Library Research Prize - Please encourage students to apply by 4/16

The Library Research Prize recognizes exemplary scholarship through effective research strategies and demonstrated use of the library’s resources, services, and staff. There are two $1,000 prizes, one for undergraduate students and one for graduate students. Students submit a 500-700 word essay (about their research strategies and use of library tools and resources) and their research project (or a draft) from a Fairfield University credit course from Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter Intersession, or Spring 2021 by April 16^th 2021. Part of the student’s application also includes a bibliography and a statement of faculty support, which is due by April 21^st. Faculty will receive an automatically generated email from the submission portal as soon as their student applies, which prompts responses to several questions about the student’s research and process in relation to following criteria.

LIBRARY RESEARCH PRIZE SELECTION CRITERIA

Research projects should demonstrate:

• Sophistication, originality and/or unusual depth or breadth in the use of library collections, including, but not limited to, print sources, databases, primary resources, and materials in all formats. 
• Exceptional ability to locate, select, evaluate, and effectively use library resources in the creation of a project in any format that shows originality and/or has the potential to lead to original research in the future. 
• Evidence of significant personal learning in the methods of research and the information gathering process, and the development of a habit of research and inquiry that shows the likelihood of persisting in the future.

Please keep in mind that work done as a formal collaboration with a faculty member or other non-student researcher, or research commissioned by an organization or business is not eligible. For more information about eligibility, judging, and frequently asked questions, please refer to the Library Research Prize website: Fairfield.edu/libprize or contact Barbara Ghilardi, Assessment Librarian at bghilardi@fairfield.edu