This LibGuide provides the titles of Prescribed and Recommended books for the schools in the Faculty of Science. Links are provided to the catalogue record of books as well as links to the online availability of books. Additional links are provided under the Open Science Textbooks tab to assist students and academics on how and where to access Open Textbooks.
Prescribed Books are the textbooks which the course co-ordinator (academic staff) list as essential reading and students are advised to purchase a copy of the prescribed textbook.
Strongly/Highly Recommended Books are books that students can often refer to. A few copies may be available in the bookshop/s and libraries. While it is desirable for students to consult these books often, it is understood that they will not necessarily buy them.
Recommended Books are textbooks that are not compulsory but are extra reading materials should you wish to gain a more comprehensive background for your course.
Most prescribed books are available in the library for a restricted borrowing period of one day (overnight) or three days. The titles listed in this guide correspond to the latest official Wits book list. Use the course code for each school to locate the details and availability of prescribed/recommended books.
Open textbooks have been funded, published, and licensed to be freely used, adapted, and distributed. These books have been reviewed by academics from a variety of colleges and universities to assess their quality. Open textbooks can be downloaded at no cost, or printed at low cost. All textbooks are either used at multiple higher education institutions; or affiliated with an institution, scholarly society, or professional organization.
As part of the broader open educational resources movement, open textbooks increasingly are seen as a solution to challenges with traditionally published textbooks, such as access and affordability concerns
