Submission Instructions for DC-AAPOR Student Paper Competition
DC-AAPOR invites entries to its 22nd Annual Student Paper Competition. The competition is intended to recognize excellence in scholarly research by students and to encourage active student participation in the chapter.
Papers for the 2025 competition are due Friday, November 14, 2025.
a) Criteria
DC-AAPOR welcomes papers in any field related to the study of public opinion or survey methodology. Broadly defined, students are invited to submit research on (a) theoretical issues in the formation and change of public opinion, (b) the theory and methods relating to survey collections, (c) the use of statistical techniques in the design, adjustment, or analysis of survey data, and (d) applications of data science, such as machine learning, for enhancing the quality or utility of survey data. Papers are expected to be the length of typical journal manuscripts (i.e., approximately 3,500 to 6,500 words), and will be judged based on the quality of research design, originality, significance, organization, and presentation. To see a list of past winners please visit: Student Paper Competition results page.
b) Eligibility
The competition is open to all current graduate and undergraduate students, as well as those who obtained their degree within the previous calendar year. Faculty and other non-student (professional) co-authors are acceptable, with the stipulation that an eligible student must be the first author. In cases of multiple student authors, the award will be split evenly between all listed winning eligible students.
Eligibility is limited to students attending or graduated from an accredited college or university in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington, DC, or to students whose primary residence is in one of those areas. Proof of eligibility may be requested for any submitted manuscripts, such as a student ID, transcript, or a letter from a faculty advisor confirming student status. Previous membership in DC-AAPOR is not required, but non-members must become members in order to be eligible to win. Students can join DC-AAPOR for a nominal fee, as posted on the website on the day of manuscript submission.
Submitted papers may not have been published elsewhere. Working papers, white papers, and term papers are acceptable submissions. Conference papers submitted to or published in conference proceedings are acceptable for consideration for this award. Papers currently under consideration for publication, including preprints, are acceptable for consideration for this award as long as the final manuscript has not yet gone to print.
c) Award
The author(s) of the winning paper will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000. For multiple student authors on a winning paper, the award will be divided among the eligible student authors. Additionally, the author(s) of the winning paper will be awarded a guaranteed spot on the Conference Program to present their paper at the next calendar year (2026) Annual AAPOR Conference and the DC-AAPOR Conference in Washington, DC. While the DC-AAPOR Conference registration fee will be waived for winning author(s), the Annual AAPOR Conference registration fees will be the responsibility of the winning author(s). Finally, the winning author(s) and any honorable mention author(s) will be recognized at the annual DC-AAPOR Holiday Party and will be included in the running list of paper winners on the DC-AAPOR website.
d) Review Committee
The winning paper and honorable mentions will be selected by a review committee composed of this year and next year’s DC-AAPOR executive council members.
Information about the competition can also be found on our website: https://dc-aapor.org/awards/student-paper-competition/
e) Submission
Please send your paper via email to past.president.dcaapor@gmail.com.
Information about the competition can also be found on our website: https://dc-aapor.org/awards/student-paper-competition/