STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION
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Historical background of the University of Johannesburg
UJ Distinctive campuses – Student enrolment
Academic architecture – 9 Faculties
Percentages of head count per qualification type -2010
UJ Higher Degrees and Postgraduate Studies Policy
UJ Library – Faculty ETDs policy
Institutional repository – UJDigispace background
Current ETDs workflow (2010)
Challenges of ETDs workflow – IR review
Problem and challenges – ETDs
Who are the ETDs Stakeholders at UJ?
Research objective
Justification of the ETDs study
Data sources and Methodology
The envisaged ‘Ideal’ ETDs process at UJ
References
Questions & Discussion
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF UJ
UJ is a merger of 3 legacy
institutions:
Rand Afrikaans University
Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR)
Vista University
It is classified as a comprehensive university
“UJ mirrors the new South Africa and has become a metaphor for the
miracle transition from the old order to the new”
– Prof Ihron Rensburg, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
UJ CAMPUSES – STUDENT ENROLMENT
 Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
(former RAU)
 Auckland Park Bunting Campus (former
TWR)
 Doornfontein Campus (former TWR)
 Soweto Campus (Former Vista
University)
 Nine (9) faculties
 Head count enrolment for 2010 –
48 500 students (undergraduate &
postgraduate)
% HEADCOUNTS PER QUALIFICATION TYPE - 2010
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Undergraduate diplomas:
39%
Undergraduate degrees:
49%
Postgraduate below master’s:8%
Master’s & doctoral:
4%
Postgraduate student centre was
created in 2010
 Research methodology
 Writing skills for research publications
 Supervisor relationship management,
etc.
UJ INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY - UJDIGISPACE
 UJDigispace was launched in 2009
 The objective of the IR is to expand
Access and Visibility of UJ’s research
 Preservation of the scholarly content –
ETDs and other
 The first IR & SC Specialist was
appointed in 2010
 IR Specialist, Academic Registrar and
Faculty Administrators’ first meeting, July
2010
Purpose
 To address the problems of Thesis
and Dissertation workflow
 To discuss quality/problems of ETDs
EXISTING HIGHER DEGREES & POSTGRADUATE STUDIES POLICY
UJLIBRARY-FACULTY ETDs POLICY - Continued
2010 ETDs WORKFLOW
UJDIGISPACE:IR ETDs WORKFLOW (2010)
CHALLENGES OF ETDs WORKFLOW – IR VIEW
STUDENT TO IR
I submitted my dissertation to the library (hard copy and electronic) in July 2007. To
date, it has still not been loaded onto the UJ Library website/UJDigispace. Who can I
contact in this regard?
UJ LIBRARIAN TO IR
As discussed the following thesis is on the UJ catalogue but not on the UJDigispace.
Furthermore cannot find copy of the thesis on the shelf. Author: Groenewald, K.J. Title:
Integration of quality and safety management, Published 1996
Appreciate your assistance in locating the hard copy and listing on UJDigispace
UJ ACADEMIC WRITING TO DVC
Out of desperation, I approach you regarding the following matter. I am urgently
searching for an MA in Politics that was awarded to Ms ….. entitled “South African policy
makers’ responses to the AIDS epidemic, 1982-2006: testing the denial hypothesis”
during the March graduation ceremony. To my dismay I discovered that the thesis is not
yet available on hard copy or electronically. [Information Librarian] told me that there
is a huge back-log in this regard. Needless to say, I find this totally unacceptable. Your
attention to this matter will be appreciated
PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES – ETDs
Content matter:
 Proposals/Powerpoint presentations
 Notepad files
 Theses without name or title or date on cover
 Theses with transfer errors (Word to PDF)
 Theses with track changes
 ETDs without page numbers
Physical media not accepted:
 Empty CDs
 Corrupted CDs
 CDs with passwords on
 Floppy/Stiffy disks
WHO ARE THE ETDs STAKEHOLDERS AT UJ?
The perceived structures: not formalized
Postgraduate
Student
Postgraduate
Support
UJ Library &
Information
Centre
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Supervisor
Academic department
Faculty
Peers
• Academic Development
Centre
• Postgraduate Centre
• Academic Planning &
Policy Implementation
• Information Librarians
• Library Training Service
• Library Cataloguing
Service
• Institutional Repository
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
An efficient ETDs workflow is needed to
preserve and disseminate ETDs at UJ,
and in keeping with global standards
Therefore the study will propose:
 A new ETDs workflow be established
 Identify and determine roles of ETDs
stakeholders at UJ
 Review the Thesis & Dissertation
Policy and ETDs submission
guidelines
 Challenges and quality of ETDs
 Evaluate scholarly writing needs of
postgraduate students
 Introspection and readiness of the
IR (UJDigispace) vs. ETDs
JUSTIFICATION OF UJ ETD WORKFLOW STUDY
 To maximise visibility and access of
ETDs on time
 Manage quality and standards
throughout the ETD process
 Harmonise stakeholders’ roles and
responsibilities
British Broadcasting Corporation Letter
Dear Mr Matizirofa
I am trying to find Lesley Morall, who wrote the Dissertation
"Interracial families in South Africa : an exploratory study" for the
Department of Psychology at the Rand Afrikaans University in 1994-96. I found
the work online in your archive, catalogued under http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3349
We are making a documentary for the BBC on mixed race, and it would be really
helpful to speak to Lesley Morral. If you are able to release her contact details,
or pass on this e-mail we would be really grateful. Many thanks, Associate Producer
DATA SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY
 Case study design
 Research strategy: qualitative & quantitative
 Selective interviews/e-Questionnaires
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Postgraduate students
Supervisors
Faculty Administrators
Head of Departments
Deans
Library Staff (Faculty Librarians/Cataloguing)
Academic Development Support (ADS)
Postgraduate Centre
Centre for Technology Assisted Learning (CenTAL)
Literature research
Analyse data
Findings
Implementation of ‘new’ policy & procedures
THE ENVISAGED ‘IDEAL’ ETDs PROCESS AT UJ
ETD Writing
Academic/
Research
Coaching
Publishing
ETDs online
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Supervisor
ETDs Procedure manual
Faculty Administration
Postgraduate Centre
• Copyright & plagiarism
• Information Technology literacy
• Information literacy
• Supervisor/Student cooperation
• Institutional Repository support
• ETDs management & Quality
management
REFERENCES
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20ten Annual report – University of Johannesburg.
Babcock, R. 2010. Format guidelines for Master’s theses and reports – University of
Texas at Austin. Unpublished [University of Texas at Austin].
Bishop, P; Marshall, R & Winter, R. 2007. A robust electronic thesis and dissertation
programme at UCF. EDUCAUSE: Research bulletin. 27(3):1-10.
Bryman, A. 2001. Social research methods. London:Oxford.
Jewell, C. 1999. Electronic thesis and dissertation system: business plan – prepared
for UW Library Planning and Priorities Group. Report.
Mikeal, A. et. Al. 2009. Large-scale ETD repositories: a case study of a digital library
collection. Joint conference on digital libraries. (June):15-19.
Nabe, JA (2010). Starting, strengthening, and managing institutional repositories.
New York: Neil Schuman.
Piorun, M. & Palmer, LA. 2008. Digitizing dissertation for an institutional repository: a
process and cost analysis. Journal of Medical Library Association. 96(3):223-229.
Postgraduate Opportunities: University of Johannesburg 2011/12 - Research Office.
Writing and submitting a dissertation or thesis at the University of Waikato – a guide
for students.
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION
THANK YOU – SIYABONGA – KEA LEBOA - DANKIE