Biodiversity information is critical to inform science-based policy development as well as to support responsible and accountable land-use planning and decision-making practices. The uptake of available information for these uses is, however, not yet quantified or understood. Here, the extent to which the needs of biodiversity information end-users in South Africa are supported via existing information sources was investigated, at the science, practice and policy interface, using the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI's) online conservation mapping service users as a case study. A quantitative investigation of the information needs of end-users of biodiversity information was made, their information-seeking patterns analysed and the various uses of information by different user groups in South Africa investigated. This allowed for the implications of these needs and behaviour on system design and information provision to be formulated to better design the envisaged National Biodiversity Information System at SANBI. Based on a representative sample of end-users from policy, implementation and research backgrounds, a questionnaire was used and the responses were examined to determine which content was most useful, what barriers and enablers they face when trying to access biodiversity information, and what degree of interdisciplinary information is needed in addressing environmental problems. A sample of 778 (13%) respondents from a total of 5977 biodiversity information users was analysed from across the country. The study found that the lack of appropriate or available information remains one of the three highest unmet needs of biodiversity information end-users. The absence of good prior knowledge of sources of biodiversity information and unreliable and inaccurate information are two additional factors that hinder respondents in finding biodiversity information and achieving their goals. The major implication of information deficiency identified by respondents related to uncertain and/or inaccurate outcomes resulting in ill-informed decision-making. A key outcome of the analysis of the survey results are a series of recommendations on how these issues might be addressed, and it is envisioned that these may be used to help guide the development of a National Biodiversity Information System. A broad range of recommendations have been proposed, principally that the interoperability of information from various adjacent and disparate fields of study be combined with biodiversity information as a means of addressing environmental problems.

Throughout history, cultural institutions like the Iziko Museums of South Africa have preserved, catalogued, researched and displayed a diverse collection of cultural objects. The renewed interest in digital media has revived the move to reclaim cultural identities, bringing with it the associated challenges regarding the veracity of historical accounts. With the transition to digitisation, and the adoption of digital curatorship for knowledge production in museum environments, it has become necessary to examine the historical accuracy, reliability and trustworthiness of the digital information being provided. Digitisation is an important priority for most cultural institutions. This study contributes to the colonial debate about museum classification and the challenges that these institutions face regarding what is referred to as the “unknown maker”. The use of the term “unknown maker(s)” to denote creators of cultural objects housed in the Iziko South African National Art Gallery collections was crucial to this investigation into the digital cataloguing of objects whose creators could not be determined. The findings show that a national museum is a space where identities are contested, and that museum professionals are repeatedly faced with difficult curatorial and ethical decisions when it comes to classifying cultural objects. As a result, the problems encountered with the digitsation and cataloguing of cultural objects are extensive. Inaccurate classification processes, including the use of the term “unknown maker(s)”, affects how digital heritage objects are recorded, the servicesthat museums offer, how exhibitions are presented, the research that is undertaken, and the skills required to manage cultural objects.

The research problem at the centre of this study is twofold. First, not enough Research Data Management studies have been conducted in either the humanities or the Digital Humanities that present a well-developed understanding of the nature of data in these fields, or the appropriate management thereof. Second, there is a critical lack of Research Data Management and data sharing support provided to researchers in these fields. While multiple stakeholders play roles in providing such support, this study focuses on the support provided to researchers by publishers. While the overarching study investigates data management and sharing in the Digital Humanities and how publishers support these practices, the specific case concerns the field of Web Archive Studies. The case study also gathers broader insights into Digital Humanities researchers, under which WAS is classified as a specialised field. The purpose of the study was to explore the nature of data, and current RDM and data sharing practices of Web Archive Studies researchers, with a focus on publishers' engagement with researchers and support for said practices. The aim was to uncover ways in which publishers might better support Web Archive Studies researchers in managing and sharing their data. The case study answered the following research questions: (1) ‘What kinds of data do Web Archive Studies researchers generate and work with?'; (2) ‘What RDM and data sharing practices do these researchers tend to use?'; (3) ‘What challenges and limitations do they encounter when collecting, managing, and sharing data?'; (4) ‘How can publishers better support Web Archive Studies researchers in managing and sharing their data?'. The study is exploratory in nature and uses a convergent mixed-methods approach based within an interpretive paradigm. Three semi-structured interviews (using predominantly open-ended questions) and a questionnaire (including predominantly multiple-choice questions) were conducted. A content analysis approach was used to analyse qualitative data, while quantitative data were interpreted using inferential statistics. The populations sampled included publishers and Web Archive Studies researchers. The study found that Web Archive Studies researchers tend to manage their data proficiently. The biggest gaps in their current practices concern data sharing in formal repositories due to challenges like legal restrictions. Additional findings reveal a lack of funding for Research Data Management and data sharing in this field, as well as a lack of guidance and training from publishers for Web Archive Studies researchers. Information Classification: General Key recommendations include the following: (1) publishers should develop guidance specific to Web Archive Studies researchers' RDM and data sharing needs; (2) publishers should focus on sharing methodological processes, audit trails, and research instruments, rather than sharing data for Web Archive Studies and other humanities subjects. These actions would promote transparency in subject areas for which data sharing is often not possible due to legal restrictions, among other challenges.

The Concrete Institute’s information centre houses special collections and information about concrete and various aspects of concrete technology, including photographs that need to be managed effectively for retrieval purposes. The photographic collection has to be recorded and preserved according to relevant standards to ensure longevity and long term access. Management of photographic collections comes with its unique problems. The purpose of this study is to improve the state of the photographic collection by organising it for easy retrieval, allocating metadata and preserving it for future use. This study employed the action research method to study problems of the photographic collection at the institute. The action research method aims to find solutions to problems that are experienced by people in their everyday lives. Data was collected from a sample drawn using purposive sampling from the target population of information specialists and professionals. Data collection from information professionals was facilitated through an online questionnaire and three information specialists were interviewed. The study has indicated the importance of dematerialisation and allocating metadata to photographs to help identify and enhance accessibility of information resources. The results show that dematerialising the photographs will ease the retrieval process and assist information professionals to gain a greater insight of the material in their collection. Collections that are easily accessible are usable and fulfil their purpose to information users. In conclusion, a summarised overview of the study is presented in findings and recommendations regarding the management of photographic collections for effective retrieval.

This dissertation presents a constructivist grounded theory study of curation and biopiracy of medicinal knowledge about Hoodia. Hoodia is a succulent cactus used by the San people for sustenance and medicinal purposes, and a victim of biopiracy as indigenous knowledge of its properties has been patented with the aim of commercialisation. The purpose of this study was to generate a theory or framework that explores and explains the processes involved in curation and application of indigenous medicinal knowledge in the scientific, legal and commercial knowledge domains. The colonial 'discoveries' and records of the Hoodia species by Carl P. Thunberg, Francis Masson, as well as the recorded experience of Rudolf Marloth, in a Renaissance Humanist tradition, led to scientific experiments by the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) and commercial trials in an attempt to develop slimming drugs for commercialisation. A landmark royalty and benefit-sharing agreement in 2002/3 awarded intellectual property compensation to the San community for commercial exploitation of their traditional knowledge. Although there have been several Master's and Doctoral research studies about Hoodia, minimal or no attention have been directed toward the curation of information in a biopiracy case. Science has sought to capitalise undocumented indigenous knowledge by applying for patents and developing pharmaceutical drugs using indigenous medicinal knowledge obtained from local people. Using a grounded theory methodology, data was collected through an unstructured interview, reviews of literature and theoretical sampling to extract relevant concepts and themes. The study then identified key players and knowledge domains that added new layers of information and knowledge to traditional knowledge in relation to Hoodia use. The study traces the movement of indigenous knowledge from the San to the CSIR, from CSIR to the commercial entities Phytopharm, Pfizer and Unilever, through the licencing of a patent on Hoodia. An emergent theory based on the concept of palimpsest suggests that erasures of the existing traditional knowledge occurred as new layers of knowledge were added or applied. These erasures took the form of (1) renaming the Hoodia species with Greek or Latin names instead of adopting the indigenous names (Renaissance Humanism), and (2) adding new meaning and complicated symbols, resulting in codification of existing indigenous knowledge (Post Modernism). The main themes emanating from the application of palimpsest as a framework present pressing issues such as de-contextualisation and re-codification of indigenous knowledge, resulting in the erosion of benefits for its originators.

Despite the growth of digital archives, there is no dedicated repository that systematically compiles the history of Chinese migration to South Africa. This qualitative study used 62 archival records housed at the Western Cape Archives and Records Service, to explore how the application of digital curation (particularly digitisation of materials) can be used in presenting, preserving and sharing the history on the first wave of Chinese slaves, convicts, exiles and ‘free blacks' at the Cape of Good Hope (1654 -1838). The study method consisted of three parts. First, a thorough literature search and understanding on the theoretical, practical and technical components of the subject. Second, the systematic collection and analyses of archival records (through a customised document analysis form) and third, an exploration on what digital curation can offer in terms of facilitating the access to and the preservation of these records. The study exists under a relativist paradigm which believes that reality is a product of power relations. It was found that the records provide valuable insight into the Cape's political development (from Dutch to British rule) and social hierarchies between Chinese individuals at the time. The archival content, being of historical significance, is in fact at a risk of physical and epistemological loss. This loss can be addressed through the application of digital curation which this study explores conceptually from the conception of a digital project to the use, reuse and dissemination of digital surrogates. It is hoped that this study can be used as a foundation or framework for refiguring the colonial archive and bringing other neglected South African histories to the forefront.

This work defines and evaluates the original contributions to the discipline of digital curation that the author has made through ten years of her career for the purposes of gaining a PhD by Published Works. It presents ten published papers, three of which are co-authored, and a narrative concerning the contributions made by these. This narrative explains the professional and academic contexts in which the papers were authored and the impact they have made. The work describes the progressive contributions to both the professional and academic development of the discipline through: an historical analysis of its origins, analysis of the conceptual space it inhabits, theoretical modelling of this conceptual space to enable practical implementations, and the development of higher education curricula. The work reflects on the disciplinary significance of these contributions and suggests next-steps for the author’s research.

As computer users increasingly rely on digital tools for daily tasks, the complexity of their working environments continues to grow. Modern knowledge workers must navigate a diverse array of digital resources, including documents, websites, applications, and other information. This complexity presents challenges in managing multiple activities to maintain productivity, such as handling interruptions, resuming tasks, curating resources, recalling context, retrieving previously closed digital resources, and fostering self-reflection. Despite these challenges, there has been limited research on leveraging visual cues to help users reconstruct their previous mental contexts, retrieve digital resources, and enhance self-reflection for behavioral change. Therefore, this Ph.D. dissertation addresses these gaps by focusing on: (1) investigating the existing challenges users face in curating digital resources, (2) designing and implementing supportive applications for task resumption, (3) developing methods that utilize screenshots and metadata for reconstructing mental context and retrieving resources, and (4) enhancing the processes of self-reflection and behavioral change to improve overall productivity. / Doctor of Philosophy / In our increasingly digital world, people are spending more time on computers to complete their daily tasks. However, as there are increasing resources and information involved, managing tasks has become more complex because individuals need to juggle various digital tools at the same time, like documents, websites, and applications. This can lead to difficulties such as dealing with interruptions, picking up where they left off, organizing information, remembering what they were working on, and reflecting on their habits to make positive changes. Surprisingly, there has been little research on how common-seen visual tools, like screenshots, can help people better handle these challenges. Screenshots can serve as visual reminders, helping users remember what they were doing and easily find the resources they need. Hence, this Ph.D. dissertation explores these issues by: (1) examining the problems people face when organizing digital resources, (2) creating tools to help users quickly resume their tasks, (3) using screenshots and additional information to help users remember their previous work, and (4) improving the way people reflect on their behavior to encourage positive changes.

Desde que passou a ser mediatizada tecnicamente, a música de concerto serviu de modelo para avaliar as conquistas da alta fidelidade acústica tanto nas transmissões radiofônicas quanto na audição doméstica em aparelhos reprodutores. Após vários processos de mediação tecnológica pela escuta de discos e similares (LP, DVD, blu-ray etc), o consumo de música de concerto estendeu-se aos meios virtuais: as transmissões em streaming oferecem ao público a música de concerto de uma maneira inédita, uma vez que não têm como ponto de referência o objeto material. Além disso, oferecem a recepção em tempo real, ao vivo. As diversas formas de recepção nas quais esse serviço se fundamenta têm despertado o interesse de pesquisadores de áreas variadas do conhecimento. No caso da música, desdobra-se num campo de estudos na área da música - em particular da sonologia. Este trabalho pretende apresentar um estudo sobre a recepção da programação on-line de música de concerto, por meio de uma análise comparativa entre as preferências do público consumidor desse serviço e o que é efetivamente oferecido a ele por esses serviços. Dois aspectos serão analisados em detalhe: os sistemas de \"recomendação\" e a \"curadoria digital\", uma vez que constituem a maneira pela qual o serviço é gerado e gerido. Muito utilizado nas plataformas digitais para a escuta da música popular, no caso da música de concerto ainda se conhece pouco acerca do funcionamento operacional desse serviço. Esta pesquisa pretende, assim, avaliar de que maneira essa metodologia é aplicável ao repertório da música de concerto. O objetivo central desta pesquisa é esmiuçar os processos de como se dá este novo modo de ouvir, que depende da interação crítica entre assinantes que o utilizam e o provedor do serviço. Em síntese, compreender mais detalhadamente os aspectos particulares que constituem o funcionamento dos serviços streaming. / Ever since becoming technically mediated, concert music served as a model to assess the achievements of high acoustic fidelity, both in radio broadcasts, as in domestic hearing in re-producers. After various processes of technological mediation, through listening to records and similar (LP, DVD, Blu-ray etc), consumption of concert music is extended to virtual environ-ments: streaming transmissions provide to the public concert music in a way unprecedented, since it does not have as a reference point the material object, aside from the fact that they offer the reception in real time, live. The different forms of reception on which this service is based have attracted the interest of researchers from different areas of knowledge. In the case of mu-sic, it unfolds in a field of study in music; specifically in sonology. This work intends to present a study on the reception of online concert music, through a comparative analysis of the prefer-ences by the consuming public of that service and what is actually offered to them by these services. Two aspects will be analyzed in detail: systems of \"recommendation\" and \"digital curation\", since they are the way in which the service is generated and managed. Frequently used in digital platforms for listening to popular music, little is known about the operational functioning of this service, in the case of concert music. This research thus aims to evaluate how this methodology is applicable to the concert music repertoire. The main objective of this research is scrutinizing the processes of this new way of listening, which depends on the critical interaction between subscribers and the service provider. In short, to understand in more detail the particular aspects that constitute the operation of streaming services.

Desde que passou a ser mediatizada tecnicamente, a música de concerto serviu de modelo para avaliar as conquistas da alta fidelidade acústica tanto nas transmissões radiofônicas quanto na audição doméstica em aparelhos reprodutores. Após vários processos de mediação tecnológica pela escuta de discos e similares (LP, DVD, blu-ray etc), o consumo de música de concerto estendeu-se aos meios virtuais: as transmissões em streaming oferecem ao público a música de concerto de uma maneira inédita, uma vez que não têm como ponto de referência o objeto material. Além disso, oferecem a recepção em tempo real, ao vivo. As diversas formas de recepção nas quais esse serviço se fundamenta têm despertado o interesse de pesquisadores de áreas variadas do conhecimento. No caso da música, desdobra-se num campo de estudos na área da música - em particular da sonologia. Este trabalho pretende apresentar um estudo sobre a recepção da programação on-line de música de concerto, por meio de uma análise comparativa entre as preferências do público consumidor desse serviço e o que é efetivamente oferecido a ele por esses serviços. Dois aspectos serão analisados em detalhe: os sistemas de \"recomendação\" e a \"curadoria digital\", uma vez que constituem a maneira pela qual o serviço é gerado e gerido. Muito utilizado nas plataformas digitais para a escuta da música popular, no caso da música de concerto ainda se conhece pouco acerca do funcionamento operacional desse serviço. Esta pesquisa pretende, assim, avaliar de que maneira essa metodologia é aplicável ao repertório da música de concerto. O objetivo central desta pesquisa é esmiuçar os processos de como se dá este novo modo de ouvir, que depende da interação crítica entre assinantes que o utilizam e o provedor do serviço. Em síntese, compreender mais detalhadamente os aspectos particulares que constituem o funcionamento dos serviços streaming. / Ever since becoming technically mediated, concert music served as a model to assess the achievements of high acoustic fidelity, both in radio broadcasts, as in domestic hearing in re-producers. After various processes of technological mediation, through listening to records and similar (LP, DVD, Blu-ray etc), consumption of concert music is extended to virtual environ-ments: streaming transmissions provide to the public concert music in a way unprecedented, since it does not have as a reference point the material object, aside from the fact that they offer the reception in real time, live. The different forms of reception on which this service is based have attracted the interest of researchers from different areas of knowledge. In the case of mu-sic, it unfolds in a field of study in music; specifically in sonology. This work intends to present a study on the reception of online concert music, through a comparative analysis of the prefer-ences by the consuming public of that service and what is actually offered to them by these services. Two aspects will be analyzed in detail: systems of \"recommendation\" and \"digital curation\", since they are the way in which the service is generated and managed. Frequently used in digital platforms for listening to popular music, little is known about the operational functioning of this service, in the case of concert music. This research thus aims to evaluate how this methodology is applicable to the concert music repertoire. The main objective of this research is scrutinizing the processes of this new way of listening, which depends on the critical interaction between subscribers and the service provider. In short, to understand in more detail the particular aspects that constitute the operation of streaming services.