Olin Excellence in Library Research: Research Statement

Please reach out to Susan Montgomery with any questions.

In order to be considered for the 2018 Olin Excellence in Library Research, all applications must include a research statement of no more than 600 words describing your research process.

Your research statement will be judged on how well you articulate your research process. Below are some ideas you can incorporate into your response:

• Describe how you choose your topic, specifically noting any pre-research that you did. What sources did you use in this pre-research?
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• Did you use any particularly creative resources beyond a traditional article database? For example, did you use primary sources, data sets, interviews, archival materials, or other sources of information that required you to interpret the findings?
   
• What library resources did you use? Please include the specific names of the tools. (Note: “Ebsco,” being an umbrella vendor, is not a specific enough response when identifying tools. It is more helpful if you list specific databases such as JSTOR, America: History & Life, Web of Science, etc.)
   
• To what extent did you consult with librarians, faculty, or others? How did this pre-research help you formulate your topic?
   
• How did you evaluate the resources you found.  How did you decide which resources you would use, and which you wouldn’t? What questions did you ask yourself about the resources in order to determine whether they were worthy of inclusion? Describe your process.
   
• As you compiled your initial research, did the early results prompt you to seek out different sources of information? Alter your thesis statement? Seek help finding more material on a certain aspect?

There are no right or wrong answers. Don't attempt to answer all the bullet points above, as every research project will entail its own unique demands. No B.S., please. 

Please keep your response to 600 words or less. More is not better. We are looking at your ability to articulate a sophisticated research process, and clarity is a bonus.