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
May's website of the month is:
This website offers a wealth of information about the activities of Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and topical human rights issues in South Africa, including, the rights of refugees and migrants, the Mozambican Mineworkers Project, penal reform, land and housing, and farm workers, among others. See also LHR's pioneering project Help@hand which offers non-nationals and vulnerable South African groups a mobile information service on permits, health, education, unlawful arrest, legal rights, and more.
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.
Selected Noteworthy Days in May
1 May Workers' Day
3 May United Nations World Press Freedom Day
21 May United Nations World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
25 May Africa Day
29 May United Nations International Day of UN Peacekeepers
31 May World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day
SABC to play 90% local music on its radio stations
Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Bill (B6-2016)
BBC News on Brexit: The UK's European Union referendum - all you need to know
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal lifts ban on rhino horn trade. See also: South African Development Community's Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching Strategy 2016-2021 (dated August 2015)
UK Government cracks down on cold callers who hide or disguise their phone numbers
Highly skilled South African women opt for emigration because of limited career opportunities
Country Statistical Profile: South Africa 2016 (OECD)
OECD Data on South Africa - a helpful source of indicators on everything from youth not in employment, education or training to South Africa's air and GHG emissions to municipal waste
Complexity theory and complexity thinking applied to development programmes
Slide Show: Future Technology Institute: 2016 Tech Trends Report
World Health Organization: Zika Situation Report as at 12th May 2016
Should you wish to read Current Awareness guides of previous years, visit the Archive.
If you are looking for 2016's forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:
This month's golden oldie is an article on helping students to develop academic writing skills:
Pfeifer, Healther L. and Ferree, Caroline W. (2006) 'Tired of "reeding" bad papers? Teaching research and writing skills to Criminal Justice students' Journal of Criminal Justice Education, vol 17, no 1, p 121-142.
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