates and themes, and draw your attention to possibly interesting cross-disciplinary topical references intended to inform and to inspire ideas for research.

In the media

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Catalytic niche areas

The university has identified ten (10) catalytic niches that will assist the institution in catalysing research, innovation and engaged scholarship These are as follows:

  • Marine studies,
  • Aviation and Aeronautical studies,
  • Automotive,
  • Energy,
  • Space study and Square Kilometer Array,
  • Fourth Industrial revolution and Digitalisation,
  • Natural Sciences (Biotechnological studies),
  • Health Studies/Medicine,
  • Feminist, Womanist, Bosadi Theorizations,
  • Student Support and Co-Curricular activities.

Click on the links below for information on Marine studies.

 

"Marine studies" AND Ports

marine protection and ''south africa''

''marine life'' and economics

Dissertation/Thesis on Marine

Conference Proceeding on Marine

E-books on Marine

Google Scholar on “Marine studies” + ''Global Trends''

Golden oldie

Aligning G20 initiatives with Africa’s development priorities
  • Faith Tigere

Latin American ReportVol. 34, No. 1, pp 1-2001 January 2018

https://doi.org/10.25159/0256-6060/4723

Abstract

The role of G20 and its impact on African and global policies have always been up for debate. Over the years since the establishment of the G20, policies ranging from climate change, financial flows and sustainable development have increasingly featured ...

 

‘They are visually impaired, not blind … teach them!’ : Grade R in-service teachers’ knowledge of teaching pre-reading skills to visually impaired learners

  • Matiekase A. Kao and 
  • Patience J. Mzimela

South African Journal of Childhood EducationVol. 9, No. 1, pp 1-1101 January 2019

https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v9i1.651

Abstract

Background: Teaching reading skills is the cornerstone of all learning; therefore, teachers’ adherence to this mandate is important. However, it becomes complicated and challenging if the teacher has to teach pre-reading skills to Grade R learners with ...

 

Further reading

Support to Unisa students with disabilities

Mission of ARCSWiD

In line with UNISA’s Strategy, the mission of ARCSWiD is to create an enabling teaching, learning, research, and student engagement environment that will lead to the full participation and equalisation of opportunities for students with disabilities by:

  • providing comprehensive support and services to students with disabilities, including arranging reasonable academic accommodations.
  • advocating for the rights and needs of students with disabilities and to raise awareness about disability issues within UNISA community.
  • promoting academic success and overall well-being of students with disabilities through tailored support services and resources.
  • Collaborating with colleges, supporting departments and regional offices to create an accessible and supportive educational environment.

Focus Areas

We currently have two focus areas and these are:

Student Support and Administration

  • Registering Students with disabilities
  • Producing study material in alternative formats
  • Providing academic support interventions
  • Providing sign language interpretation services
  • Providing orientation and mobility to visually impaired and partially sighted students

Advocacy and Training

  • Implementing facilitation of learning training programmes
  • Commissioning/Conducting research
  • Implementing Community Outreach programmes

Looking for upcoming conferences?

If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful: