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.
April's website of the month
The official website of the International Labour Organization is a reliable source of timely and relevant information, and here you will find sources to support your research and to spark ideas for new research. Bookmark this one!
International Labour Organization
Gorbalenya, AE, Baker, SC, Baric, RS ... et al "The species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2" Nature Microbiology, vol 5, (2020) pp 536–544
International Labour Organization (2020) An employers' guide in managing your workplace during COVID-19. Geneva: International Labour Office
International Labour Organization (2020) An employers' guide on working from home in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. Geneva: International Labour Office
Omale, Gloria (2020) "4 ways to ensure social distancing for on-site service employees" Smarter with Gartner, 14 April
Vollgraaff, Rene (2020) "Four charts showing how April lockdown hurt South Africa's economy" Quint (Bloomberg), 31 May (Last updated 1 June 2020)
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.
Noteworthy days in April
24 - 30 April World Health Organization World Immunization Week
1 - 30 April COVID-19 Timeline 2019-2020 (South Africa) > scroll down to see the timeline for the month of April 2020
3 April African Union Bureau of Heads of State and SA Government teleconference meeting
9 April President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the Nation on the COVID-19 Pandemic
10 April Good Friday
13 April Family Day
22 April United Nations International Mother Earth Day
23 April Department of Arts and Culture: World Book and Copyright Day
24 April President Cyril Ramaphosa participates in global collaboration on COVID-19 tools
26 April Cuban Medical Brigade arrives at Waterkloof Air Force Base, Pretoria
26 April WIPO World Intellectual Property Day
27 April Freedom Day (South Africa)
27 April World Veterinary Day
29 April Teleconference Meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State and Government
If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:
Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific (2010) A Manual for trainers of social accountability. Manila, Philippines: ANSA EAP
Wertheim, Joel O, Chu, Daniel KW, Peiris, Joseph S.M, Kosakovsky Pond, Sergei L, and Poon, Leo L (2013) "A Case for the ancient origin of coronaviruses" Journal of Virology, vol 87, no 12, May, pp 7039-7045
Zuriff, GE (2005) "'Golden Oldies' in a laboratory course in the experimental analysis of behavior" The Behavior Analyst, vol 28, no 1 (Spring), pp 65-72