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.
Cancer Association of South Africa
CANSA is committed to connecting people facing cancer with information, day-to-day help as well as emotional support they need in the communities where they live. Their aim is to ensure that cancer Survivors and their loved ones don’t have to face cancer alone.
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), a non-profit leader in the fight against cancer since 1931, enables research, educates the public and advocates for and supports all people affected by cancer, while leading SA towards a cancer-free society
Free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine
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.
October 2025: Breast Cancer Awareness: Month
Breast Cancer Awareness
The incidence of breast cancer among South African women is increasing and it is one of the most common cancers among women in South Africa. It is the most prevalent cancer amongst white and Asian women and the second most common cancer among black and coloured women.
Facts about breast cancer:
Early detection of the condition can lead to effective treatment and a positive prognosis. About 90% of patients survive for many years after diagnosis when breast cancer is detected at the early stages.
Regular self-breast examination and regular mammograms are key to early detection.
Presenting yourself early for treatment may result in more effective treatment, leading to a reduction in pain and suffering and a significant decrease in the loss of life.
For more information or support, visit CANSA
31 October 2025: Halloween
Halloween, celebrated on October 31, has roots in ancient traditions and is marked by festivities such as trick-or-treating, costume parties, and pumpkin carving.
Halloween, also known as All Hallows' Eve, is celebrated on October 31, the day before All Saints' Day.
Its origins can be traceback to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of
the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
A global celebration with costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky decorations.
05 October 2025: World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel. It was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching personnel in higher education. World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated since 1994.
10 October 2025: World Mental Health Day
The SA Federation for Mental Health is the largest national mental health organisation in South Africa. The strategic key focus areas of the SAFMH National Office are:
SA Federation for Mental Health's Information Library .
HELP THE FEDERATION MAKE A COVID-19 & MENTAL HEALTH SCRAPBOOK!
The SA Federation for Mental Health is calling on everyone - yes, everyone - to help us seize the day, capture the moment, and tell the story of COVID-19 in 2020, and how living through this has or is affecting our mental health and personal wellbeing. We will use all responses to compile a COVID-19 & mental health scrapbook that we will publish, free of charge, later in the year.
We are asking you to share a few sentences about your experiences and how you have personally been affected by the pandemic, the lockdown, and the added mental pressures that many people are experiencing. You can even share a photo of yourself, or of anything else that captures your experiences.
All responses will be treated with the utmost of confidentiality.
The Gauteng Youth Tech Expo is officially underway, and it’s shaping up to be an event like no other! Hosted by Gauteng e-Government and supported by the Gauteng Provincial Government, the expo promises to showcase cutting-edge technology, innovation, and youth empowerment. The Youth Tech Expo is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of the limitless potential within Gauteng’s youth. With the theme #GrowingGautengTogether, the expo highlights the importance of collaboration, learning, and growth as key pillars in achieving digital transformation across the province.
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
Results for "("breast cancer screening") AND ("new technologies")"
Lifestyle factors AND breast cancer incidence - Search Results
("breast cancer survivorship") AND ("quality of life") - Search Results
Increasing resiliency and reducing mental illness stigma in post-secondary students
By Andrew C. H. Szeto, Laura Henderson, Brittany L. Lindsay, Stephanie Knaak & Keith S. Dobson (2023)
Source: https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.2007112
ABSTRACT
Objective: Worsening student mental health, along with more complex mental illness presentation and increased access to campus mental health services, has led to a mental health “crisis” on campuses. One way to address student mental health needs may be through mental health programs which have been found to increase resiliency and help-seeking and reduce stigma.
Participants: The effectiveness of The Inquiring Mind (TIM), a mental health promotion and mental illness stigma reduction program, was examined in 810 students from 16 Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Methods and Results: Using a meta-analytic approach, TIM improved resiliency and decreased stigmatizing attitudes from pre- to post-intervention, with medium effect sizes (d > 0.50). Analyses with those who completed the follow-up (approximately one-third of the sample) showed that effects were mostly retained at three months. Other outcomes also point to the program’s effectiveness.
Conclusion: TIM appears to be an effective program for post-secondary students. However, additional research, including randomized control trials, is needed to address study limitations
If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:
The following sites on Unisa Open contains useful information for Unisa staff.
