On 15 April, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Library hosted a dynamic and insightful Yabelana event under the theme “Elevating Yabelana Repository for Global Visibility: Turning Deposits into Discoveries.” The event brought together key stakeholders, researchers, and information professionals to explore the growing importance of institutional repositories in advancing open science and enhancing research impact.
The programme commenced with a warm welcome address by Dr Nonhlanhla Ngcobo, Library Director, who emphasized the strategic role of repositories in preserving and showcasing the university’s scholarly output. This was followed by a presentation from Professor Anil Chuturgoon, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research at UKZN, who outlined the university’s strategic direction in leveraging repositories to strengthen research visibility and global engagement.
International perspectives were shared by representatives from FigShare. Ms Maria Cotera presented on “FigShare for Data: Yabelana, the Repository Enabling Open Research,” highlighting how Yabelana supports open data practices. Ms Mary Farrell expanded on this with her talk, “From Data to Discovery: Maximizing Your Research Impact with Yabelana,” demonstrating how effective data sharing can increase research reach and citation.
Regional insights were also featured. Mr Kirchner van Deventer from Stellenbosch University shared a case study on SUNScholarData, offering practical strategies for institutional integration. Sean Carte from Durban University of Technology discussed “Open Access and Institutional Repositories,” reinforcing the importance of accessibility in scholarly communication.
A broader continental perspective was presented by Dr Nokuthula Mchunu from the National Research Foundation (NRF), who spoke on “Towards a Continental Open Science Vision: Making African Knowledge Accessible and Visible.” The programme concluded with Dr Erwin Sieben of UKZN, who shared practical experiences of using Yabelana as a data repository.
The event underscored UKZN’s commitment to advancing open science, improving research visibility, and promoting knowledge dissemination. It was successfully organised through a collaborative effort between Corporate Relations and ICS, led by Ms. Sithembile Ngobese, Mr. Jabulani Mabuda, and Mrs. Nonjabulo Ngcobo.
Overall, the Yabelana event highlighted the transformative potential of repositories in turning research outputs into globally discoverable knowledge, reinforcing UKZN’s role in shaping the future of open scholarship.
To view the programme for the event, please click here.
