Submission Instructions for DC-AAPOR Student Paper Competition
DC-AAPOR invites entries to its 20th Annual Student Paper Competition. The competition is intended to recognize excellence in scholarly research by area students and to encourage active student participation in the chapter.
Papers for the 2023 competition were due Monday, December 4, 2023. Submissions are now closed. Please stay tuned for the 2024 competition!
a) Criteria
DC-AAPOR welcomes papers in any field related to the study of public opinion, broadly defined, including research on (a) theoretical issues in the formation and change of public opinion, (b) the theory and methods of survey or market research, and (c) the use of statistical techniques in the design, adjustment, or analysis of survey data. Papers are expected to the length of typical journal manuscripts (i.e., approximately 4,000 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, and to those who have received their degree within the last calendar year. Faculty co-authors are acceptable, with the stipulation that an eligible student must be first author. 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. Previous membership in DC-AAPOR is not required, but non-members must become members in order to be eligible. Students can join DC-AAPOR for $6 (membership is from October 2022 – December 2023). Submitted papers may not have been published or presented elsewhere.
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 2024 Annual AAPOR Conference in Atlanta, GA.
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.
e) Submission
Please send your paper via email to Patti Goerman past.president.dcaapor@gmail.com.