EC9AA-15 The Practice of Economics Research
Introductory description
EC9AA-15 The Practice of Economics Research
Module aims
The principal aim of this module is to serve as a bridge between theoretical material taught in other year-one core modules and the practical application of theory and methods to concrete research questions, informed by other considerations (such as institutional structures). The focus is on the development of the skills needed to conduct research, including identifying and formulationg research questions that are informed by current debates both in academia and outside it (for example in public policy), identifying appropriate sources and methods, dealing with the practical aspects of deploying those methods, and communicating and disseminating research results effectively. By comparison with the other core modules taken by students in the first year of the MRes programme, this module is distinctive in its emphasis on learning by example and on learning by doing.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Illustrative topics might include:
- Analysis of historical patterns of growth and development and assessment of the persistent effects of history on development today; analysis of episodes of crisis in history and interpretation to shed light on current events and debates; critical analysis of the use of historical sources.
- Locating, accessing, handling and analysis of official statistics, large administrative data and other datasets.
- The design and conduct of lab-based experiments, field experiments, and randomized control trials.
- The deployment of computational methods.
- The use of non-quantitative sources (case studies, legal documents) and application of appropriate methods of analysis (e.g. lexicographic analysis of historical and legal texts and of survey data).
- Critical appraisal of different research methods and approaches to economic research, including: qualitative methods, theoretical modelling, simulation methods and other empirical methods.
- Appraisal of the role of institutions, institutional change and economic performance.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...have a comprehensive understanding of the main research methods and techniques deployed in economic research and analysis. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, workshops and background reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: A research report to be completed after the end of the module.
- Subject Knowledge and Understanding:...have an advanced knowledge of how to implement and apply the main research methods deployed in economic research and analysis. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, workshops and background reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: A research report to be completed after the end of the module.
- Cognitive Skills...to critically evaluate and select appropriate main research methods and deploy these in independent self-directed economic research and analysis. The teaching and learning methods that enable students to achieve this learning outcome are: Lectures, workshops and background reading. The summative assessment methods that measure the achievement of this learning outcome are: A research report to be completed after the end of the module.
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Specific reading list for the module
Subject specific skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in:
Analytical thinking and communication
Analytical Reasoning
Critical thinking
Creative Thinking
Problem solving
Policy Evaluation
Concepts of Simultaneity and Endogeneity
Analysis of Optiminsation
Understanding of Uncertainty and Incomplete Information
Transferable skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop:
Research skills
Numeracy and Quantitative skills
Data-based Skills
IT Skills
Written communication
Oral communication
Mathematical, Statistical, data-based research skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 24 sessions of 1 hour (16%) |
| Private study | 126 hours (84%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Private study will be required in order to prepare for seminars/classes, to review lecture notes, to prepare for forthcoming assessments, tests, and exams, and to undertake wider reading around the subject.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A4
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Written Research Report | 100% | No | |
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Feedback on assessment
The Department of Economics is committed to providing high quality and timely feedback to students on their assessed work, to enable them to review and continuously improve their work. We are dedicated to ensuring feedback is returned to students within 20 University working days of their assessment deadline. Feedback for assignments is returned either on a standardised assessment feedback cover sheet which gives information both by tick boxes and by free comments or via free text comments on Tabula, together with the annotated assignment. For tests and problem sets, students receive solutions as an important form of feedback and their marked assignment, with a breakdown of marks and comments by question and sub-question. Students are informed how to access their feedback, either by collecting from the Department of Economics Postgraduate Office or via Tabula. Module leaders often provide generic feedback for the cohort outlining what was done well, less well, and what was expected on the assignment and any other common themes. This feedback also includes a cumulative distribution function with summary statistics so students can review their performance in relation to the cohort. This feedback is in addition to the individual-specific feedback on assessment performance.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of TECA-L1PL in Economics (Master of Research plus PhD)