Policy Guidelines

This document describes in detail BDEARS Policy on Works that can be submitted to and stored in the BDEARS, the criteria for eligibility to deposit material along with the policy on long term preservation of material and quality control. The policy document also highlights the selection, retention and withdrawal procedures relating to research material held in BDEARS.

BDEARS is an initiative of the University Library. It contributes to the commitment of the University to support research activities. It provides an open access platform to capture, store, index, and distribute globally a wide range of research outputs, including undergraduate, masters and doctoral theses, produced by the university’s academic staff, researchers, staff in the administrative units, graduate and undergraduate students. The aim of BDEARS is to promote the University’s research profile by exposing Busitema’s research outputs online. This will assist in increasing citation rates and the impact of Busitema research and innovations.

BDEARS is a complement to traditional research publishing channels, not a replacement. It provides University researchers and graduate students with secure, stable and long-term storage of their Works in a centralized location. Download this policy

We at Busitema University, Faculty of Engineering and Technology believe that information literacy is a required element of a literate engineer. Engineering graduates must have the essential information literacy competencies to succeed as independent, lifelong learners in their careers and in all aspects of their personal lives. The guideline on teaching information literacy to engineering students at Busitema University emphasize the collaborative nature of information literacy: librarians and lecturers working together on teaching research and information literacy skills to students. This integrated approach to teaching engineering courses at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology will be guided by this action plan for the next two years (2022 - 2024). Our desire to empower student engineers become literate engineers is articulated in a six-point strategy that put great emphasis on improving online teaching and learning experience through augmented and enhanced collaboration between librarians and lecturers for impactful IL programming. Developing the Literate Engineer action plan, Busitema University Library and the Faculty of Engineering and Technology is demonstrating its commitment to excellence in its IL programming. There is always room to develop, change and achieve a higher level of success. In this action plan, we build on what has been done over the past years and look towards our future progress. Download this Guideline

Information competencies are a key factor in lifelong learning. They are the first step in achieving educational goals. The development of such competencies should take place throughout an engineering student's life, especially during their educational years, where librarians, as a part of the learning community and, as experts in information management, have or should assume the key role of facilitating information literacy. Through the creation - collaboratively between librarians and the engineering lecturers, of information literacy curriculum-integrated programmes, librarians should actively contribute to the students’ learning processes in their search to enhance or develop the skills, knowledge and values needed to become lifelong learners. Download this Guidline