Research Paper Guidelines: 5 page research paper on a selected Public Personnel Management topic. The research paper will be due during week 6 of the course and will be worth 15% of your final grade. Basic guidelines:
- Use 12-point font and 1 inch margins throughout the paper.
- Include a title page (course name, research topic, your name and date).
- Body of the paper should be double-spaced and should include headers (topic) and footers (page number).
- When using acronyms, define the term the first time and place the acronym in parenthesis; after that, the acronym can be used. For example, The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
- When citing references, use the American Psychological Association (APA) format.
- Complete information on every reference used should be listed at the end of the paper on a page titled “References.” The paper itself:
- Start the paper with the background, introduction to the topic, historical perspective.
- Include research that has been done on the topic, personal experiences, information from subject matter experts, etc.
- End the paper with your conclusions. Papers will be evaluated on the following:
- Accuracy of information.
- Clear, simple, logical progression of ideas.
- Type and amount of research data collected and reference material cited.
- Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc. – proofread your paper before submitting. Citations:
- All references in the paper should be identified by the author’s last name and year of publication; when named within the text use: Mondy (2008); when the author is not named within the text use: (Mondy, 2008).
When direct quotations are used, include a page number: According to Mondy (2008), “operative employees …” (p.3). ¦Make sure you cite all references – if information is retrieved from the web, include the date that it was retrieved; if a personal interview was used, include the date that the interview was conducted. Topics to choose from: Absenteeism Family Medical Leave Act Privatization Affirmative Action Flex Time Privacy Concerns Age Discrimination Flexible Benefits Public Records Alcoholism & Work Generational Public Sector vs Private ADA Glass Ceiling Recruitment Apprentice Programs Grievances Reduced Work Weeks Assessment Centers Health Care Religious Discrimination Arbitration HMO’s Retention Strategies At-Will Employment HRIS (Information Systems) Sabbatical Leaves Behavior Anchored Ratings Identity Theft Safety Concerns Career Planning Incentives Selection Methods Changing Workforce Internet Seniority Systems Sexual Harassment Smoking