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Research in Information Science Award

Purpose of the Award

This award recognizes an individual or team who have made an outstanding contribution to information science research. The award is for a systematic “program of research” in a single area at a level beyond the single study, but not at the level of a lifetime’s work.

Eligibility

The nominee must meet the following qualifications:

  • For this award, “information science” is considered to include all the communication activities and information science and technology fields noted in the first paragraph of Article II, “Purpose,” of the ASIS&T Constitution and Bylaws, published on the ASIS&T website.
  • Persons involved in information science research or developmental programs which include research are eligible for the award.
  • The award is to be made for individual(s), not organizations.
  • Nominees must be current members in good standing of ASIS&T
  • Those who have received the Award of Merit are not eligible for this award.
  • In cases where a contribution has been made by a research team, a team nomination may be made.
  • Prior award winners, current members of the Awards & Honors Committee, and current members of the Board of Directors are not eligible.

Nominations will be carried forward for the succeeding two years unless withdrawn by the nominator.

Criteria

Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Intellectual Merit (intellectual quality of the contribution);
  • Broader Impact (impacts of the contribution to theory, practice and society);
  • Coherence of the Contribution (degree to which the contribution forms a coherent whole);
  • Methodological Innovation (contributions to methodology, including the development and evaluation of software, corpora, and other research tools); and
  • Transformation and Transcendence of the Information Field (degree to which the contribution helps to shape and reshape the information field and connects the information field with related research areas).
Nominations Process

Nominations must be submitted by 11:59 pm US Pacific Time on the deadline date via the designated online portal.

Nominations must include the following only:

  • Name, affiliation, and contact information of nominee;
  • Name, affiliation, and contact information of nominator;
  • A nomination statement (200-500 words, some or all of which may be included in the citation for the award);
  • Nominating letter (up to 3 pages), stating why the candidate (or team) deserves the award;
  • Up to three (3) additional letters of support (up to 3 pages each);
  • Three to five supporting documents, such as publications authored by the nominee.
Jury

A jury of five members (including the Jury Chair) and one alternate shall be appointed by the Awards & Honors Committee at the recommendation of the Jury Chair. Jury members must:

  • Be a member in good standing of ASIS&T;
  • Not be a member of any other ASIS&T committee;
  • Not submit a nomination for the award in the year of their jury service; and
  • Declare any conflict of interest related to any nominee for the award and recuse themselves from the jury should the conflict be deemed significant by the Jury Chair (in which case the alternate would be appointed).
Selection Process
  • The jury will utilize both asynchronous scoring and synchronous discussion to arrive at a final decision as to who wins any award.
  • Through the evaluation platform or system, jury members will rate each nominee on a scale of 10 (highest) to 1 (lowest) on each of the five criteria listed above. Jury members should also submit a brief synopsis summarizing the most exemplary accomplishments of that nominee.
  • The jury chair shall tally the votes, with each of the five categories weighted equallyIn the event of a tie that cannot be resolved through synchronous discussion, the jury chair will identify an additional jury member to break the tie. This new jury member will evaluate only the tied nominations and will rate them using the same criteria used by the other jurors.
  • The jury chair shall use the qualitative feedback from the jury as well as their own judgment to write a ~ 250-word citation stating the rationale for making the award.
Nature of the Award

The ASIS&T Award for Research in Information Science was established in 1984. The Award is sponsored by the Association-at-Large and is administered by the Awards & Honors Committee. The award consists of a plaque. The winner(s) shall be given the opportunity to make brief remarks at ASIS&T annual meeting regarding their body of work.

Presentation of the Award

The award shall be presented at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting.

Important Dates
  • Jury Appointment: March 15
  • Submission Deadline: March 31 (or adjacent weekday)
  • Selection Deadline: May 15