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Bob Williams Research Paper Award

For 2021, the Bob Williams Research Paper Award will be awarded to the two best research papers nominated. All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology may be proposed. This award provides a prize of up to USD 500 along with a certificate signed by the chair of ASIS&T SIG HFIS.

 

To encourage a diverse range of submissions: 

  • All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology will be considered.
  • The paper may have been previously published or submitted to a journal.
  • Winners need not be present at the ASIS&T annual meeting (but are encouraged to attend).

Award winners shall be selected by a jury appointed by SIG HFIS. The Chair of SIG-HFIS serves as the Chair of this jury. The Jury reserves the right to make no awards as well as to designate runners-up if the quality of the entries so merit.

Note that:

  • Applicants who have received funding from a Bob Williams Research Paper in the past two (2) years are not eligible to apply.
  • Self-nominations and nominations of others’ work are both welcome.
  • Submissions must be in English.

Submissions will be judged based on the intellectual and disciplinary traditions in which they are situated, but the following merit criteria will be applied:

  • Relevance of the central topic or question to the history of information science and technology
  • Significance of the central topic or question
  • Presentation of the relevant literature
  • Appropriateness of methodology and effectiveness of its application
  • Quality of argumentation and analysis
  • Potential impact on future research and/or implications for practice
  • Quality of writing

Submissions must include:

  • A cover letter addressing how the paper contributes to the history of information science and technology
  • A current CV/Resume of the author
  • The paper, carrying no author identification

The winner(s) will be acknowledged with a certificate presented by the Chair of SIG HFIS during the SIG business meeting at the ASIS&T annual meeting. Attendance at the annual meeting is highly encouraged, but not required. A prize of USD $500 will be distributed by SIG HFIS in coordination with ASIS&T headquarters.

 

Submissions and nominations for the awards should be emailed to the SIG-HFIS chair at sighfis@gmail.com.

Submissions and nominations are due on July 15, 2021, by 11:59 p.m. US Pacific Time.