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.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
The Gender Watch encompasses more than three decades of gender studies, with archival material dating back to 1970.It is providing authoritative historical and current perspectives on the evolution of gender roles as they affect both men and women. GenderWatch supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) studies; family studies; gender studies, and women's studies with a unique interdisciplinary approach. Topics covered are sexuality, religion, societal roles, feminism, masculinity, eating disorders, day care, and the workplace.
Combines the Materials Science Collection, the Engineering Collection, and the Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Collection into a vast and reliable source of interdisciplinary information across multiple areas of study including computer science, engineering, energy, chemistry, materials science, optics, mathematics, and physics.
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.
Why do we mark International Days?
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.
01 March-31 March 2025
Human Rights Month is commemorated in March to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanies the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa. Human Rights Day on 21 March falls within this period.
08 March 2025
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a hundred years, as have many of the issues still impacting women’s advancement. Since 1911, IWD belongs to all who care about women’s equality.
10 March 2025
Commonwealth Day 2025 will be celebrated across the Commonwealth on Monday 10 March with events and activities taking place throughout March, including civic and faith gatherings, school assemblies, debates, flag-raising ceremonies, and cultural celebrations.
International digital learning Day 2025
19 March 2025
The event will highlight where, how and under what conditions digital learning is helping to improve equitable quality learning outcomes especially in challenging educational contexts.
South African Library Week 2025
17 March – 23 March 2025
Libraries provide inclusive spaces and access to resources for all members of society, empowering communities through education, social support, and opportunities for lifelong learning.
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 feminist, womanist, Bosadi Theorization.
"Bosadi theorization" AND womanist OR feminist
“Bosadi theorization” OR “feminist intersectionality” OR “womanist intersectionality”
“Sexist African culture” OR classism OR “general sexism”
“Gender equality” OR “women empowerment”
(("African feminism") OR (womanism) OR ("sexual equality"))
("Historical womanist theory") AND (("feminist theory") OR ("social rhetoric inequalities")) AND ("black women")
("Feminist discourse") AND ("Feminist theories")
A Distant Mirror: The story of libraries in South Africa
Peter Johan Lor
Vol. 125, No. 4, Books, Bricks, and Bytes (Fall, 1996), pp.235-236 (31 pages)
“Learning from the American experience is something South African
librarians have been doing for many decades. However, the
earliest origins of our libraries can be traced to Europe, to the
Netherlands, Germany, and Britain, countries that also contributed
to American concepts of learning and scholarship. In the
early eighteenth-century private libraries were established at the
Cape of Good Hope”
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:
Focus Areas
We currently have two focus areas and these are:
Student Support and Administration
Advocacy and Training
If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:
