Overview

The ASIS&T Information and Learning Sciences SIG invites students, emerging, and established scholars to participate in the SIG’s first ever paper competition. The SIG provides these awards to support scholarship and practice, encourage participation, and bring new perspectives and voices to the SIG. Three awards (described below) are available for different types of papers. The SIG aims to gather researchers in both information and learning sciences to reach a deeper understanding of the cognitive and social processes that facilitate inquiry, learning, and knowledge co-construction, in order to advance theories of learning, information-seeking, and learning systems’ design. This SIG builds upon the growing recognition of the ways in which the scholarly disciplines of information science and the learning sciences stand to enrich one another theoretically, methodologically, and, empirically, for instance through design improvements within systems in which human learning is to be expected. 

We invite paper submissions whose research addresses the areas listed below:

• Information-seeking processes during both formal and informal learning endeavors
• Learning and/or information-seeking by the full diversity of youth, adults, elders and specialized populations: at work; at school; at play
• Design and use of learning systems and information systems involving searching and learning, in multiple contexts
• Information, communication, and technology (ICT) issues in computer supported collaborative learning
• Ethnographic, emancipatory, critical-race theory and post-structural research involving information and learning
• Digital divide, literacies, access, and learning systems
• Learning analytics and/or data science perspectives on inquiry activity with learning or information systems
• Research on data sharing, information architecture, knowledge ecosystems in E-learning
• Social and ethical issues, privacy and security concerns in online and cyber-learning.

All awards will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting (attendance not required to be eligible).

Award Types

Student Paper Award ($200)

The SIG is looking for self-nominations for our student paper award. We aim to motivate student researchers at the masters and doctoral levels, giving them an opportunity to have their work recognized at an international level. We welcome papers developed for coursework or published in journals. Any method, theoretical approach, and subject matter is welcome as long as it relates to the SIG’s scope. The award amount is $200. Please see the special eligibility considerations below.

Sociotechnical Concerns in ILS Paper Award ($200)

The SIG invites researchers, academics, and scholars to submit papers that contribute to sociotechnical conversations in the field of Information and Learning Sciences. These papers may take theoretical, philosophical, and/or sociological approaches toward understanding the intersection of humans and technology as they relate to information and learning sciences. For example, papers that use social informatics, information policy, information ethics, philosophy of technology, social studies of technologies, and other similar approaches are a good fit for this category.

Practical, Methodological, or Theoretical ILS Paper Award ($200)

The SIG invites researchers, academics, and scholars to submit practical, methodological, and theoretical papers that contribute to the development of research methods and theoretical frameworks in the field of Information and Learning Sciences. 

Practical papers should discuss new initiatives, best practices, and lessons learned in the broader area of learning sciences. So, practitioners, academicians, and information professionals can benefit from these experiences/practices. 

Methodological papers should describe new or innovative research methods, techniques, or tools that can be used to collect, analyze, or interpret data. We encourage papers that focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods and papers that address interdisciplinary research approaches. Methodological papers should be grounded in empirical evidence and provide clear guidance for researchers who want to use a particular research method in their own work. 

Theoretical papers should develop or refine theoretical frameworks in the field of study. We welcome papers that propose new theoretical models or frameworks, as well as papers that critique and refine existing ones. Theoretical papers should be based on a sound theoretical foundation and provide clear guidance for researchers to replicate it.

Timeline

Item	Date
Call for Nominations	June 1, 2023
Last date for Nominations	June 15, 2023 11:59 PM (Anywhere on Earth)
Declaration of Result	July 30, 2023

Eligibility

Self-nominees need to be members of ASIS&T but do not need to be members of the SIG. Only one paper may be submitted by a nominee. Papers with multiple co-authors will split the award equally if selected. For the Student Paper Award, no faculty co-authors are allowed.

Award Submissions and Review Process

To submit your work for consideration, be prepared to provide the following:

• Submitter’s name, institutional email, and institutional affiliation.
• Select the one award for which the paper is being submitted.
• A .doc/.docx (Word) version of the paper written in English.

Submissions can be made using this online form: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ze9FCzGD1245iS

Submissions will be reviewed by at least two members of the SIG executive committee. If you are a member of the SIG and would like to volunteer as a reviewer, please contact the SIG awards coordinator email listed below. Volunteer reviewers will be automatically eligible for the “Best Review” award worth $100 selected by the SIG executive committee.

Additional information

For any questions concerning the awards process, please send an email to tariqnajmi@cuilahore.edu.pk or contact the following officers of the SIG:

Officer Name	Position	Email
Kyle Jones	Chair	kmlj@iupui.edu
Nosheen Warraich	Chair-Elect	nosheen.im@pu.edu.pk
Muhammad Tariq	Awards Coordinator	tariqnajmi@cuilahore.edu.pk
Dave Stokes	Secretary	i.stokes.d@outlook.com
Denise Russo	Communications	denise_russo792@esc.edu