Berntsen Library Blog

Top 5 things you didn’t know about the Berntsen Library’s Prize for Undergraduate Library Research

Check out what our Reference and Instruction Librarian, Jessica, has to say about the research prize.

Have you ever considered entering your research paper to win the library’s Prize for Undergraduate Library Research, but you need some more motivation? Check out these reasons!

1. It’s easy to enter

You may be halfway there! If you’ve written a research paper for a class in the last three semesters, all you need to do is write a brief essay reflecting on your research strategy and upload both the research paper and reflective essay to the link on the Research Prize website. See the website for examples of past winning entries!

2. It’s real money!

We are not talking about a gift card or voucher. If you win the Prize for Undergraduate Library Research, you will get a check for $300 in the mail. Spend it however you want!

3. It's a résumé booster

According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 82% of employers look for written communication skills when recruiting new graduates. In fact, being able to write well was the top skill (in a list of 20 skills) that employers were looking for. Adding “Research Prize Winner” to your resume or LinkedIn can make you stand out!

4. It’s about the process as well as the product

Your entry to the Prize for Undergraduate Library Research is not just about the destination (your research paper) but the path you took to get there. The reflective essay details your research strategy as you located and evaluated sources and incorporated them in your paper. Research Prize judges are looking for evidence that you were strategic in your research process and used critical thinking throughout. See the Scoring Rubric for more information.

5. It’s a learning experience

The ability to effectively find, evaluate, and use information is a set of skills that you will use the rest of your life! Taking the time to reflect on your research process by writing the reflective essay will help you reinforce these skills and transfer them to new situations in work, graduate school, and life.

Submit your entry by April 19th! Any questions? Email Jessica Moore at jmmoore@unwsp.edu.