NOTE: Nominators are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the guidance below and to understand that nominations will be evaluated, and award selections made, with reference to these criteria, requirements, and expectations, as they are applied appropriately to each individual submission.
Contents: Topics Addressed in Paragraphs Below
Georgia History, Subjects, and Repositories
Interest in Broad Spectrum of Georgia History
Annual Cycle for Nominations and Awards
Contents of a Nomination Package
No Return of Nomination Package
Accepted Electronic Submission of Nominations
Preferred Hard Copy Submission of Nominations
Date of Nomination vs. Date of Project Completion
Currency of Nominee Contact Information
Nominations Not Accepted
Self-Nominations
Repetitive or Multiple Nominations
Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations
Nominations of GHRAC Members or Georgia Archives Employees
Accepted Formats of Nominations
Nomination of an Exhibit
Written Content of Nominations
Use of Primary Sources
Use and Listing of Repositories
Bibliography Requirement
Changes in Nomination Award Categories/Sub-Categories
Georgia History, Subjects, and Repositories. The GHRAC Awards for Excellence program seeks to recognize completed works and projects, the content of which, in whole or in major part, consists of Georgia history, or focuses on a Georgia subject; and, which are based on primary sources held in Georgia repositories (on-site or online). Use of primary sources in out-of-state repositories must relate to Georgia history or subjects. Georgia students who research and produce work product in an area other than Georgia history or a Georgia subject must use the resources of Georgia records repositories to qualify for these awards and are encouraged to include, if possible, a Georgia dimension in their treatment of regional, national, or international subjects.
Interest in Broad Spectrum of Georgia History. GHRAC continually seeks nominations that document a broad spectrum of subjects in Georgia history, including both projects that identify and make accessible for research the primary sources of such subjects, and also work product that results from research on these previously less thoroughly documented subjects, possibly by utilizing previously unused or less utilized archival primary sources.
Annual Cycle for Nominations and Awards. Nominations are accepted annually between February 1 and June 1. All hard copy nominations should be postmarked by June 1. Nominations are evaluated annually during June and July by Review Panels and the full GHRAC. Award selections are finalized by GHRAC during late July and early August. Award recipients are usually notified in late August or September, by phone, email, and/or USPS mail. And, the GHRAC Awards Reception and Presentation Ceremony is typically scheduled in October, during American Archives Month and Georgia Archives Month, at the Georgia Archives, 5800 Jonesboro Rd., Morrow, GA 30260.
Contents of a Nomination Package. An Award for Excellence nomination package consists of the Nomination Form (with all requested information provided), the 500-word Project Description, the nominated work itself, and all supporting materials that are necessary to adequately fully define and document the nomination. Supporting materials may include publications, photocopies, photographs, scans, CDs, DVDs, and website URLs. One or more letters of support from individuals or entities that were cognizant of, or involved with the endeavor as it progressed, or that will be utilizing, or are otherwise impacted by the final work product or the outcome of the project, are always encouraged.
No Return of Nomination Package. No nomination contents will be returned to a nominator, nominee, or publisher.
Accepted Electronic Submission of Nominations. For all nominations, GHRAC requests electronic submission of the Nomination Form and Project Description. Also accepted electronically are digital works (including theses and dissertations), supporting materials, letters of support, and e-books that will be published only in electronic form. GHRAC prefers not to receive pre-publication electronic nominations of books that ultimately will be published as hard copy printed works. All electronic submissions should be emailed to tracey.johnson@usg.edu.
Preferred Hard Copy Submission of Nominations. GHRAC prefers and recommends that hard copies be submitted for the nominations of books that will be, or already have been published as hard copy printed works. Preceded by electronic submission of the Nomination Form and Project Description, seven (7) copies of the nominated book should be provided. For instructions on mailing or shipping these copies, email tracey.johnson@usg.edu, preferably by May 1. Exceptions may be made in extenuating circumstances, such as when a publisher may be constrained from providing the requested number of copies. In such instances, an explanatory request should be emailed to christopher.davidson@usg.edu, prior to the nomination deadline of June 1.
Date of Nomination vs. Date of Project Completion. A nomination should be made within 2 years of the date of completion of the nominated work or project. If the nomination is made beyond this timeframe, the nominator should include a written explanation of any extenuating circumstances in the nomination package.
Currency of Nominee Contact Information. Contact information for the nominee should be current as of the date of the nomination, rather than as of the date of completion of the nominated work or project.
Nominations Not Accepted. Nominations from vendors are generally not accepted. However, nominations are accepted from academic and other publishers, as well as from other organizational and governmental entities when they are well researched and thoroughly documented with the required footnote or endnote, bibliographic, and archival repository citations.
Self-Nominations. In general, self-nominations are discouraged. Student nominations that are self-nominated, or nominated by a family member, must be accompanied by a letter of support from a teacher, professor, advisor, or representative of an appropriate organization, such as a library, archives, or historical society that holds archival collections. An organizational example is the Georgia Humanities Council. Special Collections Librarians within public library systems are also examples.
Repetitive or Multiple Nominations. In general, GHRAC prefers not to receive, particularly within a limited number of years, nominations of previous award recipients, or multiple nominations of, or from the same individual, institution, organization, or governmental or other entity (for example, individual board members of the same entity, one after another, annually). However, GHRAC reserves the right to exercise flexibility with regard to this preference when evaluating the significance and worthiness of nominations.
Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations. These nominations may only be prepared by GHRAC members currently serving their appointments. Suggestions from non-GHRAC members of individuals who possibly should be considered for this award should be directed to one or more current GHRAC members as soon as possible after February 1, annually. Employees of the Georgia Archives may only be considered for this award during their final year of employment, or post-employment. Members of GHRAC are eligible for this award only after their service. GHRAC reserves the right to exercise exceptions to this guidance, at its discretion, when warranted.
Nominations of GHRAC Members or Georgia Archives Employees. During their service appointments, nominations are not accepted for GHRAC members for any Council-related endeavors. Similarly, during their employment, nominations are not accepted for employees of the Georgia Archives for any employment-related endeavors. Nominations can be accepted for independent, non-Council or non-employment work product, respectively, by these individuals, in any award category, but only if the nominator is an independent, non-affiliated third party, i.e., either not a fellow GHRAC member or not a fellow Georgia Archives employee, respectively.
Accepted Formats of Nominations. Nominations may be made of books, published articles, research papers, oral histories, exhibits (on-site or online), websites, media productions, and projects of an audiovisual, instructional, service, or performance character. Both the content and the URLs of nominated websites should be up-to-date as of the date of the nomination. Unique content or presentation, full-text searching, and other functionality that contributes to the ease of use of the website are preferred. Nominations of oral histories should include the name of the Georgia repository that will house, catalog, maintain, and provide access to, and indexing and/or written transcriptions of the recordings. The addition of metadata (such as subject headings) with transcriptions is highly recommended.
Nomination of An Exhibit. The nomination of an exhibit must include its display location and dates, physical attributes, text, bibliography of primary sources, list of repositories utilized, and any related literature. Use of primary source materials should be clearly evidenced in the sustained and developed narrative of the exhibit. And, to the extent possible, exhibit text should include attribution of documentary sources. A comprehensively photographed depiction of the entire exhibit, or a taped, comprehensive virtual tour of it, should also be included in the nomination. If programming in conjunction with the exhibit is included in the nomination, related supporting materials should be included. If an exhibit catalog was published, it should be included. The nomination package must provide a complete and thorough representation of the entire project.
Written Content of Nominations. The written content of all nominated work products in all award categories should be excellent examples of proficiency in the use of the English language, whether student, layperson, or professional, as appropriate for the age and/or educational level of the writer. Clear writing and good organization of material are basic, as are correct grammar and spelling. Prior to submission, nominations are expected to have been thoroughly proofread, errors identified, and corrections made. Writing style should evidence critical thinking and engage a reader. The work should state a clear thesis and proceed to support and prove it. Understanding of historical context and attention to historical accuracy should be evident. Creativity and imagination in identifying, interpreting, and effectively incorporating information from primary sources into the narrative is expected. The presence of a bibliography and a list of repositories utilized are required.
Use of Primary Sources. Pre-eminent among requirements for nominations is the use of primary sources. As defined by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in their Dictionary of Archives Terminology (DAT), a “Primary Source” is: “material that contains firsthand accounts of events and that was created contemporaneous to those events or later recalled by an eyewitness.” The note that accompanies this definition further explains, in part: “Examples of primary sources include letters and diaries; government, church, and business records; oral histories; photographs, motion pictures and videos; maps and land records; and blueprints. Newspaper articles contemporaneous with the events described are traditionally considered primary sources…. Artifacts and specimens may also be primary evidence if they are the object of study.”
Use and Listing of Repositories. Also of paramount importance among nomination requirements is the inclusion of a list of the archives and records repositories used in the endeavor that produced the nominated work. This list may also identify major collections or specific record series utilized within those repositories. If this list is not incorporated into the final work product, it should be prepared and included as a separate standalone item in the nomination package. Repositories can be both physical and electronic locations. The SAA’s Dictionary of Archives Terminology (DAT) defines a “Repository” as: “a space used to store items of continuing value, particularly records; a storehouse;” or, as “an institution focused on the care and storage of items of continuing value, particularly records.” The note that accompanies these definitions further explains, in part: “Archivists generally use the term to refer to storage venues holding paper or digital records, and even both. [In the second sense,] a repository is the organization that runs the physical or digital repository, although it is occasionally impossible to separate one sense of the word from another ….”
Bibliography Requirement. A bibliography that demonstrates the use of primary sources is required for research work products and publications in any format (including exhibits, websites, and media productions, as well as books, articles, and research papers). This is a major requirement of this awards program and should not be omitted or compromised. This bibliography should be formatted according to a standard scholarly style manual for print publications (i.e., not solely a list of online links, nor solely a list of institutions in documentary end credits). If a documentary’s end credits do not include full bibliographic citations, these should be provided in a separate, standalone bibliography. An exception may be considered for works that exhibit the spirit, if not the letter of the law, with respect to the inclusion of a formal bibliography; for example, in an edited compilation of components by multiple authors. In such cases, extensive footnotes or endnotes for the component pieces must include primary sources utilized, and their locations (i.e., in private hands, online, in archival collections, in non-archival institutions, etc.).
Changes in Nomination Award Categories / Sub-Categories. GHRAC reserves the right to review and evaluate a nomination under a different award category and/or sub-category than the one in which it was nominated when the content of the nomination suggests or necessitates such action.
