HDRI is a think tank dedicated to policy research and facilitating debate in the field of human development. For this reason, your paper should not focus only on academic research and writing, but also to generate ideas and knowledge to inform policy making processes, whether that is creating and proposing new policies or critiquing and evaluating existing ones. Similarly, each group will produce a collective document that focuses on policies related to the broader research themes instead of an academic research paper. This will be in line with HDRI’s mission to create open spaces for debate and channel intellectual resources for the monitoring and evaluation of public policies.
What is a research paper and what should it include?
Due to the endless possibilities of a research paper, we would like to make sure some guidelines are clear for all researchers to follow. Every research paper will be in line with the broader theme of the field they have chosen. The research topic may have a regional focus, a transversal/intersectional focus that joins more than one theme, etc.– it is up to the author to decide! However, all papers must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Introduction/context/background
- Main idea & thesis statement– why the research topic is important.
- Claims that are supported by arguments
- Conclusion and policy recommendations
- The citations must be diverse and inclusive
Interested in research? Here are some resources that can help you with the process:
- This Is How to Write an Effective Research Paper
- Inclusive Citation: How Diverse Are Your References?
- Useful for references:
- JSTOR
- Google Scholar
- About citations: Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition
Human Development Research Initiative 