(via Gwen Gregory, IACRL Past President)
The Research & Statistics Committee of the Reference Services Section of the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA) invites submission of reference service research project proposals for presentation at New Discoveries in Reference: The 23rd Annual Reference Research Forum at the 2017 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Researchers and practitioners from all types of libraries, library school faculty and students, and other interested individuals are encouraged to submit a proposal.
The Reference Research Forum is a popular and valuable ALA Annual Conference program. Attendees have the opportunity to learn about innovative research projects conducted in reference services including user behavior, electronic services, reference effectiveness and assessment, and organizational structure and personnel. For examples of projects presented at past Forums, please see the Committee’s website.
The Committee employs a blind review process to select three projects for 20-minute presentations, followed by open discussion. Identifying information will not be shared with reviewers until after final selection of projects. Selected submissions must be presented in person at the Forum during ALA Annual in Chicago, IL. The Committee will use the following criteria for selection.
- originality: potential for research to fill a gap in reference knowledge or to build on previous studies
- quality: research design and methodologies
- impact: significance of the study for improving the quality of reference service
Note: Research projects may be in-progress or completed. Previously-published research or research accepted for publication will not be accepted.
Proposals are due by Wednesday, December 28. Notification of acceptance will be made by Monday, February 6. The submission must not exceed the stated word-count limit. Submissions will be accepted using the online form. Questions about the Forum should be directed to the 2016-2017 committee chairs, David Ward (dh-ward@illinois.edu) and Cindy Levine (crlevine@ncsu.edu).