UPeTD : it’s the start of your publishing career

Abstract

In the developing world the context within which new initiatives are taken is of the utmost importance: resources are constantly in short supply which implies that projects cannot be launched merely because they are interesting, because the enabling technology is available or because the rest of the world is doing it. It should make a very definite contribution to the most prominent strategic goals in order to have a chance to succeed. The University of Pretoria is one of a few truly first world universities in South Africa, competing with the rest of the world amidst the constraints of a developing country at the other end of the globe. It strives to be known for international competitiveness, local relevance and a commitment to continuous innovation. Its graduates, branded as the Innovation Generation, must exemplify a new generation of well-rounded, future leaders and the spirit of creative energy. Over the last five years local relevance was the first priority. Top class human resources for a fast growing economy was required which necessitated massive resources and dramatic changes in order to mainstream large numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This poses a direct threat for the costly pursuits of research, scholarship and participation in international initiatives by which the best research universities are judged. There is now a growing consensus that we run the risk of falling behind the rest of the world. Publications and patents need to increase, new researchers need to be trained and new research leadership needs to be cultivated. In this context e-scholarship makes a lot of sense. The paper will discuss the university’s electronic theses project (UPeTD) as the first leg of such an e-scholarship initiative that supports these research goals by creating a climate and environment conducive to world-class research and in step with the latest developments in scholarly communication. It is much more than a change in format. It plays a vital role in jumpstarting the careers of our young researchers.