Rules for the Competition

• Each paper must be accompanied by a cover letter requesting participation in the undergraduate competition session. The letter must include the title of the paper, author(s) of the paper, the school affiliation, the email address and the telephone number of the author(s).
• The maximum length of an eligible paper shall be 20 double-spaced pages of text, not counting abstract, references, tables, and figures.
• Papers may be co-authored with a maximum of three student authors, but not by graduate students or faculty.
• Papers must not have been submitted for publication prior to submission for this competition.

Each of the submissions will be evaluated by a committee of scholars based on (1) originality, (2) contribution or potential contribution to the discipline, (3) clarity of arguments, and (4) mechanics (i.e. neatness, use of an appropriate format, grammar, spelling, etc.). To receive full recognition for participation, submissions must meet deadlines and participants must present their papers at the Annual Conference held each fall, and be present at the awards banquet.

Students are strongly encouraged to seek faculty advice prior to submission of papers and to include contact information for a faculty mentor or advisor.

Papers (in Word, rtf, or PDF format) should be submitted by email to Dr. Jessica Abbott, MSSA Vice-President Elect, at jessica.abbott@uncp.edu

If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact Dr. Jessica Abbott by email.