Undergraduate Research Awards, 2008: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the Undergraduate Research Award?

The UO Libraries' annual Undergraduate Research Award program recognizes undergraduate students who demonstrate extraordinary skill and creativity in the application of library and information resources to original research and scholarship.

Who is eligible for the Undergraduate Research Award?

Projects eligible for the competition must have been completed for an upper division (300 - 400 level) UO undergraduate credit course during the prior calendar year. For the 2008 competition, eligible projects are those completed during Winter term 2007, Spring term 2007, Summer Session 2007, or Fall term 2007. Projects must be fully completed and credit received. All entries require a nomination letter from the faculty member who taught the course and evaluated the project.

I graduated during 2007 and want to enter my project. Am I eligible?

Recent graduates are eligible provided the credit for the project was received during Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall 2007. If you received credit for the project during Fall 2006, you are not eligible.

Is the award only for seniors?

Students from all class levels are eligible, but the project must be associated with an upper division course (300 level or higher).

Why can't I enter a paper from a 100 or 200 level course?

Very few lower division courses assign projects that require the level of original research and mastery of content expected for the Research Award. Many upper division courses assign projects with potential to meet all of the criteria.

I won't be completing my project until the end of Winter or Spring term. Can I enter it as a work in progress?

No, works in progress are not eligible. Projects must be completed and credit received during calendar 2006. Your project will be eligible for next year's award cycle.

Who evaluates the projects?

The review committee is comprised of of experienced librarians, teaching faculty, and academic administrators.

What if the committee doesn't have someone who understands my topic?

No committee could be large enough to provide a subject expert for every possible topic taught at the UO. The committee relies on the sponsoring faculty member's letter of nomination to assess the project's specific contribution to the discipline and the applicant's mastery of the subject area. This allows the committee to focus on other criteria, including the project's use of library resources and services and overall quality of presentation.

What kinds of projects are successful?

Both students and faculty are strongly encouraged to look at past projects in the Scholars' Bank repository. This is an undergraduate research award, so the review committee looks for projects that make an original contribution to the discipline, demonstrating originality of thought, mastery of content, clear writing, and quality of presentation suitable for publication.

In general, projects such as annotated bibliographies that are designed primarily to teach library research skills and/or expose students to scholarly resources in the discipline do not meet the criteria, although they may be very library intensive. The committee ooks for projects that apply these skills in the conduct of original research and scholarship in the discipline.

Winning projects must be ready for publication as submitted. Scholar's Bank is rapidly indexed by search engines, including Google Scholar, so winning projects have a high degree of visibility to the community beyond the campus. Student authors and their faculty sponsors should edit the work to the same standards used for submission to a refereed scholarly journal. It is the author's responsibility to obtain permission from copyright holders for any images, media, or extended quotes that are incorporated in the work. Sources must be fully cited. Images taken from copyrighted or licensed resources may not be published beyond the UO community without obtaining permission. If you have questions about sources for publishable images and other media, contact your professor and library subject specialist.

Are honors theses eligible for the award?

At this time, theses are eligible for consideration provided the project meets all other criteria, including award of upper division credit during the eligibility period. In general, though, the research award program and evaluation process are designed to recognize course-based projects that are completed in the space of a ten-week term. Some departments, schools, and colleges already have their own thesis awards, and we encourage this practice.

I used the library very extensively to gather content for a creative project (video, website, theatrical production, etc.). Is my project eligible even though it isn't a research paper?

Creative works and media-based projects are welcome. Faculty nominations are required, the project must meet all criteria for quality and originality, and all of the application materials must be filled out (see checklist). For media-based works, it is especially important for your introductory essay to provide the committee with the overall context for your project as well as research methods employed. Contact the Award Committee Chair c/o libaward@uoregon.edu with any questions about formats for submittal.

What happens to the projects? Do I keep the copyright?

Individuals or teams must agree to contribute winning projects to the permanent collections of the University of Oregon Libraries and publication in the UO Scholars' Bank digital repository. Authors retain copyright. AS mentioned above, it is the author's responsibility to obtain permission from copyright holders for any images, media, or extended quotes that are incorporated in the work. Sources must be fully cited. Images taken from copyrighted or licensed resources may not be published beyond the UO community without obtaining permission. If you have questions about sources for publishable images and other media, contact your professor and library subject specialist.

How much are the awards?

For 2007, funds are available for two awards of $1,000 each, plus two honorable mention awards of $500 each. Team awards will be divided equally among all members. For currently enrolled students, awards are given as scholarships, with funds applied directly to the UO billing account for Spring term. If the recipient has already graduated, the award is given as a cash gift. Please note that depending on the recipient's enrollment status and income, the award my be reportable as taxable income.

What else is involved?

During spring term, the library hosts a reception for winning applicants, sponsoring professors, and families. Recipients may be asked to give interviews to the media, including the Oregon Daily Emerald and the UO Today talk show. Past winners of the award have been invited to speak at professional conferences and campus outreach events.

How can I learn more?

Attend a drop-in sessions in the Collaboration Center, 122 Knight Library (map)

Tuesday, December 4, 2007: 4 - 5 pm.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007: 11 am - noon

or contact the Award Committee Chair c/o libaward@uoregon.edu.

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Maintained by: Andrew Bonamici, bonamici@uoregon.edu

Last Modified: 12/01/2007