The IWCA Outstanding Article Awards is given annually and recognizes significant work within the field of writing center studies. Members of the Writing Center community are invited to nominate articles or book chapters for the IWCA Outstanding Article Award.

The nominated article or chapter must have been published during the previous calendar year (2022). Please note: the exception this year is that articles from The Writing Center Journal, Vol. 39, nos. 1 and 2, are also eligible. Both single-authored and collaboratively-authored works, by scholars at any stage of their academic careers, published in print or in digital form, are eligible for the award. Self-nominations are not accepted, and each nominator can submit one nomination only; journals may select only one publication from their own journal for nomination per award cycle.

All nominations must be submitted through this Google form. Nominations include a letter or statement of no more than 400 words outlining how the work being nominated meets the award criteria below. All articles and chapters will be evaluated using the same criteria.The article should

  • Make a significant contribution to the scholarship of and research on writing centers.
  • Address one or more issues of long-term interest to writing center administrators, theorists, and practitioners.
  • Discuss theories, practices, policies, or experiences that contribute to a richer understanding of writing center work.
  • Show sensitivity toward the situated contexts in which writing centers exist and operate.
  • Illustrate the qualities of compelling and meaningful writing.
  • Serve as a strong representative of the scholarship of and research on writing centers.

Nominations are due by May 25, 2023. The winner will be announced at the 2023 IWCA Conference in Baltimore. Questions about the award or nominating process  (and nominations from those unable to access the Google form) should be sent to the IWCA Awards Chairs, Rachel Azima (razima2@unl.edu) and Chessie Alberti (chessiealberti@gmail.com). For a list of past recipients, see Outstanding Article Award Winners, 1985-present.