Call for Student Papers or Performances

To promote interest in continued collection, documentation, analysis and celebration of folklore by undergraduate Kansans. The Kansas Folklore Society sponsors an annual Call for Student Papers or Presentations on Folklore.
    This is an annual competition among students. Students submitting work selected during the annual call for papers, are asked to present their papers at the Kansas Folklore Society’s annual meeting--held in a different region of Kansas each year.

Read details: 2005 Competition

Topic guidelines

Most members of the Kansas Folklore Society have expressed a preference for fresh reliable study into folklore subjects, rather than strict guidelines and limitations, ruling our "Annual Call for Student Presentations"—at this time. However, we feel it may be helpful to mention the items below. If any further questions please feel free to contact us at: KsFolklore@bigfoot.com

No comprehensive study of any folkloric topic has ever been refused for competition in our "annual call for student papers." Often, special conditions significant to locale or some obvious demographic influence, surrounding the site of our annual Spring Kansas Folklore Society Conference (which is held in a different region of Kansas each year) might suggest a theme. The organizing committee may suggest a topic, or an area of study--relating to folklore, for the focus of that years competition. In all cases, the "suggested focus topic" will be published with the date of deadline for submissions, and announcement of the date, time, and location of the Kansas Folklore Society's Annual meetings.
    The deadline for presentation abstracts will be published each year along with the suggested focus topic. Necassary details will include announcement of date, time and place for the Annual meeting. All submissions will be acknowledged. Papers reaching the semi-final level will be notified.

Criteria for student papers/presentations:

Length of presentations/papers: twenty minutes serves as the standard regarding the stipulation of presentation length—with a generous judging deference when field research contributes to the content of student presentations. It is the opinion of our board at this time that presenters should submit the entire research (or abstract there of) for consideration. But presenters should plan to give a live/or oral presentation not to exceed (20) twenty minutes in length, total. It has been implied that regardless of length or brevity, that twenty minutes should wring the most relevant information from most research.

Rewards/Awards

All Student presenters are offered a Certificate acknowledging their contributions. Winning student presenters receive an honorary one-year membership to the Kansas Folklore Society, a monetary award, and those judged to be the best papers are considered for publication.

Previous winners

Watch this space for listing of previous winners of our Student Paper/Presentation competitions.