committee business (revisited).

Back to the grindstone in full force. I posted a while back on a call for presentations from one of my ALA committees. We’ve extended the call until the 19th of this month, so if you’re involved in reference-related research of any kind and are in the market for a good presentation opportunity, think about giving it a shot.

Call for Presentations – 15th Reference Research Forum, 2009

The Research and Statistics Committee of the Reference Services Section of RUSA
invites the submission of research projects for presentation at the 15th Reference
Research Forum at the 2009 American Library Association Annual Conference in
Chicago, IL.

The Reference Research Forum continues to be one of the most popular and valuable
programs during the ALA Annual Conference, where attendees can learn about notable
research projects conducted in the broad area of reference services such as user
behavior, electronic services, reference effectiveness, and organizational structure
and personnel. All researchers, including reference practitioners from all types of
libraries, library school faculty and students, and other interested individuals,
are encouraged to submit a proposal.

For examples of projects presented at past Forums, please see the Committee’s
website: http://tinyurl.com/rssresearchstatistics

The Committee employs a “blind” review process to select two projects for 25 minute
presentations, followed by open discussion. Winning submissions must be presented in
person at the Forum in Chicago.

Criteria for selection:
* Quality and creativity of the research design and methodologies;
* Significance of the study for improving the quality of reference service;
* Potential for research to fill a gap in reference knowledge or to build on
previous studies;
* Research projects may be in-progress or completed;
* Previously published research or research accepted for publication will not be
accepted

Proposals are due by Monday, January 19, 2009. Notification of acceptance will be
made by Friday, March 20, 2009. The submission must not exceed two pages. Please
include:

1. A cover sheet including your name(s), title(s), institutional affiliation(s),
mailing address(es), fax number(s) and email address(es).

2. The second page should NOT show your name, any personal information, or the name
of your institution. Instead, it must include:
a. Title of the project;
b. Explicit statement of the research problem;
c. Description of the research design and methodologies used;
d. Brief discussion of the unique contribution, potential impact, and significance
of the research.

Please send submissions by email to:

Liane Luckman
Chair, RUSA RSS Research and Statistics Committee
312.745.3858 (phone)
liane.luckman@gmail.com