HRM

How to Write a research Paper

Step one: Choose a topic:

Choose a topic which interests and challenges you. Your attitude towards the topic may well

determine the amount of effort and enthusiasm you put into your research.

Focus on a limited aspect, e.g. narrow it down from "HRM" to "Compensation" to "benefits". If you

are uncertain as to what is expected of you in completing the assignment or project, please feel free

to ASK me.

Select a subject you can manage. Avoid subjects that are too technical, learned, or specialized. Avoid

topics that have only a very narrow range of source materials.

Step Two: Find Information:

Surf the Net.

For general or background information, check out useful URLs, general information online, almanacs

or encyclopedias online such as Britannica. Use search engines and other search tools as a starting

point.

Pay attention to domain name extensions, e.g., .edu (educational institution), .gov (government), or

.org (non-profit organization). These sites represent institutions and tend to be more reliable, but be

watchful of possible political bias in some government sites. Be selective of .com (commercial) sites.

Many .com sites are excellent; however, a large number of them contain advertisements for products

and nothing else. Network Solutions provides a link where you can find out what some of the other

extensions stand for. Be wary of the millions of personal home pages on the Net. The quality of these

personal homepages vary greatly. Learning how to evaluate websites critically and to search

effectively on the Internet can help you eliminate irrelevant sites and waste less of your time.

The recent arrival of a variety of domain name extensions such as .biz (commercial businesses), .pro,

.info (info on products / organizations), .name, .ws (WebSite), .cc (Cocos Island) or .sh (St. Helena) or

.tv (Tuvalu) may create some confusion as you would not be able to tell whether a .cc or .sh or .tv site

is in reality a .com, a .edu, a .gov, a .net, or a .org site. Many of the new extensions have no

registration restrictions and are available to anyone who wishes to register a distinct domain name

that has not already been taken. For instance, if Books.com is unavailable, you can register as

Books.ws or Books.info via a service agent such as Register.com.

To find books in the Library use the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog).

Check out other print materials available in the Library:

• Almanacs, Atlases, AV Catalogs

• Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

• Government Publications, Guides, Reports

• Magazines, Newspapers

• Vertical Files

• Yellow Pages, Zip or Postal Code and Telephone Directories

Check out online resources, Web based information services, or special resource materials on CDs:

• Online reference materials (including databases, e.g. SIRS, ProQuest, eLibrary, etc.)

• Wall Street Executive Library

• Index to Periodicals and Newspapers (e.g. MagPortal.com, OnlineNewspapers.com, etc.)

• Answers.com - an online dictionary and encyclopedia all-in-one resource that you can install

on your computer free of charge and find one-click answers quickly.

• Encyclopedias (e.g.Britannica, Canadian Encyclopedia, etc.)

• Magazines and Journals (e.g. Time, National Geographic, Maclean's, Newsweek, etc.)

• Newspapers (e.g. Los Angeles Times, New York Times, USA Today, The Toronto Star, Vancouver

Sun, etc.)

• International Public Library

• Subject Specific software (e.g. discovering authors, exploring Shakespeare, etc.)

Check out public and university libraries, businesses, government agencies, as well as contact

knowledgeable people in your community.

Read and evaluate. Bookmark your favorite Internet sites. Printout, photocopy, and take notes of

relevant information.

As you gather your resources, jot down full bibliographical information (author, title, place of

publication, publisher, date of publication, page numbers, URLs, creation or modification dates on

Web pages, and your date of access) on your work sheet, printout, or enter the information on your

laptop or desktop computer for later retrieval. If printing from the Internet, it is wise to set up the

browser to print the URL and date of access for every page. Remember that an article without

bibliographical information is useless since you cannot cite its source.

Step Three: State your problem or question:

Do some critical thinking and write your thesis statement down in one sentence. Your thesis

statement is like a declaration of your belief. The main portion of your essay will consist of arguments

to support and defend this belief.

For example, I want to see the Impact of 2030 vision on the HR field in Saudi Arabia. Then my research

problem will be focused on that and will try all the arguments that justify my thesis or hypothesis.

Step Four: make a tentative outline:

points must relate to the same major topic that you first mentioned in your capital Roman numeral.

Example of an outline:

I. Introduction

a. The link between Human Resources and motivation

b. Deferent definition of motivation

c. Why motivation is important

d. The map for your research

II. Motivation Psychological approaches

a. Herzberg’s theory of motivation

b. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

c. Two factors theory

d. How each theory can affect the motivation of the employee?

III. Personality and motivation (motivation among different type of employee’s personality)

a. What is personality

b. Identifying different types of personality

c. Our personality Vs. others

d. Motivators by personality types

IV. Motivation and diversity

a. What is diversity

b. The link between diversity and motivation

c. The impact of diversity on the employee’s motivation

V. Setting goals

a. Goals and motivation

b. Setting smart goals

c. Evaluating and adapting

VI. Motivation on the job

a. The key factors

b. Creating a motivational organization

c. Creating a motivational job

d. Creating a motivational employee

VII. Application of motivation in a workplace environment

a. Example form Saudi Arabia

b. Example form outside of KSA

c. What the different?

VIII. Conclusion

a. Final argument

b. Summing up

c. Take home message

The purpose of an outline is to help you think through your topic carefully and organize it logically

before you start writing. A good outline is the most important step in writing a good paper. Check

your outline to make sure that the points covered flow logically from one to the other. Include in your

outline an INTRODUCTION, a BODY, and a CONCLUSION. Make the first outline tentative.

Step Five: organize your notes:

Organize all the information you have gathered according to your outline. Critically analyze your

research data. Using the best available sources, check for accuracy and verify that the information is

factual, up-to-date, and correct. Opposing views should also be noted if they help to support your

thesis. This is the most important stage in writing a research paper. Here you will analyze, synthesize,

sort, and digest the information you have gathered and hopefully learn something about your topic

which is the real purpose of doing a research paper in the first place. You must also be able to

effectively communicate your thoughts, ideas, insights, and research findings to others through

written words as in a report, an essay, a research or term paper, or through spoken words as in an

oral or multimedia presentation with audio-visual aids.

Do not include any information that is not relevant to your topic, and do not include information that

you do not understand. Make sure the information that you have noted is carefully recorded and in

your own words, if possible. Plagiarism is definitely out of the question. Document all ideas borrowed

or quotes used very accurately. As you organize your notes, jot down detailed bibliographical

information for each cited paragraph and have it ready to transfer to your Works Cited page.

Devise your own method to organize your notes. One method may be to mark with a different color

ink or use a hi-liter to identify sections in your outline, e.g., IA3b - meaning that the item "Accessing

WWW" belongs in the following location of your outline:

I. Understanding the Internet

A. What is the Internet

3. How to "Surf the Net"

b. Accessing WWW

Group your notes following the outline codes you have assigned to your notes, e.g., IA2, IA3, IA4, etc.

This method will enable you to quickly put all your resources in the right place as you organize your

notes according to your outline.

Step sex: write your first draft:

Start with the first topic in your outline. Read all the relevant notes you have gathered that have been

marked. Summarize, paraphrase or quote directly for each idea you plan to use in your essay. Use a

technique that suits you, e.g. write summaries, paraphrases or quotations on note cards, or separate

sheets of lined paper. Mark each card or sheet of paper clearly with your outline code or reference,

e.g., IB2a or IIC, etc.

Put all your note cards or paper in the order of your outline, e.g. IA, IB, IC. If using a word processor,

create meaningful filenames that match your outline codes for easy cut and paste as you type up your

final paper, e.g. cut first Introduction paragraph and paste it to IA. Before you know it, you have a well

organized term paper completed exactly as outlined.

If it is helpful to you, use a symbol such as "#" to mark the spot where you would like to check back

later to edit a paragraph. The unusual symbol will make it easy for you to find the exact location

again. Delete the symbol once editing is completed.

Step seven: revise your outline and draft:

Read your paper for any content errors. Double check the facts and figures. Arrange and rearrange

ideas to follow your outline. Reorganize your outline if necessary, but always keep the purpose of

your paper and your readers in mind.

Step eight: TYPE FINAL PAPER

All formal reports or essays should be typewritten and printed, preferably on a good quality printer.

Read the assignment sheet again to be sure that you understand fully what is expected of you, and

that your essay meets the requirements as specified by your teacher. Know how your essay will be

evaluated.

Proofread final paper carefully for spelling, punctuation, missing or duplicated words. Make the effort

to ensure that your final paper is clean, tidy, neat, and attractive.

Aim to have your final paper ready a day or two before the deadline. This gives you peace of mind and

a chance to triple check. Before handing in your assignment for marking, ask yourself: "Is this the

VERY BEST that I can do?"