Belk Library and Information Commons, the University Writing Center, the Composition Program, and Writing Across the Curriculum Program present The Belk Library Prize for First-Year Students' Demonstration of Information Literacy Skills.
This prize recognizes an outstanding research paper written by a first-year Appalachian State University student for a class in the UCO 1200 (First Year Seminar) or English 1000 course. The ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively is an educational goal for every Appalachian State University graduate.
This award promotes students' active engagement in the processes of library research and encourages them to synthesize library research skills with the reading, writing and critical thinking skills developed in their first year at Appalachian.
- First Prize: $300 gift certificate to the book store
- Second Prize: $200 gift certificate to the book store
In addition to the monetary award:
- The winning student will allow a copy of his or her paper to be given to the University Archives.
- The winning paper will be posted on the Belk Library & Information Commons Library website as well as the Composition and Rhetoric website.
Papers must display evidence of substantial research using library resources. Only papers written by first-year students at Appalachian State University will qualify.
Eligible students in the fall 2012 and Spring 2012 courses of:
- UCO 1200: First Year Seminar (including honors sections)
- English 1000 (including honors sections)
Students wishing to enter a research paper for consideration should click on this application form (now past due date).
- The date of submission
- Your name, email and phone number
- The assignment for the paper
- The course name for the class in which the paper was written
- Attach the paper below WITHOUT YOUR NAME ON IT (accpetable formats are a word document .doc or docx; .rtf or .pdf)
- Put a short reflection about your research experience, including, but not limited to, skills employed and learned, problems encountered, and how those problems were addressed (please put the title of your research paper, but not your name, on the reflection)
The due date is Monday, March 11, 2013.
The awards will be given to the winning students during the Celebration of Student Writing on April 17, 2013.
Criteria for Evaluation - Papers will be judged by a panel of librarians, members of the University Writing Center, the WAC program, and the Composition Program, according to the following criteria:
- The research paper displays its author's mastery of information literacy skills. Reminder: Information Literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively.
- Student has located and obtained a variety of library research materials.
- Student synthesized the resources skillfully in service of their thesis.
- The paper is well-written and well-organized, and demonstrates critical thinking.
- The research paper cites all sources consistently and correctly according to a standard citation style appropriate to its topic or discipline.
- The reflection statement demonstrates growth in the student's research and information literacy skills.
For additional information, please contact Megan Johnson at firstname.lastname@example.org.