Research Section
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Welcome to the Research Section |
Research Awards Program
The MLA Research Section annually presents awards to recognize quality research-oriented contributed papers and posters. A $100 cash award is presented for 1st Place for both papers and posters, and a $50 cash award is presented for 2nd Place and Honorable Mention.
Research Award Winners 2000 to the present
- 2008 Award Recipients
- 2007 Award Recipients
- 2006 Award Recipients
- 2005 Award Recipients
- 2004 Award Recipients
- 2003 Award Recipients
- 2002 Award Recipients
- 2001 Award Recipients
- 2000 Award Recipients
Submission of a Research or Project Abstract
All paper and poster abstracts, both research and non-research oriented, are submitted to the MLA National Program Committee (NPC) in a required structured abstract format.
The Structured Abstract: the Required Abstract Format for MLA Annual Meetings
The Structured Abstract: An Essential Tool for ResearchersExamples of Structured Abstracts:
Types of Acceptable Research Methodology
If the project is research oriented, presenters should select the type of methodology from the list below that best describes their research project. If the research design is not adequately described by one of these methods, presenters should attach an explanation clarifying the type of research methodology that was used.
Analysis
Audit
Autobiography
Bibliomining-Data mining
Biography
Case study (careful this can also be project description or "how-we-did-it")
Citation analysis-Descriptive survey
Cohort design-Longitudinal study
Comparative study
Content analysis
Delphi method
Descriptive survey
Focus group
Gap analysis
History
Longitudinal study
Meta-analysis
Narrative review
Needs assessment
Participant observation
Program evaluation-Effectiveness study
Qualitative study
Randomized controlled trial
Summing up
Systematic reviews
Unobtrusive observationEldredge JD. Inventory of research methods for librarianship and informatics. J Med Libr Assoc. 2004 January;92(1):83-90.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=314107To be considered for the Research Award paper and poster abstracts must meet the following criteria:
- Abstract is submitted using the online submission process.
- Abstract is received by the submission deadline.
- Abstract is submitted in a structured abstract format.
- The Research box is checked at time of the online submission.
- Abstract clearly and succinctly describes the type of Research method used.
- Final abstract includes results and conclusions and is received by the added submission deadline.
Overview of the Judging Process
Abstracts are selected by the MLA National Program Committee (NPC), which is responsible for the program content of the MLA Annual Meeting. All of the abstracts are “blinded,” that is, the names and sponsoring institutions of the authors are removed so that the judges can not show favoritism (bias) to an abstract submitted by a friend or colleague.
Once the abstracts have been accepted for presentation, time is allotted for the submission of final abstracts which includes results and conclusions. The final abstracts (now “un-blinded") are then posted on the MLA Annual Meeting Website for review and selection by the program sponsoring Sections.
Judging Process
Following the posting of the Sections’ selected paper abstracts on the MLA Annual Meeting Website, the Chair of the Research Section Awards Committee divides the abstracts among the Research Awards Team (consisting of members of the Research Awards Committee, the Research Section, and other interested MLA members) and notifies the Team that the abstracts are available for online evaluation. Reviewers electronically access the abstracts, and following specified Judge’s Instructions and Evaluation Forms, select papers that identify the type of research being conducted and follow a research abstract format. Those papers appearing to be research oriented are identified so that their presentations can be evaluated by the Research Awards Team during the papers’ respective Program Sessions.
The poster abstracts are evaluated by the Awards Team prior to the Annual Meeting for both abstract content as well as for potential as a research poster. During the Poster Sessions at the Annual Meeting, judges are instructed to review those posters whose abstracts show research potential first, and then to review the remaining posters in order to catch any research posters whose abstracts did not immediately reflect a research project.
The Evaluation Forms used to judge the papers and posters each address the particular media characteristics that are unique to paper and poster formats. They are used to facilitate the judging process and to provide the means for a systematic, fair, peer-reviewed evaluation process for judging research papers on validity, methodology, bias, and presentation quality.
- Judge's Instructions: Example of Poster
- Judge's Instructions: Example of Paper
- Evaluation Form: Example of Poster
- Evaluation Form: Example of Paper
Following the Annual Meeting, the scores from all Research Award Team members are submitted to the Research Awards Chair who tabulates the scores and contacts the winning authors. The Research Award results are published in the MLA News and Hypothesis: The Journal of the Research Section of MLA and are communicated to the Editors of JMLA.
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