Subject Guides: UWC Library Postgraduate Research Support: Home

Welcome

This guide provides information and links to resources that are essential for the different stages of a research project tailored to the postgraduate research community.

It is imperative that as a UWC researcher you have a broad overview of the services and facilities that are available to support your learning and research activities.

Research support and guidance from librarians is available in-person and remotely, see Librarians Appointments Page

Subscribe to the iKamva module Library Postgraduate Research Support for further resources and training opportunities announcements.

Follow the @UWCLibResearch to follow our Twitter updates, reach out to library-research@uwc.ac.za

Services and Facilities

To access the library's online resources users should log into the library website via Ezproxy login to access uKwazi and the A-Z List of Databases.

This is particularly more important for users accessing the e-resources off campus. The Ezproxy login is often hampered by incorrect passwords or access restrictions to the service.

Should you have issues logging in, reset your password on https://mypassword.uwc.ac.za. Users must be able to log in to their UWC assigned email account before they initiate a reset link to be emailed.

Should password issues persists, please contact ICS at servicedesk@uwc.ac.za or 021 959 2000 for further assistance.

Library items may be loaned and returned at the Loans Desk at the entrance to the Library with your student/staff card.

Borrowing Privileges

USER CATEGORY	DESCRIPTION	LOAN RULES
Honours & Partial Honours students	Honours & 4th or 5th yr. students – e.g. Law, Dietetics	15 items for 4 weeks
Senior Postgraduates	Masters & Doctoral students	20 items for 4 weeks
Postdoctoral Researchers	Researchers who have been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship. Categorised as “special students”.	20 items for 4 weeks

FAQs on borrowing library books

Interlibrary Loans Service

The Interlibrary Loans ILL Online Request service allows for print and electronic material (i.e, books and journal articles) not held in our library, to be borrowed from other libraries within the system, or from libraries abroad if not available locally. At no cost, registered users can request books, book chapters or journal articles by completing the online request form, or email requests to interlending@uwc.ac.za

Please be sure to complete the form correctly and supply all the relevant details to prevent delays.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Library has collaborated both regionally and nationally, in order to offer reciprocal borrowing privileges to our researchers. Our regional collaboration, CHELiN, enables our researchers the opportunity to acquire membership at our partner institutions; the University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University (SU) or the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

Our national collaboration, CHELSA, enables our distance users and researchers travelling beyond the Western Cape region to use institutions nationwide, such the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria or Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Gqeberha. 

A registered postgraduate student (excluding short-course and Honours students) or a member of staff may visit the Main Libraries and some Branch Libraries and use the materials available in the participating institutions. The home institution will provide researchers with a Referral letter/Letter of introduction that will allow them borrowing privileges, for the duration of an academic year, subject to the rules and regulations of the hosting institution.

To request a referral letter, please contact Mr Trevor Fortune, email: tfortune@uwc.ac.za

Main Library- Level 13

The PRC is a dedicated facility for postgraduates and the research community. It offers three common rooms, study space and computer access. Support is available through consultation with the Research Support Librarian and assistants on duty. The facility is available for use during library operating hours.

UWC Library Postgraduate Training invitations are communicated to the postgraduate and research community through UWC Communication notices. Individual and group training requests can be sent to library-research@uwc.ac.za

Training sessions include but are not limited to: