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Institutional Repositories as tools to advance Open Science: maximizing research visibility and impact
Mathiba, Tlou (Department of Library Services (UPDLS), 2025-10-22)
Redesigning the University of Pretoria Library website with users in mind: a case study
(2025-10-01)
The annual library website statistics report and support request logs at the University of Pretoria (UP) revealed a notable decline in the use of the library website, particularly for accessing academic resources. A significant number of logged helpdesk queries came from students seeking assistance as they were struggling to navigate the platform. To address the problem, the Department of Library Services collaborated with the UP UX Lab to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the website’s usability and accessibility. The evaluation revealed key challenges. Student-focused content was difficult to locate, site navigation was unintuitive, and the platform lacked inclusive features for users with visual or cognitive impairments. Based on these findings, a redesign and development initiative was launched to enhance usability, improve accessibility, and embed user-centricity into every aspect of the site. The project also involves restructuring menus to better cater to the needs of end users (i.e, students, researchers, and academics), prioritising essential services and resources on the homepage, and aligning content and design with accessibility standards (e.g., alt-text for images, transcripts for videos, accessible navigation). Staff training is integrated to sustain accessibility practices. Benchmarking against both local and international academic library websites helped identify best practices, guiding the development of a more inclusive, intuitive, and engaging digital experience designed to meet the diverse needs of the University of Pretoria’s academic community.
A review of the marketing approaches promoting the sale of milk from non-cattle dairy species
Tsvakirai, Chiedza Zvirurami (Springer, 2025-08-04)
Despite its rich heritage, milk from goats, sheep, camels, buffalos, and donkeys has remained a minor contributor to global dairy consumption. Recent market trends have seen this milk becoming popular, and to further develop this market, the study sought to determine how the marketing of non-cow mammalian milk can be improved. It investigated this by performing a scoping review that collates and synthesizes the currently fragmented body of knowledge on firstly, the attributes of non-cattle animal-sourced milk and the production attributes that are used to create consumer value and, secondly, the marketing tools that are used for marketing the milk. The study found that positive perceptions about the nutraceutical benefits and production characteristics were key drivers of demand for non-cow mammalian milk. This was aided by sensory, cultural, and social attributes, on which consumers also held negative opinions. It further identified food labelling as the leading marketing tool used for market penetration, supported by processing, packaging and blending. The study identified under-exploited marketing opportunities that could be realised by addressing consumers’ negative perceptions, leveraging product strengths and taking advantage of emerging trends in consumer behaviour. By consolidating current knowledge and identifying marketing gaps, this research advances the discourse on non-cow animal-sourced dairy markets, underscoring the need for tailored, innovative marketing approaches.
Chemical analyses and geographical origins of residential attic dust in central South Africa
Van der Westhuizen, Deidré; Welman‑Purchase, Megan; Wichmann, Janine; Von Eschwege, Karel G. (Springer, 2025-04-10)
Particulate matter (PM) is a widely used air pollution proxy indicator. Substantial supporting evidence links exposure to PM with adverse health effects. This study compares long-term accumulated particulate matter's chemical and morphological properties and possible sources from various locations in Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and the Vanderbijlpark residential areas. As the first study of this kind in South Africa, dust samples were collected from the attics of houses built over fifty years ago. Potential area PM sources located far away were identified by analyzing every tenth year from 1972 to 2022, representing five decades of backward Long-Range Transport (LRT) clusters, for air masses that passed the sampling sites. Several PM sources were determined by combining LRT geographic origin studies and chemical analyses of collected samples. Elemental compositions of samples were determined by the use of scanning electron microscopy, and electron dispersive spectroscopy. Mineral content was determined by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and electron probe microscopy techniques, revealing airborne sources that moved significantly due to climate change, over the 5-decade period. Potential area PM sources located far away included various South African provinces, neighboring states to the north, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans west and east of South Africa. Elemental composition included: Al, Ag, C, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, O, S, Si, Ti, and Zn. Mineral composition included SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, P2O5, SO3, Cr2O3 and NiO. The most prominent minerals found were quarts and plagioclase. While considering relevant mining activities, combining methods allowed a successful study of change in source distribution associated with climate change.
Improving stakeholder collaboration for sustainable agricultural mechanisation in rice production : a case study from Asutsuare, Ghana
Dorvlo, Selorm Yaotse; Baffoe, Gideon; Jew, Eleanor K.K.; Mkandawire, Elizabeth; Dougill, Andrew J. (Springer, 2025-08-22)
Sustainable agricultural mechanisation can help to achieve sustainable agricultural production using locally appropriate technology. It involves using machinery to remove the drudgery of farming practices while ensuring the environmental, socio-cultural and economic feasibility of the machinery used. In rice production, mechanisation can improve productivity, reduce methane emissions from fields, and remove low-skilled, physically-intensive, and monotonous labour requirements. It is important to recognise the challenges arising from the complex roles of the stakeholders involved in incorporating machinery into agricultural practices. There has been limited research on how these stakeholders interact in smallholder agricultural mechanization in Africa. To determine the modalities of the interactions between stakeholders and to propose a practical collaboration structure, this study evaluates the roles of various stakeholders involved in the rice production process in Asutsuare, a rice-producing region in Ghana. Stakeholders included smallholder farmers, policymakers, machinery sales agents, manufacturers, and agricultural extension agents. Using the pairwise ranking technique, the study found that smallholder farmers were the most influential stakeholders regarding mechanising rice production. However, focus group discussions and key informant interviews revealed their feelings of neglect, stemming from a lack of support and resources from other stakeholders. The study proposes establishing a multistakeholder platform supported by transactional communication models to improve collaboration and machinery utilization among smallholder rice farmers. This approach will harness the expertise of operators, extension agents, and farmers, while incorporating resources from sales agents and policymakers. Additionally, training Agricultural Mechanisation Extension agents in machinery skills is recommended to enhance their effectiveness. These strategies can be adapted for other smallholder farming communities as well. ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS • Stakeholder collaboration is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. • The smallholder farmer is an influential and important stakeholder in smallholder rice production mechanization. • Implementing a multi-stakeholder platform and transactional communication models among stakeholders is an effective strategy to improve machinery utilization for small-scale rice farmers in Ghana. • Capacity building for stakeholders is essential to maintain an engaging platform for stakeholders, enabling them to participate in and benefit from the mechanization process.