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
Websites of the month are:
This website is international, so click on South Africa to learn more about salaries in the country as a whole and average salaries in different sectors.
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
Bookmark this informative website or subscribe to their newsletter for the latest OECD news (the link is at the end of the landing page). The OECD looks at many themes through the lens of economics and development – corporate governance, corruption and integrity, COVID-19, development, digital, education, finance, public governance, regional, rural and urban development, for example – and is rich in multidisciplinary value. It includes reports, videos, podcasts and resources for parliamentarians, civil society and young people. Try out a slightly older podcast that is still relevant: “First class humans, not second-class robots: Andreas Schleicher on learning and the future of work” [14:58 mins])
OECD G20 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
South Africa is a member of the G20 and in July 2021, the OECD released their 2020 economic survey of South Africa that may prove helpful to researchers. Scroll down on the landing page and click on South Africa. Then scroll to the end of the page (plenty of information on this page too, including the Gini coefficient of income inequality for South Africa) and under Further reading, click on Read the survey online. Explore the website as a whole – it has a lot to offer.
Click on the link below to further reading available from the Unisa Library on human trafficking:
d:("human trafficking" AND "South Africa")
d:("human trafficking" AND history)
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.
July: Nelson Mandela Month [Click here for Resources for Mandela Day]
See also “Meditative Madiba shown in newly revealed portrait of Nelson Mandela” Times LIVE, 23 June 2021
July: Moral Regeneration Month (South Africa)
See also the Moral Regeneration Movement: Charter of Positive Values
Friday 23 July 2021 to Sunday 8 August 2021: 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan
Some slightly older and significant news: “Bishop Arrieta: How Book VI of Canon Law has changed” Vatican News, 1 June 2021
“He [Bishop Arietta] explains that the revision of Book VI gives Bishops adequate means to prevent and punish crimes that are perpetrated in the Church.”
and
Zittrain, Jonathan (2021) “The Internet is rotting” The Atlantic, 30 June
“Too much has been lost already. The glue that holds humanity’s knowledge together is coming undone.”
NOTE: The Library does not subscribe to The Atlantic, but the publisher generously allows the public free access to four articles per annum should you wish to follow up on this important article.
01 Jul: Virtual Political Consultations between South Africa and the Czech Republic, Pretoria, South Africa
01 Jul: Ongoing political and security situation in the Kingdom of eSwatini
01 Jul: The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) comes into force
02 Jul: Hoffman, Chris (2021) “Why doesn’t Windows 11 support my CPU?” How-To Geek (free tech newsletter)
03 Jul: United Nations International Day of Cooperatives (A/RES/47/90)
11 Jul: United Nations World Population Day (A/RES/45/216)
11 Jul: United Nations World Youth Skills Day (A/RES/69/145)
15 Jul: United Nations Nelson Mandela International Day (A/RES/64/13)
16 Jul: President Cyril Ramaphosa: Update on security situation in the country
18 Jul: Nelson Mandela Day
18 Jul: United Nations World Chess Day (A/RES/74/22)
20 Jul: United Nations World Drowning Prevention Day (A/RES/75/273)
25 Jul: United Nations World Hepatitis Day
25 Jul: Full Speech: Move to Level 3: Ramaphosa addresses SA on the latest lockdown developments, News24, 25 July
28 Jul: United Nations International Day of Friendship (A/RES/65/275)
30 Jul: United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons (A/RES/68/192)
If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:
4-6 August 2021 – find out more: Open and Distance and eLearning Virtual Conference
Donella Meadows
The titles below are a sample of the titles held by the Unisa Library for author Donella Meadows (1941-2001), environmental scientist. Run an author search to see all the books we hold. Explore the following website for additional information and resources:
The Donella Meadows Project: Academy for Systems Change
BOOKS
MEADOWS, Donella (1974) [1983] The Limits to growth: A report for the Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind. 2nd ed. London: Pan Books.
PRETORIA OPEN COLLECTION 330.9 LIMI AVAILABLE
Click on the link embedded in the title above to open the Library Catalogue record for this book. Click on the Request link. You will be prompted to enter your student number and myUnisa password/Unisa Network username and password, then click on LOGIN. Complete the online request form and click on SUBMIT THIS REQUEST.
MEADOWS, Donella, RANDERS, Jørgen and MEADOWS, Dennis [2004] The Limits to growth: The 30-year update. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
Click on the link embedded in the title above to open the Library Catalogue record for this book. Click on View full text e-book in ProQuest. You will be prompted to enter your student number and myUnisa password/Unisa Network username and password, then click on LOGIN.
