Writing Contest
Have your writing skills recognized
The writing contest is an excellent way to shine the light on your writing ability, a key skill for your academic and professional success.
Money prizes
Your term paper could be worth $1000! Up to $8,000 in prizes are awarded each year:
- 1st prize: $1000
- 2nd prize: $600
- 3rd prize: $400
Regulations and eligibility
- A contestant may submit not more than one paper by contest as long as he or she have not been awarded with one of these prizes while enrolled in the Faculty.
- This contestant is enrolled full time during the current school year at the Faculty of Social Sciences.
- Check out the deadlines for the contest : a summer or fall session paper is eligible for the mid-January contest, while a winter session paper is eligible for for mid-May.
- This paper is an individual work submit for a course level 3000 or 4000 from the Faculty of Social Sciences and have received a minimum mark of A after corrections by your professor.
- This paper contain a minimum of 3,000 words, excluding the title page, headers and footers, table of contents, footnotes, bibliography and tables or diagrams (end of program theses are not eligible).
- This paper is not paraphrase or plagiarism of an existing work and sources are diversified. It meets the writing instructions, layout and does not contain passages that can be deemed offensive (discrimination, hate speech, drugs,…).
- The prizes will be awarded based on the evaluation of the quality of language. The reading committee is under no obligation to award a prize or all prizes if the quality is lacking or an insufficient number of texts are received. In case of dispute, the committee's decisions are final reading. By entering this Contest, you grant the Faculty of Social Sciences and the peer against any claims for the originality of your work; you agree that Regulation, and finally give in your free copy, and the rights of reproduction and adaptation to the Faculty of Social Sciences.
How to participate
- Prepare an email with as a 'subject' a pseudonym to remain anonymous to the reading committee.
- Replace the title page of your paper using this title page template and your pseudonym.
- Make sure that no reference to your identity is found in the paper.
- Make sure no other changes are made compared to the original text submitted to the professor.
- Entitle your paper with your pseudonym, save it using one of the four following formats: Word (.doc), Acrobat (.pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf) or text only (.txt). Any other format will be disqualified. If you use the .pdf format, avoid protecting your text, since it is essential to allowed us using the word processing tools to calculate the number of words in your text.
- Attach your anonymous document to your email.
- Print, sign, scan and attach these forms to send them with your email : personal ethics commitment regarding university assignments and consent to promote academic success.
- Scan your corrected original paper and attach it to the same email or if it is in your professor’s possession, the reading committee will take care of procuring it. Therefore, you do not have to do anything in that regard.
- Enter in the message body of your email essential information to be receiving your recognition, your full name, student number and uOttawa email address. Personal information (including the e-mail address) is strictly for the purpose of managing the contest and is not disclosed to third parties.
- Make sure your email is complete and send it to fsscontest@uOttawa.ca.
Recognition
To enrich your university experience, the printed certificate and money prizes, are awarded by the Dean at the next Faculty Council. Recipents will be invited and will have to RSVP. If you are recipient and cannot attend the Faculty Council, you will receive your recognition, only after the meeting by mail or if you request it in person at our office.
In addition to this meeting, you will benefit from a mention in our communications with the publication on this web page of your paper and a photo of you and the Dean testifying your success. Congratulations to our winners!
Summer / Fall 2011 Winners
1st place - $1000
Winner: Alyssa Max – a.k.a. Serafina Edwards
Program: Honours Bachelor of Arts with Specialization in Psychology
Term paper: “Understanding Context and Culture: Addressing Aboriginal Suicide in Canada”.
2nd place - $600
Winner: Jeffry Quan – a.k.a. Jean Martin
Program: Honours Bachelor of Science with Specialization in Psychology
Term paper: “Out of the Closet and into the Classroom: Combating Homophobic Bullying in Schools”.
3rd place – $400
Winner: Jonathan Yantzi – aka Marianne Hall
Program: Honours Bachelor in Social Sciences with Specialization in Political Science (French Immersion)
Term paper: “Responsible Storytelling: Achieving the Amerindian Autohistory and a Fair Country”.
Pictured left to right : Alyssa Max (1st place), Marcel Mérette and Jeffry Quan (2nd place).
Winter 2011 Winners
1st place - $1000
Winner: Laura MacLean - a.k.a. Jordan Doyle
Program: Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Studies and Modern Languages
Term paper: “Torture: An Ethical Debate at Heaven's Gate”.
2nd place - $600
Winner: Joëlle Skaf – a.k.a. Valenta Lewis
Program: Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Studies and Modern Languages
Term paper: “The EU's Eastern Enlargement and Challenges in the Area of CFSP”.
3rd place – $400
Winner: Emily Colpitts – aka Morgan Smith
Program: Honours Bachelor in Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization (CO-OP)
Term paper: “What's In A Name? The Securitization of HIV/AIDS”.
