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Loyola University Libraries Undergraduate Research Paper Award

The annual Loyola University Libraries Undergraduate Research Paper Award seeks to recognize and reward outstanding research conducted by undergraduate students at Loyola University Chicago. Any undergraduate in any discipline is invited to apply for the award, which will be judged by a cross-disciplinary panel of librarians and faculty members.  The first and second prize winners will receive a $500 and $250 prize, respectively, which will be presented at the Loyola Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium, Saturday, April 13, 2019.

The Loyola University Libraries Research Paper Award judges not only the paper itself, but also the author’s reflection on the research process, including the role of the library's resources and services.  Submissions for the award will be evaluated based on the quality of the following: (1) faculty letter of support, (2) student research reflection statement, (3) the paper, and (4) the accompanying bibliography.     

Application Rules & Procedure

  • Works submitted for the award must meet the following requirements:
    • The author must be a Loyola undergraduate student who is enrolled for spring 2019.
    • The paper must:
      • Have been written for a Loyola course completed during calendar year 2018.
      • Be written by one author.
      • Be between 2,500 – 10,000 words.
      • Include a bibliography or works cited list.
      • Include the author’s name and the department/course number on a title page or as a header on the first page.
  • Resources used for research:
    • May be from any library, however, the reflection statement should include information about library collections and services used.
    • May include, but are not limited to, books, articles, primary sources, government documents, or statistical resources.
    • May be in any format (print, electronic, microfilm/fiche, etc.).
  • Only one entry is allowed per person per year.
  • Deadline: All required materials (see below) must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13th, 2019, to LibraryPrograms@luc.edu.
  • Required submission materials consist of:
    • A completed and signed Application Cover Sheet.
    • The completed research paper and bibliography.
    • A 1-2 page research reflection statement that explains your research process and how library resources and services contributed to your final work. The research statement must include your name, paper title, and the department/course at the top of the page.  Your reflection statement should include:
      • a description of your research process
      • types of resources and services used to accomplish your research
      • any difficulties encountered
      • what you learned about doing research        
    • A letter of support written by the Loyola faculty member for whom the paper was originally written, which addresses the quality of research and writing demonstrated by your paper. The letter should verify that the paper was written to fulfill a course requirement and include the course name and number, as well as the semester the course was taken. Faculty should send the letter to LibraryPrograms@luc.edu, with “URPA” in the subject line.
  • The decision of the judges is final.

Dates to Remember:

  • Deadline for submissions:       5 p.m., Wednesday, March 13, 2019
  • Winner notification:                Monday, April 8, 2019
  • Award presentation:               Saturday, April 13, 2019

Questions? Contact Paul Voelker at (773) 508-3949, (pvoelke@luc.edu), or Stephen Macksey at (773) 508-2644 (smackse@luc.edu).


 

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