eDocuments
What are eDocuments?
eDocuments are one of the Library collections used to support online teaching and other academic programs. It includes electronic copies of excerpts from books, journals and other print publications. It also includes past exam papers, lecture notes and solutions to tutorials used to support teaching both on and off campus.
In most cases, items included in eDocuments are scanned from photocopies of print originals and appear as PDFs (Portable Document Format). Some items however are direct links to other electronic resources held by the Library, journal articles appearing in Library databases, electronic books and websites.
Why eDocuments?
eDocuments allow students to access digital versions of supplementary readings and other course material online.
How to access items in eDocuments
You can find material in eDocuments through the Library catalogue in a number of different ways. The most efficient search to use for eDocuments articles is the High Demand Collection Search (opens in new window).
You can use this search to locate items by:
- Lecturer
- Campus
- Course Area/Catalogue No and Name
It is also possible to search for individual items in the Quick Search area using:
- the author of the article;
- the title of the article; or
- the title of the source item.
By selecting Electronic Resources from the Quick Limits area when using Quick Search you can restrict your search to only electronic items.
In a small number of cases items in eDocuments will also be held as print copies in the Library at the campus on which the academic teaching of the course is based.
Viewing the full-text of items on eDocuments
To access eDocuments items, a minimum of version 4.7 is required for Netscape, with a minimum of version 6.0 preferred. A minimum of version 5.0 is required for Internet Explorer, with a minimum of 6.0 preferred.
All eDocuments items are in PDF format and Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print. If you do not have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe (opens in new window). For further information see Printing and viewing PDFs.
Please note: If you are using a Macintosh, we do not recommend using Internet Explorer for accessing eDocuments items, as we have had numerous reports of problems for patrons authenticating with the Macintosh version of Internet Explorer. If problems occur please try another browser, such as Netscape or Mozilla.
Placing items on eDocuments
eDocuments are managed through the High Demand Officer at each campus. If you are able to provide the Library with a clean, clear, single sided photocopy of each item this will speed up the digitisation process. There are Digitisation guidelines available for this. Requests to digitise print or cdrom Readers should be sent to the Digital Resource Service.
How long will an item take to appear on eDocuments?
The time taken depends on the following factors:
- The number of items requested for reserve by other academic staff
- Meeting cut off dates for submitting reserve lists at the beginning of each semester or study period
- The quality of the original
- The accuracy and completeness of the eDocuments cover sheet including the citation
- The compliance of the requested item with digital copyright and license agreements
In most cases items will appear on eDocuments within 48 hours (excluding weekends) of a request being received from a member of academic staff.
What is the difference between eDocuments and eReaders?
The eDocuments collection is used to digitize additional support material for courses including exam papers, supplementary readings and lecture notes. Items in this collection are given a brief description and added to the relevant course reserve list. The eDocuments Collection is intended for resources which are useful for short periods, from a week to a semester.
The eReader collection is used to digitize groups of core readings relating to a particular course. Items in this collection are given a brief description plus links that allow you to bring together all readings appearing in the Reader by the name and course code (area/catalogue number) of the complete reader.eReaders are intended for more permanent readings, which may be used for more than one semester.
Contacts
Management of eDocuments is shared between High Demand Officers of the Library at each campus and the Digital Resource Service.
Campus Library Officers - High Demand Collection
Digital Resource Service
For further information, visit the Digital Resource Service homepage or email DRS@unisa.edu.au