BEST PAPER AWARDS 2004

All contributions to the Conference can be nominated by Track Leaders for any of the awards.

Any contribution can receive one Special Award only (plus ‘Best in Track’ Certificate if appropriate).

To see the list of the winners of these Awards click here.

1.1  ISBA best academic paper £500

The overall ‘top’ academic paper will be the one judged to most exemplify the general criteria below.

1.2 AWE (Accelerating Women's Enterprise) Award - best paper on women's enterprise  £500

The paper judged to have made the best contribution to understanding, enacting or supporting women’s enterprise.

1.3 Barclays Bank Award for best paper on entrepreneurship education  £500

The paper judged to have made the best contribution to understanding or enacting entrepreneurship education

1.4  Barclays Bank Award for best paper on small business finance  £500

The paper judged to have made the best contribution to understanding or enacting the funding of enterprises and that its findings can be adopted in practice to improve funding for enterprise.

1.5 International Small Business Journal (ISBJ) Award for academic rigour £500

The paper judged to have exemplary rigour in its approach to research or critical analysis. Papers nominated will be scrutinised by members of the ISBJ editorial board at ISBA and be eligible for publication in the ISBJ.

1.6 Small Business Service Award for best policy paper  £500

The paper judged to have made the best contribution to small business policy in that its findings can be adopted to improve small business policy.

1.7 Teesside Business School Award for best paper on opportunity  £500

The paper judged to have made the best contribution to understanding, enacting or supporting diversity and opportunity amongst enterprises in the UK. Areas will include; social enterprise, EMB and social inclusion.

1.8 Wood Holmes Group Award for best practitioner contribution £500

The paper judged to best disseminate practice that improves conditions for, or specific developments of, SMEs or entrepreneurship.

1.9  Best in Track Certificate

The Leaders of each Track will nominate a ‘Best in Track’ award for what they jointly consider to be the best academic or practice paper in their track. These will reflect the general criteria specified overleaf as appropriate to the topic. Authors will receive a personally inscribed and signed Certificate for this award.

These general criteria apply to all prize-winning papers

i) A focus on an issue relevant to understanding entrepreneurship or small scale enterprise including entrepreneurial behaviour, the firm’s internal operation and its external links with the wider economy and community. Alternatively the paper may be on policy-making, its implementation or the activities of bodies which affect the performance of the small enterprise;

ii) An awareness of the relevant contexts - including previous contributions to the research and policy literatures - of the issues examined in the paper.

iii) An innovative approach to the topic selected, supported by a well designed, well executed research design or survey and/or a well informed and rigorous approach to policy formation and its application;

iv) A high quality, convincing analysis of the results of any research or study undertaken which clearly adds to the understanding of the functioning of the small scale enterprise and/or offers a new, well argued policy alternative with a clear potential to support the small enterprise;

v) A well written, clear style with data presented in an attractive accessible form so that the paper demonstrates both the intellectual quality ISBA promotes as well as relevance for a wider audience including small business owners themselves.

Practice showcases and papers describing ‘best’ practice should reflect the critical qualities above, but in particular should disseminate practice, i.e. they should:

i) Clearly describe practice at a level of detail that assists dissemination and sharing;

ii) Articulate underlying concepts or principles that can be generalised and contribute to professional practice;

iii) Be grounded in actual practice and not merely in rhetorical or abstract reasoning;

iv) Include clear evidence of effectiveness in context

Track Leaders will nominate papers for each Award. They may nominate ONE paper for each special award, which will normally include their ‘Best in Track’ nomination. Track Leaders cannot nominate their own papers for Best in Track or the special awards.

The main judging panel will comprise:-

Conference Chair

ISBA President

Invited ISBA Fellows or Board members not entering for the Awards

Invited senior academics

Sponsors of the special awards will be part of the judging panel for their award.

Small Business Service Award for best policy paper £500 (Katrina Reid)

Barclays Bank Award for best paper on small business finance £500 (Richard Roberts)

Barclays Bank Award for best paper on entrepreneurship education £500 (Richard Roberts)

Wood Holmes Group Award for best practitioner contribution £500 (Alan Holmes)

Teesside Business School best paper on opportunity £500 (John Wilson)

ISBJ Award for academic rigour (Robert Blackburn and members of the ISBJ Board)

AWE Award £500 (Sara Carter and Dinah Bennett)

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