Questions and Topics We Can Help You Answering; 

Research Paper 

Hypotheses - A training program for newly hired employees will increase their ability to learn job - related skills.
Using that research hypothesis, write a 15 page research paper that includes the following specific sections:

Section 1: Introduction (1-2 pages)
The Introduction will introduce the topic explored by the student, indicate why/how the topic is relevant to the study of leadership, describe an overview of the research design that will be used to conduct the research and the results expected to be found.  The Introduction should clearly state the research hypothesis.

Section 2: Literature Review (4-6 pages)
The Literature Review should cite at least 5 scholarly sources (i.e., peer-reviewed journals or textbooks) that relate to the research hypothesis. The goal of the Literature Review is to show recent trends related to the research topic and why the hypothesis can be beneficial for employees/organizations as well as the advancement of the field. The Literature Review should integrate ideas across all sources, providing a synthesis of your ideas rather than a review of each individual article/source. Please see the Week 4 Lecture Notes for important information about preparing a Literature Review (SEE ATTACHED).

Section 3: Research Design (2-3 pages)
The Research Design should describe the specific research design and methodology that will be used to test the hypothesis. This is a proposal, so the Research Design will indicate a proposed or projected research plan.  The Research Design should specifically include:

The name/type of research design that will be used (descriptive, experimental, qualitative or mixed methods). See examples of these metods below.

The identification of the independent and dependent variable (if an experimental design is chosen).
A brief description of who the participants of the research would be.
A brief description of how data will be collected to test the hypothesis (specific steps).

Descriptive Research focuses on the natural relationship between two or more variables that exists without the researcher changing or adding anything to the research. For example, you may look at differences in employee satisfaction between males and females or the satisfaction with merit pay increases between long-tenured and short-tenured employees. Descriptive research can also include correlational research designs (which will be the focus of Week 5), which predict a linear relationship between two or more variables (e.g., employee salary is correlated with employee satisfaction such that higher salaried employees report greater satisfaction on the job).

Experimental Research focuses on the impact of an independent variable on a dependent variable.  You learned about those terms earlier in class, and they apply directly to experimental research designs.  With experimental research, the researcher tries to show a cause and effect relationship between the independent variable (the variable introduced by the researcher) and the dependent variable (the variable expected to change as a result of the independent variable).

Qualitative Research focuses on the qualities of a variable, rather than its numerical measurement.  A common and increasingly popular research method, qualitative research takes into account non-numerical data that can be heard (audio), observed (visual), or communicated (e.g., through written comments or verbal dialog), etc.

Often a researcher will use more than one research method to test his/her hypothesis. Therefore, in this course you are presented with many different options which can be used to conduct your research. Again, this week you begin with an exploration of descriptive research designs.



Section 4: Conclusion (2-3 pages)
The Conclusion should include a discussion of the results expected to be found by the research.  It should clearly indicate if the student expects the hypothesis to be supported or not.  The Conclusion should also describe possible limitations in terms of the threats to the internal and external validity of the research which could impact the interpretation of the findings.