Undergraduate Library Research Prize 2013

The annual Undergraduate Library Research Prize is co-sponsored by the UC San Diego Libraries, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, and UC San Diego Alumni Association. The prize is offered to undergraduate students who have strategically and effectively used UCSD library resources in direct support of research undertaken on campus.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO

MAY 13, 2013

Prizes will be given to four winners:

Life Sciences/Physical Sciences: First prize: $1000, second prize: $500

Social Sciences/Arts/Humanities: First prize: $1000, second prize: $500

Winners are selected to receive the prizes by a panel of judges.

To be eligible for the prize, students must:

Participate in one of the following UCSD programs:

a. Faculty Mentor Program
b. Summer Research Program
c. Undergraduate Research Conference

2. Receive a faculty nomination

3. Submit supporting documentation by May 13, 2013

What Faculty Need to Do By May 13, 2013:

To nominate a student researcher for the Undergraduate Library Research Prize:

Notify the student to coordinate submission of materials; documentation can be sent as a single packet (faculty nomination letter and student materials together) or separately
Submit a letter of nomination by to:

Erin O'Brien, Library Administrative Office, Geisel Library

Faculty should address the following in their letter:

Significance of library resources used. Materials are not limited to printed resources, but may also include electronic resources (databases, e-books, online journals, etc), primary resources, or materials in all media in support of the research

Demonstrated expertise in the use of library resources by identifying, evaluating, synthesizing a variety of materials in the generation of a research project

Evidence of significant personal learning and the development of a habit of research and inquiry that shows the likelihood of persisting in the future

What Students Need to Do By May 13, 2013:

Students should submit the following documentation of their work by to:

Erin O'Brien, Library Administrative Office, Geisel Library

Documentation must consist of the following:

1. Short biography to include name, college (Muir, Revelle, etc), academic year (4^th year, etc.) name of research program in which participating, and name of faculty advisor/mentor. This document may be submitted as PDF or Word document.

2. Documentation showing research undertaken --> ONE of the following:

a) Undergraduate Research Conference (PDF of presentation), or
b) Summer Research Conference (PDF of presentation), or
c) Faculty Mentor Program Research Symposium (PDF of presentation), or
d) 3-page scholarly excerpt describing the research and its relevance; include references and/or illustrations when appropriate

3. Short (500-750 word) essay (in PDF or Word doc) describing how UCSD library resources were used to complete the research project. Student essays should address:

Use of a variety of resources. The essay should show that appropriate subject-related resources were used for the research topic, including sources that may seem less obvious but that supplemented the research (if appropriate).
Evidence of critical thinking. The essay should include a discussion of how the resources were identified and selected and should reflect on how the information was synthesized into the research.
Discussion of the research process. The essay should discuss the process used to find the information. Where did the process start and where did it lead? When were primary or secondary sources used and why? This part of the essay should provide a description of the discovery process.

Tip: Previous winners of the prize have included specific resources they found helpful, some level of detail about search strategies employed, and some thoughts about what they learned in the research process that they didn't know before, or will be likely to use in the future.