Pioneer Award, Science Fiction Research Association, Guidelines (2005)
The Pioneer Award is given to the writer or writers of the best critical essay-length work of the year, an article in a reasonably broad subject that embodies high standards of scholarship; particularly essays that deal with larger issues; that does the most to advance SF scholarship; that are trailblazers, that open the field of SF criticism for further scholarly work
Consequently, analyses of single works or single authors, narrow explications, and items with relevance to only a small area within the genre are typically excluded, as are reprints and revisions.
Essays are chosen from among the items published within a calendar year, typically carrying the date on the issue date, or in the copyright notice of collections. In some cases, publications dated in one year may not appear until the following year (as with a late journal issue, for example); such material may be considered as valid for consideration.
Conflict of interest questions may be decided by the chair of the Pioneer Committee, or by the President of the SFRA or designate. In general, appearance of a juror in a journal or monograph is not grounds for disqualification. A juror who edits a journal or monograph in which a candidate essay appears may seek a ruling if there is a question; in any such case, the juror should inform all committee members of the connection.
Other significant questions of applicability, interest, or methodology should be considered by the sitting committee. In all cases, the SFRA President and Board should be kept advised of such issues.
The Executive Committee has devised the following ethics statement for jurors:
"SFRA is immensely grateful that you have undertaken to act as a jury member for one of our annual awards. We recognize that there is a lot of effort involved and we are aware that there is real responsibility involved in this work. We want to focus your attention on the fact that we must depend upon your honor and honesty in this process. Because justice and fairness must not only be done but be seen to be done by all our members it may be that in unusual circumstances you may see fit to stand down as a juror in the event that you feel yourself biased by your close friendship or association to one of the candidates at the shortlist stage. We ask you to keep this risk in mind during your work as a juror and to draw our attention to any such conflict. We understand that in a group the size of SFRA it is likely that everyone knows everyone else, and that is not our concern. We depend upon you to consult your consciences if you feel there is any possible appearance of nepotism on your jury.