RISE Research Award for Bellevue College Students

Your application must include a 500-1,000 word reflective essay. Your reflective essay is your opportunity to tell the story of your project: The essay should describe your research process and the way you approached your research, what you learned, and how you engaged with information, ideas, and materials along the way. Reviewers are interested in your process, not just the final product.

Your essay should describe:

• How your project evolved over time.
• How you searched for, selected, and used information or materials.
• How you responded to challenges, dead ends, or new discoveries.
• What you learned about research or creative inquiry in your discipline.

Focus on explaining your decisions, your thinking, and your growth.

Essay Components

Your essay must address 3 broad themes: process, search strategy, and use of resources, each offering a lens through which to narrate your research experience. Consider the following questions and suggestions as you draft your essay.

Theme: Process

Reflect on how your project developed.

Consider:

• How did your ideas change as you worked?
• What decisions shaped the direction of your project?
• Did you encounter challenges or turning points?
• What did you learn about yourself as a researcher or creator?

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Theme: Search Strategy

Describe how you sought out information, materials, or inspiration.

Consider:

• Where did you look for information or ideas?
• How did you adapt when you hit a roadblock or needed something you couldn’t find?
• What approaches helped you move forward?
• How did you decide what was relevant or useful?

This section is not about technical search mechanics; it’s about your approach to inquiry.

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Theme: Resource Use

Explain how you selected and evaluated the sources, materials, or influences that shaped your project.

Consider:

• What kinds of sources or materials did you use, and why?
• How did you decide what was credible, relevant, or appropriate for your discipline or topic?
• What did you learn about finding or evaluating information in your field?

Resources may include scholarly articles, books, media, datasets, interviews, artistic influences, archival materials, community knowledge, and more

We welcome a wide range of project formats and disciplines. Projects may be in any language and may take many forms, including but not limited to:

• Written research essays or papers
• Senior thesis or capstone projects
• Multimodal projects
  • Infographics
  • Podcasts
  • Websites
  • Documentaries
  • Digital Stories
• Digital scholarship projects
• Literature Reviews, especially those from the Sciences/STEM
• Artwork
• Music composition
• Performances (video submission)
• A speech
• Research posters

Your project will be evaluated on clarity, coherence, use of evidence or materials, integration of ideas, and overall construction, not on whether it follows a traditional academic format.

Your bibliography should include all sources or materials you consulted or used in your project. Keep in mind:

• Use a citation style appropriate to your discipline (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
• Include all sources you used, even if you did not quote them directly.
• Ensure your bibliography accurately reflects the materials that informed your project.
• Organize your bibliography in a clear, consistent way.

Ask the instructor for whom you created the project to complete the Instructor Support Form. They will comment on your research process, your use of information or materials, and how your project fits within your discipline.

Developing (1-10 points)	Proficient (11-20 points)	Advanced (21-30 points)
Theme 1: Process Provides little or no explanation of how the project developed over time. Does not describe how decisions were made, how challenges were addressed, or how the project evolved. Offers minimal reflection on what was learned about the research or creative process. Shows limited awareness of how information, feedback, or new ideas shaped the project.	Theme 1: Process Offers basic reflection on what was learned, though insights may be surface‑level or incomplete. Shows some awareness of how information, feedback, or new ideas influenced the project, but connections may not be fully articulated. Describes the project’s development in general terms, with some reference to decisions, challenges, or turning points.	Theme 1: Process Clearly and thoughtfully explains how the project developed, including key decisions, challenges, and moments of change or discovery. Offers meaningful insights about what was learned through the research or creative process, including personal growth or shifts in understanding. Demonstrates strong awareness of how information, feedback, or new ideas shaped the project’s direction. Reflects a clear understanding of research or creative inquiry as an iterative, evolving process.
Theme 2: Search Strategy   Provides little or no explanation of how information, materials, or inspiration were sought out for the project. Shows limited awareness of where to look for relevant sources, examples, or background knowledge. Does not describe attempts to adapt or redirect the search when encountering challenges or dead ends. Selected sources or materials show minimal alignment with the project’s needs or context.	Theme 2: Search Strategy Describes general approaches to finding information, materials, or inspiration, though details may be incomplete. Demonstrates some ability to adjust the search when encountering challenges, though strategies may be limited. Shows awareness of a range of possible sources or materials, even if not all are used effectively. Selected sources or materials are mostly appropriate and show developing discernment.	Theme 2: Search Strategy Clearly explains how information, materials, or inspiration were sought out, including purposeful choices and evolving strategies. Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability when encountering challenges, including trying new approaches or reframing the search. Shows strong awareness of where to find credible, relevant, or contextually appropriate sources or materials for the project. Selected sources or materials reflect thoughtful discernment and contribute meaningfully to the project’s direction.
Theme 3: Resource Use Shows limited awareness of where to find information, materials, or sources appropriate to the project’s goals or discipline. Uses sources or materials that are minimally relevant, outdated, or not well aligned with the project’s needs. Provides little or no explanation of why certain sources or materials were chosen. Demonstrates minimal attention to evaluating credibility, relevance, or appropriateness.	Theme 3: Resource Use Identifies and uses some resources, tools, or materials appropriate to the project, though the range may be limited. Shows developing awareness of how to evaluate sources or materials (e.g., relevance, credibility, context), though criteria may not be consistently applied. Provides some explanation of why particular sources or materials were selected. Uses mostly appropriate and relevant sources, with occasional gaps or missed opportunities.	Theme 3: Resource Use Demonstrates strong awareness of where to find high‑quality, relevant, and context‑appropriate information, materials, or sources for the project. Selects sources or materials with clear, thoughtful criteria (e.g., credibility, relevance, disciplinary norms, purpose). Provides a clear rationale for choices, showing understanding of how different types of information contribute to the project. Uses sources or materials that meaningfully support, deepen, or extend the project’s direction.

Developing (1-6 points)	Proficient (7-13 points)	Advanced (14-20 points)
The project’s purpose, central idea, or organizing principle is unclear or difficult to follow. Evidence, information, or materials used in the project do not clearly support its direction or claims. Ideas, sources, or influences are minimally integrated or appear disconnected from the project’s goals. Selected sources or materials reflect a narrow or inappropriate range of perspectives for the project’s context. Organization is inconsistent or ineffective, making the project’s direction hard to discern.	The project communicates a central idea or organizing principle, though clarity may be uneven in places. Evidence, information, or materials generally support the project’s direction, with occasional gaps or weak connections. Ideas, sources, or influences are mostly integrated, though some elements may feel underdeveloped or loosely connected. Selected sources or materials reflect a reasonable range of perspectives appropriate to the project’s goals. Organization is mostly clear and consistent, with an identifiable structure guiding the project.	The project presents a clear, compelling central idea or organizing principle that guides the entire work. Evidence, information, or materials strongly support and enrich the project’s direction, purpose, or claims. Ideas, sources, or influences are thoughtfully selected and woven together in ways that deepen the project’s meaning. Selected sources or materials reflect a wide, relevant, and contextually appropriate range of perspectives. Organization is purposeful and effective, reinforcing the project’s clarity, coherence, and impact.

Developing (1-3 points)	Proficient (4-6 points)	Advanced (7-10 points)
Sources show limited variety or are not well matched to the project’s goals, context, or discipline. Bibliographic entries are incomplete, inconsistent, or missing key information. Connections between sources used in the project and the bibliography are unclear or incomplete.	Sources show some variety and are generally appropriate for the project, though the range may be limited. Bibliographic entries follow a recognizable citation style, though inconsistencies or minor errors may be present. Most sources used in the project are represented accurately in the bibliography.	Sources reflect a strong, well‑chosen variety appropriate to the project’s goals, discipline, and context. Bibliographic entries are complete, accurate, and consistently formatted in a standard citation style. All sources used in the project are fully and accurately represented in the bibliography.