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Award of Merit Recipients
2024 Press Release

Award of Merit

Purpose of the Award

This award is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes sustained contributions to and/or achievements in the field of information science and/or the professions in which it is practiced. Such contributions may include 1) scholarly contributions to the advancement of our field, such as the expression of new ideas, the creation of new technologies, the development of better techniques, or substantial research efforts that have led to further development of thought or devices or applications, or 2) other outstanding contributions to the field/profession of information science, as evidenced by successful efforts in the educational, social, or political processes affecting the profession.

Eligibility

The nominee must meet the following qualifications:

  • For this award, “information science” is considered to include all the communication activities and information science and technology fields noted in the first paragraph of Article II, “Purpose,” of the ASIS&T Constitution and Bylaws, published on the ASIS&T website.
  • Nominees and nominators must be current members in good standing of ASIS&T.
  • Prior winners and current members of the Awards & Honors Committee or Board of Directors are not eligible.
Criteria

Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Impact on Theory (theoretical contributions to the information field, broadly defined)
  • Impact on Practice (contributions to the information professions, broadly defined, along with methodological contributions)
  • Leadership in the Field (leadership in ASIS&T and other organizations within the information field, broadly defined)
  • Education and Mentoring (excellence in teaching; contributions to pedagogy, including innovative educational methods and tools; mentoring of undergraduate, masters, & doctoral students, postdocs, junior faculty, and professionals)
  • Sustained Involvement in the Field (involvement in ASIS&T over the nominee’s career; involvement in the information field at large, broadly defined)
Nominations Process

Nominations must be submitted by 11:59 pm US Pacific Time on the deadline date via the designated online portal.

Nominations must include the following only:

  • Name, affiliation, and contact information of nominee;
  • Name, affiliation, and contact information of nominator;
  • A nomination statement (200-500 words, some or all of which may be included in the citation for the award);
  • Nominee’s Curriculum Vitae
  • A letter of nomination (up to 3 pages in length) describing the rationale for the nomination and the works for which the nominee is recommended;
  • One (1) significant publication or similar work created by the nominee, that contributes to an understanding of the nominee’s work (optional); and
  • Up to three (3) supporting letters (up to 3 pages in length each).

Nominations will be carried over for the succeeding two years unless withdrawn by the nominator.

Jury

A jury of five members (including the Jury Chair) and one alternate shall be appointed by the Awards & Honors Committee at the recommendation of the Jury Chair. Jury members must:

  • Be a member in good standing of ASIS&T;
  • Not be a member of any other ASIS&T committee;
  • Not submit a nomination for the award in the year of their jury service; and
  • Declare any conflict of interest related to any nominee for the award and recuse themselves from the jury should the conflict be deemed significant by the Jury Chair (in which case the alternate would be appointed).
Selection Process
  • The jury will utilize both asynchronous scoring and synchronous discussion to arrive at a final decision as to who wins any award.
  • Through the evaluation platform or system, jury members will rate each nominee on a scale of 10 (highest) to 1 (lowest) on each of the criteria listed above. Jury members should also submit a brief synopsis summarizing the most exemplary accomplishments of that nominee.
  • The jury chair shall tally the votes, with each of the five categories weighted equally.
  • In the event of a tie that cannot be resolved through synchronous discussion, the jury chair will identify an additional jury member to break the tie. This new jury member will evaluate only the tied nominations and will rate them using the same criteria used by the other jurors.
  • The jury chair shall use the qualitative feedback from the jury as well as their own judgment to write a ~ 250-word citation stating the rationale for making the award.
Nature of the Award

The Award of Merit was established in 1964. The Award is sponsored by the Association-at-Large and is administered by the Awards and Honors Committee. It is the Association’s highest honor. The award shall consist of a Revere Bowl and printed citation. The Bowl shall be engraved with the name of the awardee and the date.

Presentation of the Award

The award shall be presented at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting.

Important Dates
  • Jury Appointment: March 15
  • Submission Deadline: March 31 (or adjacent weekday)
  • Selection Deadline: May 15