Wednesday, October 26, 2011

ACRL RESEARCH FORUM: Call for Papers

ACRL RESEARCH FORUM: Call for Papers

What is the ACRL Research Forum? 
The ACRL Research Coordinating Committee is pleased to sponsor a new forum to give those doing research in academic library contexts an opportunity to share their work with a national audience at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, June 21-26, 2012. The ACRL Research Forum will feature three research presentations based on work in progress or completed, followed by discussion. 

Who is expected to submit their work and to make presentations?
Practitioners, new researchers, and experienced researchers are all encouraged to present. Both members and non-members of ACRL are welcome to submit. Those selected will be expected to present their papers in person at the forum at ALA Annual and to register for the conference.

What types of papers are suitable for submission to the ACRL Research Forum?
We welcome papers emphasizing the problems, theories, methodologies, or significance of research findings for LIS related to academic libraries and librarianship. Preference will be given to work that furthers the ACRL Plan for Excellence goals (demonstrating the value of academic libraries, student learning, and research and scholarly environment). For more information see http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/whatisacrl/strategicplan/Plan_for_Excellence.pdf .
Works in progress are encouraged. Papers that have been previously published or accepted for publication by December 16, 2011, are not eligible for consideration.

How do I submit a paper?
Submit the required author information and a 500-word abstract by mail or email (mradford@rutgers.edu) to Marie L. Radford, Ph.D., School of Communication and Information, 4 Huntington St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA by Friday, December 16, 2011.

The author information must include: name, email, phone and mailing address of contact person plus name(s) and affiliation(s) of additional authors, if applicable. The 500-word abstract must include the title of the paper, a problem statement, status of research (in progress or complete), problem significance, project objectives, methodology, and conclusions (or tentative conclusions for work in progress). If your research is complete, please confirm that your paper has not been published nor accepted for publication by December 16, 2011.

How will papers be selected and when will I know if my paper has been accepted?
At the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ACRL Research Coordinating Committee will conduct a blind review to select a maximum of 3 papers. Review criteria include: significance of the study for academic libraries/librarians; quality and creativity of the methodology; and potential to fill gaps or build on previous research in academic libraries/librarianship, particularly with respect to the ACRL Plan for Excellence goals. All submitters will be notified by February 15, 2012.

Posted by:
Jan Lewis, Associate Professor
Associate Dean, Academic Library and Learning Resources
Joyner Library
Mailstop 516
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
email: lewisja@ecu.edu
phone: 252.328.2267
fax: 252.328.6892