Beginning the Student Research Project in Economics

1
Beginningthe Student Research Project in
Economics

• Dr Aidan Kane
• Department of Economics
• NUI Galway
• Ireland
• aidan.kane_at_nuigalway.ie
• www.aidankane.net
• www.economics.nuigalway.ie
• This version Version 1.0 September 27th 2007

2
Where to begin?

• Begin again to the summoning birds
• To the sight of light at the window
• from Begin by Brendan Kennelly

3
Consider the why?s of the project

• (before you get to a topic)
• Some answers to why?
• move beyond set curricula
• deepen your knowledge
• apply your knowledge
• demonstrate your talents!
• a platform for the next job, course, promotion

4
Think aboutwhat types of research papers do we
see in economics?

• The Heres a paper about stuff paper
• The Here is my theory, which is mine paper
• The I test a hypothesis paper
• The I got my hands dirty with the data paper
• The How we can improve policy paper
• The Whats new in this field paper
• and more besides.

5
What will your paper do?
?
?
test?
explore?
review? analyse? synthesise?
evaluate?
recommend?
compare?
inform?
?
explain?
6
The topic
I sought a theme and sought for it in vain, I
sought it daily for six weeks or so. from The
Circus Animals Desertion William Butler Yeats

• where to look?
• around you!
• Political economy (economics) as the study of
  mankind in the ordinary business of life Alfred
  Marshall

7
The topic
I sought a theme and sought for it in vain, I
sought it daily for six weeks or so. from The
Circus Animals Desertion William Butler Yeats

• where to look?
• Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)
  classification system
• Journal of Economic Perspectives
• Journal of Economic Surveys
• SourceOECD
• EconLit
• JSTOR
• The Economist
• A closer look at course outlines, course textbooks

8
Getting specific

• Move from broad to narrow to get to
• a working title
• an abstract
• a table of contents/list of sections
• a working list of sources
• a list of problems/questions
• next steps
• Work to a plan
• with some milestones and GICODs (good-ideas cut
  off dates) and perhaps
• proposal (see above!)
• re-draft/sign-off
• complete 1st draft
• 2nd draft
• Final draft
• Assemble your resources/your guides

9
Resources

• Keep a journal
• Guides on format, conventions
• see www.aidankane.net
• Bibliographical help
• e.g. EndNote Bibliographical Management software
• Economical Writing Deirdre N. McCloskey
  Economic Inquiry 24(2) (Apr 1985) available
  from
• www.deirdremccloskey.com
• (see Part 12 teaching composition in economics
  in the publications section of McCloskeys site)
• On The Visual Display of Quantitative
  Information Edward Tufte
• www.edwardtufte.com