Indiana University South Bend

Library Prize Essay Tips

Carefully review the selection criteria as you write about your research experience. The library research process typically involves multiple steps, critical thinking, and serendipity. Writing about this process can be difficult. To assist you in this process, we have listed a number of questions below that may help you to reflect on the process that you followed in your research. They are not intended to be answered directly, but to be included in your essay as appropriate.

In what way did the library resources inspire your thinking about the research problem?

• Did your topic change in any way during the research process?
• What did you discover about the library resources available to you?
• What did you learn about finding information on your particular topic?
• How did you evaluate sources to determine if they were suitable for your project?
• What steps did you go through in order to complete the research process?
• Was your research methodical or did you find resources in an unusual manner?
• Who did you consult with during the research process?
• What did you learn about the research process from this project?