Awards
Best Graduate Student Paper Award
1. Aim
The purpose of the Best Graduate Student Paper Award competition is to recognise a graduate student who demonstrates the ability to produce a high quality research paper presented during the NISPAcee Annual Conference.
2. Description of the Award
The award for the Best Graduate Student Paper was first announced in 2005, during the 13th NISPAcee Annual Conference. The winner is presented with a certificate and the paper is published in a NISPAcee publication.3. Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for the competition, a conference participant should meet the following criteria:
- be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate degree programme,
- be from the NISPAcee region; the paper should also be focused on the NISPAcee region,
- the paper abstract must be accepted by one of the annual NISPAcee conference’s working groups or working sessions,
- be registered for the NISPAcee conference,
- present the accepted paper at the NISPAcee conference,
- submit the full paper prior to the NISPAcee conference within the official conference deadline for submission of full papers.
Papers written in co-authorship with other graduate students are allowed, providing they meet the eligibility criteria. In this case, it is also necessary to submit a confirmation regarding the co-author status.
Papers written in co-authorship with graduated co-author(s) are not eligible.
4. Submission Process
In order to participate in the competition, a student must indicate her/his interest in the application, with a paper proposal for the upcoming NISPAcee conference and complete in the NISPAcee database and application module, the following data:
- First and last name.
- Title of the paper.
- Institutional affiliation.
- Degree programme.
- CV. In addition, the applicant must submit to the NISPAcee Headquarters, confirmation regarding her/his study, issued by the relevant university. The letter should also include an e-mail address and phone number for the academic adviser or department head.
The deadline for submitting the application is the same as the official deadline for the submission of papers for the conference.
The paper should be uploaded to the NISPAcee website as a regular conference paper; members of the Selection Committee will identify it based on the application.
5. Award Committee
The NISPAcee Steering Committee appoints members and a Chairperson for the Best Graduate Student Paper Award Selection Committee.
6. Criteria for Selection
In selecting the best graduate student paper, the Selection Committee members will use the following criteria:
• the paper addresses an important public sector issue;
• good research design;
• quality and significance of the research;
• high-quality data collection methods and analysis where appropriate;
• originality, clarity and sophistication of argument;
• overall professional organisation of the paper (style, footnotes, bibliography) and meeting of the Essential Criteria for Winning the Best Student Paper Award described in the Annex below.
The Selection Committee, at its discretion, may establish other criteria.
7. Announcement of Award
The winner of the Best Graduate Student Paper Award is announced during the Closing Session of the NISPAcee annual conference.
Annex: Essential Criteria for Winning the Best Student Paper Award
To be considered for the Best Student Paper Award, the paper must adhere to academic standards that demonstrate the student's rigorous approach to their research topic. This entails a clear alignment between the title and its content, ensuring the subject matter indicated by the title reflects the research conducted.The introduction should not only define the research topic but also emphasize its relevance to public administration/policy/management. It should clearly articulate the research problem and the objectives the study aims to achieve. Additionally, an effective introduction presents an overview of the student's methodological approach and significant contributions made throughout the research process.
Research Questions and Ambitions:
The paper should pose well-formulated research questions that are explicitly stated and directly relate to the research ambitions. These questions should challenge the author to move beyond mere description to include analysis, explanation, and evaluation. The formulation of these questions should guide the research in a way that the findings address and fulfill the stated ambitions.
Candidates should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the relevant literature and current findings related to their topic. This involves:
1. Defining and linking key concepts and theories used within the thesis to broader conceptual frameworks and approaches learned during the course of study.
2. Reviewing and summarizing significant research findings related to their topic, from which they should derive informed hypotheses or expectations.
The paper should clearly outline the approaches and techniques employed in the research, along with a rationale for the selection of cases and data sources. The thesis should reflect a thoughtful and reflective approach to the choice of methodology, ensuring that the research techniques align well with the goals of the thesis.
The paper should transcend the recapitulation of existing knowledge by incorporating the student's own analysis and conclusions. This may involve empirical analyses, including secondary analysis of public data sets or policy documents, which must adhere strictly to the methodology established in earlier sections.
The paper should reach a robust conclusion that synthesizes the findings and addresses the research questions posed initially. This section should highlight the student's key contributions to the field and discuss both the strengths and limitations of the research
Awards
Award 2021
Steven Nommik
Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia
For his paper: Cross-organisational collaboration management of digital innovation in the public sector – the case of the Estonian Employment Register