Announcing
the 2008 Donald T. Campbell
Social Science Research Prizes

Two $500 prizes will be awarded to outstanding research papers in the social sciences, one undergraduate and one graduate.

Eligibility:

• The competitions are open to all Lehigh students and all work in the social sciences, broadly conceived.
• Papers must be the work of a single individual. Specifically excluded are those based on group projects, even if the paper is authored by an individual.Collaborative work with a faculty supervisor is not eligible.
• Papers should be article length.
• See Frequently Asked Questions below for details

Winning papers will be judged on the criteria that distinguished Don Campbell's own work:

• The clarity and compelling character of the written presentation
• The quality and originality of the research design and analysis
• The appropriate use of social science methodology
• And, the focus on important societal issues.

Submission Procedures:

• Papers should be submitted in Word, WordPerfect, or PDF formats through the JSAW website
• The submission deadline is Monday, April 28, 2008.
• The interactive submission form will request the name of a Lehigh professor who can verify that the paper is the student's work. It will also ask for a very brief abstract/summary of less than 50 words. Contact Rob Weidman, row3@lehigh.edu, in the Digital Library for the password to access the Submission Form.

Any questions can be directed to the committee chair or any member of the Campbell Prize committee (see below).

Donald T. Campbell, University Professor at Lehigh from 1983 until 1996, was world renowned for his pioneering work in social science methodology, evaluation research, and the application of social science to the understanding and solution of a wide variety of social issues. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Campbell was among the most cited social scientists in history and a beloved mentor to generations of students and colleagues.

Campbell Prize committee

• John Gatewood, Sociology & Anthropology chair
• Grace Caskie, College of Education
• Chaim Kaufmann, International Relations
• Michelle LeMaster, History
• Gordon Moskowitz, Psychology
• Kathy Olson, Journalism and Communication
• Todd Watkins, Economics
• Al Wurth, Political Science

Frequently Asked Questions

1) I am now a Presidential Scholar, but my paper was written before I graduated. Which competition do I enter?

To be eligible for the undergraduate competition, the author must have been a Lehigh undergraduate working toward his or her first bachelor’s degree at the time the submitted paper was written. Post-bachelor’s Lehigh students, such as Presidential Scholars, can submit work to the undergraduate competition if it was finished prior to their first Lehigh graduation, but papers written or revised after that graduation ceremony must be submitted to the graduate competition.

2) What does "article-length" mean? My honors thesis is fifty pages long.

We have purposely avoided any hard-and-fast criteria on length, though we usually think of articles as 30-35 pages or less. We would prefer that manuscripts much longer be edited, because the volume of submissions and the short time period available for evaluation leave us unable to guarantee a full reading for very long ones. We will do our best, but we reserve the right to exclude papers much longer than the standard article. Your faculty supervisor may be able to offer tips on how to most easily cut the manuscript.

3) What does "article-length" mean? Does my term paper of 10-15 pages have a chance in competition with honors theses that are 50-70 pages in length?

Yes, because much longer papers will face a very steep escalation in our expectations. That is another reason why very long papers would benefit from trimming.

4) Are master's theses eligible for the graduation competition?

In principle, yes, but the chances for success would be greatly enhanced by trimming the thesis to conform to the specification "article length". See above. But it is certainly true that some past winners have been very long.

5) My paper was written individually, but it was based on research conducted by a group. Is it eligible?

No. Several years ago, group papers were eligible, but no longer.

6) I met with my honors thesis supervisor weekly and she gave me a lot of guidance in my research. Does that disqualify my paper?

Not at all. After your submission, your faculty supervisor will be asked to verify that the work is your own and did not result from collaboration with faculty or other students. He or she will recognize if you "benefitted from more than the usual faculty guidance".