RESEARCH METHODS
ECON 4980, CRN#: 21843
Fall Semester 2009
5:30pm - 8:20pm
Tuesday
Meeting Place:
WB 103
Name of Instructor |
Dr. Doris Geide-Stevenson |
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Office: |
WB 232 |
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Phone: |
(801) 626-7634 |
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Fax: |
(801) 626-7423 |
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E-mail: |
dgsteven@weber.edu |
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Personal Websites |
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Office hours: |
MW 11:30am – 12:00pm |
Course Communication
It will be common for the instructor to send e-mails to the class regarding assignments and schedule changes. The instructors will use the student Groupwise accounts set up by Weber State University. It is the student’s responsibility to check his or her Weber State e-mail daily.
An important component of any degree should include the acquisition of research skills so that students are able to generate new knowledge and to communicate findings to others. As a capstone experience designed for senior economics majors, this course will ask students to conduct research in economics. The course will focus on individual components in the research process and the integration of these components into a substantial research paper. Specifically, the course will focus on how to develop an effective research question, review existing research, formulate a testable hypothesis, conceptualize research, interpret results from empirical and theoretical analysis, and communicate findings in a research report and an oral presentation.
Students will use skills and knowledge learned in both economics courses and in other college coursework to contribute new knowledge to the field of economics. Rather than writing a report that only summarizes existing facts, students will create knowledge by constructing a testable hypothesis or developing arguments, and then disseminating results both in writing and through oral presentation. As such, students will complete a substantial writing component (i.e., The Paper) and disseminate their project to faculty and students in an oral presentation.
It is common for economists to work for state government. Suppose you are employed by the Utah State Division of Parks and Recreation and are asked to prepare a report summarizing the likely impact of increased gas prices on state parks vs. national parks, and prepare a brief presentation for the governor’s budget director. How and where do you begin? How do you document your findings? What should you include in your presentation?
By the end of class we hope you have learned to write more effectively, document correctly, and present efficiently so that assignments such as this are not so daunting. Most importantly, you should learn to embrace the process of research as a journey that you will engage in for the rest of your life.
Greenlaw, Steven A., Doing Economics: A Guide to Understanding and Carrying Out Economic Research (Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 2006); ISBN: 0-618-379835.
(1) McCloskey, D. N., Economic Writing, 2nd Edition (Waveland Press, Inc.: Long Grove, IL, 2000). ISBN: 1-57766-063-3.
(2) The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers, 14th Edition (University of Chicago Press, 1993). ISBN 0226103897. In addition, a writing reference is recommended.
(3) Others: economics textbooks; other texts in statistics, calculus, mathematical economics, and econometrics. Many of these texts can be secured from the university library.
University Resource:
Office of Undergraduate Research: The WSU office of undergraduate website explains what types of grants are available, specifies grant deadlines, and provides useful tips for a successful grant proposal. (Tentative deadline for the first round grant applications: Sept. 21, 2009).
The major objective of this class is to have students improve their ability to conduct economic research and to communicate their methods and results. After learning the individual components in the research process, students will complete a comprehensive research paper and present the paper to students and faculty members.
Rather than provide students with assigned research topics, each student is expected to come up with his or her own research topic. Class activities will assist students through the process of selecting a research topic. While the course instructor is the primary advisor, students should feel free to consult with other economics faculty on their projects.
Class presentations will occur in the 14th, 15th, and 16th weeks of the semester. Students presenting in the Fall 2009 semester will submit their final research paper (two hard copies) by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 2009.
The Office of Undergraduate Research at Weber State University will make a request for undergraduate research proposals (AKA an RFP) in fall semester. Each student taking ECON 4980 will be required to submit a completed proposal to the instructors for submission consideration. Part of the undergraduate research proposal guidelines will require each student to complete a budget worksheet. To assist in your research endeavors, you will be able to ask for money to help in your project, including funds for purchasing data, travel, and stipends. It is important for students to note that late proposals will receive a penalty equivalent to one grade deduction. For example, if a proposal is late and graded as an A-, the actual recorded grade will be a B-.
Students will be expected to complete several homework assignments (to be turned in and discussed) throughout the semester. Class time will be devoted to the discussion of these assignments. Part of learning how to do research in economics is discussing components of the research process with peers. The instructor encourages open discussion of ideas and methods throughout the semester. It is important for students to note that assignments turned in late will receive a penalty.
Buy a notebook and use it to keep track of each and every step you take along the way. This notebook will provide you with a central location for storing information relevant to your study and will help you keep organized. Use your notebook to keep track of database searches, citations and questions to ask your instructor at the next one-on-one meeting. You may also make a habit of carrying the notebook with you at all times. You never know when inspiration strikes.
Attendance and Department Seminars
The instructor expects regular attendance at all course related events, including class meetings and department seminars.
Students will attend at least two department seminars throughout the semester. If you are unable to attend these seminars, students may request to attend economic department seminars at the University of Utah, Utah State University, or Brigham Young University. WSU seminar information will be posted at a later date
Final Course Grade:
As noted above, throughout the semester students will complete assignments aimed at aiding them in their research endeavors. While these assignments are important and critical to the overall success of students in Econ 4980, disseminating the results both in writing and orally are paramount. As such, in order to receive a passing grade in this class, students must receive at least a C- on their paper and presentation. Provided students have successfully achieved this goal, their final grade will be calculated as follows:
RESEARCH PAPER AND PRESENTATION GRADE IS A C- OR ABOVEFinal Grading Percentages |
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Research paper |
65% |
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Research paper presentation and discussant role |
10% |
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Undergraduate research proposal |
10% |
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Assignments, class discussion and research notebook |
15% |
| Participation and Completion of the TUCE (Test of Understanding College Economics) in Micro and Macro economics | |
Grading Scale |
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A |
90% and above |
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B |
80% - 90% |
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C |
70% - 80% |
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D |
60% - 70% |
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E |
60% and below |
If the minimum C- grade is not achieved on the paper and presentation the highest possible grade a student may receive is a D+. Instructors reserve the right to assign +/- grades based on attendance, regularly meeting deadlines and quality differences in the assigned work.
Prepare For Obstacles and Unexpected Challenges
Students encounter different experiences while performing original research in economics for the first time. Based on past experience, we have highlighted below some common misunderstandings about completing economic research.
Sometimes students believe that finding data to do an empirical study will be straightforward and requires minimal time, but when the student starts collecting the data, they realize that data collection might take a considerable amount of time (e.g., survey data, fees to purchase data, combining data from different sources, entering data, etc.). It is important do understand the data requirements for the method of analysis you choose. This is key in determining whether completing your research project is feasible in the time allotted. The instructors are willing to help in these endeavors.
Sometimes research requires learning new software programs. This may include econometric or statistical software packages, or mathematical modeling programs. Prepare in advance by seeking help from the instructors.
Students are encouraged to consult with other classmates when working on homework problems unless otherwise directed by the instructors. However, each student must submit individual homework assignments for grading unless otherwise noted. Cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable and are considered a serious breach of university policy. Students found to cheat or plagiarize will receive a grade of E for the class. Please refer to the WSU Student Code (see http://documents.weber.edu/ppm/6-22.htm under part D in section IV).
Services for Students with Disabilities (Americans with Disabilities Act)
If you have special needs, it is your responsibility to contact one of the instructors during the first week of classes. Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Services Center (phone: 626-6413) will coordinate reasonable accommodations.
Fall 2009 Emergency Procedures for ECON 4980
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Utah Public Health Department are anticipating a resurgence of the H1N1 flu this fall. This could result in significant disruptions to our class. The guidelines for this class are:
If you are ill, stay home. The virus comes on suddenly; if you become ill (fever, chills etc.) while at school, go home. Exposing others to the virus can potentially result in serious complications and even death in high-risk individuals. See the WSU website at http://weber.edu/flu for specific recommendations. Always wash your hands and cover your mouth if you cough.
Notify me immediately if you are sick. Arrangement for the completion of work may be made.
In the event that the professor becomes ill, all class communication, lessons, assignments etc. will be communicated electronically. I will send Groupwise e-mails to announce any changes. At that time I will let you know how we will proceed. That may include use of Blackboard and/or e-mails from me that accompany lesson material.
It is advised that you sign up for Code Purple. Code purple is an emergency notification system that gives WSU teh ability to communicate health and safety information as well as weather related closures information quickly - by text, voice and/or e-mail message.
(The instructor will make adjustments to the schedule throughout the semester as needed).
8/25: Discussion of syllabus, requirements, and expectations
Fields in economics
Discussion of previous projects
How to be successful in research
Discussion of scientific method (examples of use of scientific method in economics)
What is a good research question?
Reading Assignment (for 8/25
class):
Lokshin, M. (2008), Does Poverty Research in Russia Follow the Scientific Method?, The World Bank Development Research Group, Policy Research Working Paper 4528.
Greenlaw, Steven A., Doing Economics, Chapter 1 and 2
Assignment 1 (due 9/1): Complete Exercise #1 and #2 on page 25. For exercise #2 think about possible questions that you may use as your research project.
Assignment 2 (due 9/8): Choose two articles from academic journals in economics with one article from the Journal of Economic Literature or the Journal of Economic Perspectives. Summarize the main goal of the research and the findings. Each summary should be typed (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 point font), less than two pages, and include a complete citation (journal title, article title, author, volume, number, month, year, page numbers.) Example: Swanson, C. E., Kopecky, K. J. and Tucker, A. (1997), “Technology Adoption over the Life Cycle and Aggregate Technological Progress,” Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 63, No. 4 (April), pp. 872-887. Note that the last name of each author is written first, followed by his or her initials. The name of the journal is in italics and the title of the article is in double quotation marks. There are other ways to cite literature. See The Chicago Manual of Style. Attach a copy of the article to each summary. You need to find articles in an area that you may be interested in doing a research topic; doing this will help significantly with a future assignment. You have “library” research tools to help you in this task. Use this assignment to get a “head start” on your project.
Reading assignment (for 9/1 class): Chapter 3 from “Doing Economics”
Reading assignment (for 9/1 class): Chapter 8 and 8a from “Doing Economics”
9/1: Library meeting – classroom will be announced.
Students will become familiar with the research services available through the library.
Reading Assignment( for 9/8 class): Chapter 7 from ''Doing Economics"
Assignment 3 (Due 9/8): Prepare and summarize three possible topics for a research project. Included in your discussion should be the feasibility of completing the project this semester. Think in terms of the scientific method and finding appropriate literature; the literature will help identify feasible research topics, applicable theories, modeling strategies, and the type of data you may need for your model. For all projects you should explore the possible 'theoretical model of your research' (see Greenlaw, chapter 7). For empirical research requiring data, you should identify possible data sources (e.g., survey data, from the Internet such as from the bureau of labor statistics, etc.) You should rank these possible topics in order of interest (‘1’ being the project you would most like to pursue and ‘3’ being the project you would least like to pursue).
9/8: Research Topics and Methods, Theorizing and Sources of data and survey methods
Reading Assignment (for 9/15 class): Chapters 9 and 9a from “Doing Economics”, Chapter 6 from “Doing Economics”
Assignment 4 - Undergraduate Proposal: Complete Undergraduate Research Proposal (information available at http://weber.edu/OUR/default.html). Submit to Dr. Geide-Stevenson by class on 9/15, and I will check for completeness and return to within the next two days. Make final edits and submit final proposal to instructors for signatures and completed mentor forms by Monday, 9/21. Students having projects submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Research will need to have signatures and completed mentor forms. The Economics Department will turn in final drafts to the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Note: Undergraduate research proposals must include at least 3 references. As such, your search of the literature as you prepare to write your literature review will be useful in completing your undergraduate research proposal.
Due dates:
· First draft to instructors: by class on Wednesday 9/15.
· Final proposals submitted to the Undergraduate Research Office by 9/21 (tentative)
Based on these summaries, the instructors will suggest which research topic is the most promising in the context of the course requirements. It may be possible that the student will have to undertake more investigation to define a research direction.
9/15: Writing a Literature Review - Discuss Research Proposal
Assignment 6 (due 10/6): Complete a draft of your literature review for your research proposal that will be included in your final paper. Include at least four sources from academic journals. It is expected that your subsequent drafts and your final research paper will include at least four sources in your literature review, but your paper will include well over four references. Keep in mind that it is expected that students will write and rewrite their literature review, and other components of their paper, many times. Most of our research publications have gone through many revisions. Please include a citation page.
9/22: Theorizing the research (Exogenous and endogenous variables)
Discussion of
Undergraduate Research Proposal
Assignment 5 (due 9/29): Complete Exercises #1, #2, and #6 on pages 137-138 in Chapter 7.
Assignment 7 (due 10/20): Write theoretical perspective section of your paper and discuss expectations/underlying hypotheses. Follow the instructions on Exercise #6, p. 138.
Reading assignment (for 9/29 class): Chapter 10 and 11 from “Doing Economics”
9/29: Understanding descriptive statistics
Causation vs. Correlation
Linear regression and Multiple Regression
Assignment 8 (due 10/27): Complete (1) or (2).
(1) Theoretical research projects: Compose an outline of how you will develop your theoretical model.
(2) Empirical research projects: Compose an outline of the data you will be collecting and/or a draft of your survey.
Multiple regression model
Assignment 9 (due 11/3): Regression analysis.
10/6: catch up on any loose ends class
Note: You should be working on the methods part of your project.
Week 8: Integrating literature review and research methods
10/13: no class (possible seminar presentation)
Reading: Chapter 4 and 5 of "Doing Economics"
10/20: Discuss how to report results from theoretical and empirical models
Assignment 10 (due 11/6): Complete a rough draft that integrates the literature review, theoretical perspective, methods, and results. Due: by 4:00pm on Thursday 11/6.
10/27: no class (possible seminar presentation)
Reading assignment (for 11/3):
Read Chapter 12 from “Doing Economics”
11/3: Discuss the Introduction and Conclusion parts of the research project
Assignment 11 (due 11/17): Complete a working draft of your final research project.
IMPORTANT: If a student does not provide an acceptable draft of the research paper by this date, the student will not be scheduled to present the paper or to serve as a discussant. Hence, the student will not receive credit for their presentation* or role as a discussant.
*Recall: students must earn at least a C- on their paper and presentation in order to receive credit for Econ 4980 towards their degree in economics.
11/10: Possible seminar
11/17: Discussion of how to present research in economics
Week 14: Class presentations
11/24: Class presentations of student papers
Week 15: Class presentations
12/1: Class presentations of student papers
Final Exam time: class presentations
Final project due by 4:00pm on Friday 12/11
No projects will be accepted after 4:00pm on Friday 12/11.