La Sierra University
Library Undergraduate Research Prize

What is it?

In order to promote academic research and scholarship, the Library Undergraduate Research Prize awards cash prizes to students who utilize the library while working on a required research paper. The paper can be for any class, as long as the paper meets the guidelines below. To be eligible, the student must work with a librarian while writing their paper, and then submit the graded paper and required forms before the deadline.

The Prizes

First Prize: $500
Second Prize: $300

The prizes will be awarded during La Sierra University's Research Week. In addition to the possibility of winning a cash prize, participants will benefit from:

• Striving for excellence in an important academic activity.
• Learning about the library's many resources.
• Working collaboratively with teaching faculty and librarians on research projects.
• Having the winning entries displayed on the library's Winners Page

Previous winners can be seen on our LURP Winners Page.

Submission Deadline

The research paper and all required forms must be submitted by April 15, 2013.

The Guidelines

The following guidelines must be adhered to:

• Applicants must be La Sierra University students in good standing. All undergraduate class levels and majors are eligible to participate.
• There may be only one submission per applicant.
• A submitted paper must be the work of a single individual.
• The paper must have been assigned for a class at LSU, completed, and graded by the course instructor. Drafts are not acceptable.
• A librarian must be consulted at least once early in the research process. Additional visits are welcome!
• Papers are eligible that were completed in the spring quarter of the previous year, or the fall and winter quarters of the current year.
• The paper should be 7-10 pages, include works cited or a bibliography, be double spaced in Times New Roman 12 (or the equivalent), and have a title; pages should be numbered.
• The paper should demonstrate a good knowledge of its subject, and include theoretical connections (if appropriate).
• The paper should be written in the approved style (Chicago, MLA, APA, etc.), designated in the assignment.
• The paper should have an easily identifiable and developed thesis, display critical thinking, argue logically, and integrated quoted material with ease.
• Mechanics (sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, etc.) should conform to accepted academic practice.

The Process

When your instructor assigns a research paper that will require the use of library resources:

1. Meet with a Reference Librarian to develop your Research Process Statement. The librarian will suggest and help you find valuable resources to use for your paper, as well as give you advice on how to proceed.
2. As you work on your paper, update your Research Process Statement. You may visit with the librarian as many times as you wish for additional assistance.
3. When you submit your paper for your class, include a Faculty Recommendation Form. Your instructor will fill in the form, and return it to you in a sealed envelope along with your graded paper.
4. Ask one of the librarians who helped you to fill out a Librarian Recommendation Form. The librarian will return the form to you in a sealed envelope.
5. Fill out a Student Submission Form.
6. Gather the 4 required forms, plus your graded paper, and submit them, all-at-once, to a reference librarian.

What to Submit

Gather all of the following, and submit them, all at once, by April 15, 2013, to a reference librarian:

1. Your completed Research Process Statement
2. Your completed and sealed Faculty Recommendation Form
3. Your completed and sealed Librarian Recommendation Form
4. Your completed Student Submission Form
5. Your graded research paper (or a copy, including instructor's comments and grade)

The Criteria

Submissions are judged by the LURP Committee, comprised of a student, librarians and teaching faculty from a variety of disciplines. The LURP Committee considers the following criteria when judging submissions:

• Quality of the paper.
• Joint student/librarian assessment of their interactions with each other that resulted in a successful and rigorous research project.
• Librarian's assessment of the appropriate use of library resources (reflected in the essay bibliography and process statement).
• Instructor's assessment of the paper's content.
• Completeness and quality of the process statement.