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.
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.
The illicit drug trade is intricately linked to other crimes such as human trafficking, illegal mining, and environmental destruction. These interconnected crimes create a vicious cycle that perpetuates poverty, exploitation, institutional weakness, and addiction.
To combat drug trafficking, a long-term, coordinated effort is needed to address both supply and demand, and to prevent organized criminal groups from exploiting vulnerabilities.
This year’s World Drug Day emphasizes the need for investment in prevention, including justice, education, health care, and alternative livelihoods — the essential components for building sustainable resilience.
Comprehensive collection of more than 600 full-text online African journals from various disciplines. Includes business, finance, education, law, medicine, health, religion, science, technology, and social sciences. Also OA African Journals Archive.
The following sites on Unisa Open contains useful information for Unisa staff.
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.
International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.
Youth Month 1-30 June 2025
In South Africa, Youth Month is celebrated in June, and National Youth Day is celebrated on June 16.
"The month of June is celebrated as Youth Month to honor the role young people played in the fight against apartheid and the Soweto Uprising of 1976. The Soweto Uprising was a turning point in the struggle for liberation in South Africa. After democracy was established in 1994, June was declared Youth Month and June 16 was declared National Youth Day."
World environment day 5 June 2025
Beat plastic pollution
"More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year worldwide, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 11 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually. That is approximately the weight of 2,200 Eiffel Towers all together."
Pride month (International) 1-30 June 2025
“Pride Month is traditionally celebrated in June around the world, including in the United Kingdom. In 2025, Pride Month will take place from June 1st to June 30th. This extended period allows for a wide range of events, parades, marches, and discussions to take place, providing opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies to come together and make their voices heard.”
World Refugee Day 20 June 2025
“World Refugee Day is celebrated annually to honour the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threats of persecution, conflict and violence. On this day, the international community seeks to draw attention to the plight of refugees and celebrate their courage and resilience.”
Africa Public Service Day 23 June 2025
“It was agreed at this conference that 23 June should be celebrated annually as Africa Public Service Day to recognise the value and virtue of service to the community. It is also a platform to reflect and share practical recommendations on women empowerment in public service nationally and across the continent. The Pan-African Ministers’ agreed that the 23rd June of every year should be celebrated as APSD through annual national and biennial continental events as part of the continental strategy to boost public administration programmes, public sector performance and governance as well as recognise the value and virtue of service to the community.”
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 26 June 2025
"The world drug problem is a complex issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Many people who use drugs face stigma and discrimination, which can further harm their physical and mental health and prevent them from accessing the help they need. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recognises the importance of taking a people-centered approach to drug policies, with a focus on human rights, compassion, and evidence-based practices."
The university has identified ten (10) catalytic niches that will assist the institution in catalysing research, innovation and engaged scholarship These are as follows:
Click on the links below for information on: Health Studies/Medicine.
("Health studies") AND (Medicine)
(Communicable) AND ("non-communicable diseases")
("Mental health") AND (well-being)
(Maternal) AND (newborn) AND (child health)
(Emergency preparedness and response)
("Health systems development")
"The sustainable development goals
(SDGs) formally promote universal
health coverage as a key objective
for the global health community.
This focus on universal health cov-
erage arose both from a desire to maintain
the health gains achieved by the millen-
nium development goals and from criticism
that those goals were short term in nature
and narrowly focused on disease specific
approaches."
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:
We currently have two focus areas and these are:
If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:
