Sample identifiers and metadata to support data management and reuse in multidisciplinary ecosystem sciences

SADiLaR
Formation2016; 8 years ago (2016)
HeadquartersBuildings F16 C & F16 D North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Executive Director
Prof Langa Khumalo
Websitehttps://sadilar.org/en/

SADiLaR (the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources), is a Department of Science and Innovation-sponsored initiative to create and manage digital resources and software supporting research and development in digital language resources in South Africa.[1][2]

History

Founded in 2016, and hosted at the North-West University,[3] SADiLaR aims to provide a resource centre that simulates, enables, manages and distributes digital research related to all of South Africa's official languages.[4] It functions both as host and as a hub for a number of nodes, including other universities, research centres and public archives.

Nodes

The nodes[5] that are linked to SADiLaR include;

  • CSIR (HLT Research Group) [6]
  • Inter-institutional Centre for Language Development and Assessment (ICELDA)
  • North-West University (Centre for Text Technology)
  • Stellenbosch University (Child Language Development)
  • University of Pretoria (Department of African Languages) [7]
  • University of South Africa (Department of African Languages) [8]

DH-OER

SADiLaR launched[9] the DH-OER Champions[10]project to “stimulate activism and research around the use and/or creation of OER for the digital humanities (DH) at universities in South Africa”. [11] The inaugural DH-OER cohort offered stakeholders the opportunity observe how the various open champions (academics, researchers, and students) from other disciplines, institutions, and regions in South Africa (and beyond) can make use of OER in their disciplines. The results of these DH OER projects are listed on the Educator Track page on the SADiLaR site

Collaborations

SADiLaR is involved in a collaboration between Wikipedia and the Pan South African Language Board. Together they launched the SWiP collaboration [12] at the University of South Africa in September 2023. SWiP advocates for equality among all indigenous languages and encouraging languages communities in South Africa to become more visible on Wikipedia and post information in their own language.[13]

References