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Libraries and Archives and our Documentary Heritage – Why Copyright Amendment Bill is so crucial
The crucial role of libraries and archives, more so than ever before, is recognised at an international level, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). International IP agreements such as the Berne Convention and the TRIPS Agreement, provide for limitations and exceptions to the exclusive rights of authors, to ensure balance in copyright laws, for […]
Emerging Questionable Publication Practices
Hosted by NeDICC | In Partnership with Scholarly Horizons This webinar will address: • The emergence of predatory journals and how to avoid them.• How to use a variety of journal lists to avoid questionable publication practices andcitation pollution.• Fidelior™ as a possible solution.• Journal lists: challenges with metadata, discoverability and data accuracy. Speakers: Denise […]
South African Government Perpetuates the “Book Famine”
Since 1998, the library and higher education sectors in South Africa have been calling for a more balanced and updated copyright law. In 1998 and 2000, the South African University Vice-Chancellors’ Association (SAUVCA) and the Committee of Technikons (CTP), the then representative bodies of all the public-funded universities and technikons, mandated two copyright task teams […]
Are You Publishing in Predatory Publications?
So, you receive a very flattering invitation from a publisher asking to publish your thesis or dissertation, or to publish an article for you. If you are a new scholarly author or have not published before, this is bound to be exciting news for you and a perceived stepping-stone to the world of scholarly publishing. […]
The WTO Waiver Proposal
WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR SOUTH AFRICA? On 2 October 2020, South Africa and India petitioned the World Trade Organization (WTO) to allow all WTO members to waive or bypass granting or enforcement of patents, trade secrets, industrial designs, and copyrights on COVID-19-related drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other medical technologies for the duration of the pandemic. Member countries, especially developing countries, urgently need the […]
Plagiarism – some examples and tips for students
You may have heard the term ‘plagiarism’ at school or at university, and no doubt you have heard someone say ‘’do not plagiarise’’ or ‘’please sign the plagiarism form when submitting your work”. Do you know what plagiarism is and how it can negatively affect other authors? Do you know the implications it has for your work, studies, reputation and/or career? What is plagiarism? There are […]
South African Copyright Amendment Bill – Still No Progress!
The Copyright Amendment Bill was first published for public comment in July 2015. It went through a long and drawn-out process in the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry and the National Council of Provinces. There were public workshops, a multi-stakeholder conference and many calls for submissions from stakeholders. Public hearings were also held in Parliament in August 2017, to […]
What do you do if you have inadvertently published in a questionable or predatory journal?
You received a flattering invitation from a publisher to publish your work. You have not published much so you are delighted to have the chance of another paper being published. This will look good on your CV. So, you submit your manuscript and await to hear the outcome of the review. You expect the peer-review process to take at […]
Are you being Hijacked as an Academic Author?
Did you know that hijacking is alive and well in the academic world? The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of ‘hijacking’ is “to take control of or use something that does not belong to you for your own advantage”. Various types of hijackings are instigated by predatory publishers (those that side-step international best practice and scholarly publishing standards to exploit […]
Do you know your rights as a Scholarly Author?
Many authors receive contracts or licensing agreements from publishers and are not au fait with the legalese used in the document. They are not aware of their rights or they are reluctant to assert their rights for fear of their manuscript being rejected. They do not always have negotiating skills and tend to accept what is in the contract, without seeking legal assistance […]
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