The Dr. John Henry Ott Award for Research Writing

Competition for the 2024 Dr. Ott Awards is officially open.  Awards will be granted to pastor-track students at Martin Luther College according to terms of a donation made by the late Dr. George W.H. Shield, NWC class of 1900, of Los Angeles, California.  Dr. Shield created this award in honor of his former teacher, the late Dr. J.H. Ott, professor of English at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin.

Rules:  

1. Open to SPaM juniors and seniors.  No individual can receive an award twice.
2. The student is to prepare a scholarly research paper in the fields of literature, history, or English/American language
3. Paper proposals are due before Thanksgiving break, Tuesday November 21.  Submit the proposal without student indentification on a hard copy to Laura Olson in the Administration Office. She will record the paper topic and name.
4. Final papers are submitted, anonymously as noted above, to Laura Olson no later than 4:30 pm on March 18, 2024.

For more information and a model of a paper proposal, see the next post here
at  http://ottpaperspot.blogspot.com/


A faculty committee consisting of Professors Dose, Grundmeier, and Schone judges the papers and chooses the prize winners.  Awards may range from $1,200 to $100 per student, depending on the quality of the paper.  Entries that are poorly researched or poorly written will receive no award.

 
The paper is to be extracurricular, which means that the paper is not also to be submitted in a course to fulfill an assignment.  In addition, the paper should not be on the same topic as a work submitted for the Christus Lux award.  After the student has chosen his field of research, he may consult with a professor who is not on the Ott Committee about selecting a topic or for coaching in developing the paper.  Beyond this advice, the paper is to be the student’s own achievement.

The paper proposal is to include a narrowed topic statement, a list of questions you intend to pursue, and a preliminary bibliography with at least three items annotated (see sample on The Ott Spot at ottpaperspot.blogspot.com).  This proposal will encourage you to work through your topic, plan, and materials early, and it will allow you to receive some feedback and suggestions from the Ott Committee. The due date for the proposal is before Thanksgiving, and the committee will return your proposal with comments before Christmas break.  If you want to receive feedback earlier, you may submit the proposal any time after October 1, and the committee will respond within about two weeks.  We will accept resubmitted proposals up to mid-January.  Proposals with the committee’s reaction will be available for pick-up from Laura Olson.  Remember that the paper proposal, as well as the final copy, are to be submitted without your name on the document.

The final paper should have a list of works cited, not a general bibliography and no annotations necessary, and documentation giving proper credit to the sources used.  The standard documentation formats that may be used are CMS (Chicago Manual of Style) or APA (American Psychological Association). You may pick either one, but be sure to stick to that one format. On length, about 10 to 12 double-spaced typewritten pages, including the works cited page, will be ample.

The topic should cover a concentrated area, and the finished product should represent, as much as possible, an original approach.  This means the paper should not be just a summary and collation of what various sources say.  Use the sources and research to develop and support or challenge your own central point.  It may be in the nature of a research topic (“Lutheran Education in 19th Century America,” “Hawthorne at Brook Farm,” “The French Revolution as Paradigm for Future Revolutions”) or a critique or appreciative essay (“The Imagery in T.S. Eliot's Waste Land,” “Franklin, the Diplomat”).  Again, the paper should propose and develop a central point, more than just review a variety of sources.

Directions for a paper of this type, with models, can be found in A Writer’s Resource, a writing guide by Maimon.  Other handbooks, composition textbooks, or websites (OWL at owl.english.purdue.edu) can also be used for the details about APA or CMS documentation.  Winning essays of past years--and others submitted in the contests--can be made available on request from the Ott Committee members.

Awards will be announced by the judges after the manuscripts are submitted and reviewed, and this announcement normally takes place at the SPaM awards gathering in the spring.  Since all manuscripts submitted in the contest become the property of the school, each contestant is advised to keep an electronic copy of his paper.  After the awards are announced, the prize winners are asked to submit electronic copies for the college archives.

Common Shortcomings:
1.  Subject is too wide in scope for a paper of this size.
2.  Lack of good organization.
3.  Paper is only a rewrite or synopsis of someone else's findings.
4.  Shallow content, lacking insight or depth of research.
5.  No critical sources or commentaries are used for papers on literature.
6.  Too many mechanical errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar.

The Ott Committee is glad that you are considering writing an Ott paper.  Writing a research paper such as this will help you exercise and improve key skills for the ministry.  We want pastors to read perceptively, interpret wisely, and express their message with clarity and vigor.  Be advised that we do want you to pursue excellence in your writing, and we intend that our prize amounts will reflect this standard.  Please understand that this high goal comes out of the desire that you continue to develop your ability to tell the Good News well.