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Shain Library Research Prize: Application Form

The official site for the Connecticut College Prize for Undergraduate Library Research.

 

The application form consists of two parts (see How to Apply):

  • the first part asks for basic factual information;
  • the second part asks you to describe your research process by answering five specific questions. This is the important part as detailed below.

Library Prize 2024-2025

 

The 2024-25

Academic Year

 

Shain Library

Research Prize

 

$500 Award

2024-2025 Applications due 5/15/2025

Winners published in Digital Commons

 

Tips for Writing the Research Statement otherwise known as the Application Form

 

The intent of the library prize is to recognize and celebrate student use of Shain Library resources/services. The goal of the application form is to gauge the centrality of library resources/services and how students utilized them. Please answer each of the following to the best of your ability.

You may answer the questions in whatever way fits the narrative flow of your research process. For instance, you might ​​​​​​answer each question separately, answer all questions together in the form of a short essay, record a video or audio clip in which you answer the questions, or create a visual representation of your process (e.g. vision board, powerpoint, etc.). 

No matter what format you choose, your submission should be no less than 500 words (appx. 3 minutes) and no more than 1,000 words (appx. 6 minutes) overall.

 

  1. How did Shain Library’s collections, people, and/or services play a role in your research process in general or in any particular stage of research? 
  2. How did you find information for your project?  Where and how did you look for resources?  What was useful to you and why?  
  3. What specific strategies did you use to search for information?  What worked?  What didn’t?  What did you do if your strategies weren’t working?  Articulate your specific search terms and how they changed throughout your research process.
  4. How did you evaluate your resources?  How did you decide what to incorporate and what to leave out?  How did you synthesize information sources to create an original argument or generate new ideas and connections?
  5. How did you go about giving credit where credit is due?  Discuss your citation and attribution process and how you utilized information in your research process ethically.  We will evaluate the accuracy and consistency of your chosen citation style.  

     

 

Contact

If you have questions, please email the Library Prize Committee at LibPrize@conncoll.edu