Department of Economics
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Michael S. Hanson Department of Economics |
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| Research Project for Economics 385, Spring 2007 |
| Step 1: | Read chapter 19 of Wooldridge, Introductory Econometrics, and write a paragraph or two describing a topic of interest to you that you think would be appropriate for this course. This short assignment is due on Wednesday, January 31, as part of the first problem set. See all the more detailed notes on the project that I have also assembled. |
| Step 2: |
Start refining your general ideas into an econometrically testable
hypothesis. Try to narrow down the focus of your question as specifically
as possible.
You should let the idea suggest the appropriate econometric technique,
rather than the other way around.
Meet with me in person to discuss your plans before the proposal
is due.
Below are good places to look through as you begin to develop your topic (or if you are still searching for one): Note: The last several years of these publications are not available through the above links, but can be found on Olin Library's Journal Locator. |
| Step 3: |
Find several academic papers that use statistical analysis to
analyze your issue or a related one. Magazine or
newspaper articles are good ways to motivate a topic, but
cannot substitute for original research.
Some places to look for such papers:
|
| Step 4: |
Write a 2–3 page prospectus. The prospectus is due at
the beginning of class on Wednesday, February 28.
The prospectus should include a brief discussion of your topic, related
citations, data description and summary, and some discussion of the
proposed econometric techniques.
(See the research project notes for more information.)
I will be available for appointments the week before and after the prospectus is due, and will require appointments for those students whose proposed projects do not seem appropriate for this course. |
| Step 5: |
Collect your data. If you will be collecting your
own sample, come talk with me. If you plan to use published
data, be certain to have the data in a computer-readable
format. Collecting data is a critical — not to mention
time-consuming — part of this project, so see me (or e-mail
me) if you have any questions. You should strive to have all
your data together before writing your proposal; the longer it
takes to collect your data, the more difficult the project becomes.
Include summary statistics in your proposal.
Some places to look for published data on-line: |
| Step 6: |
Write an annotated bibliography with data summary.
The bibliography/data summary is due at the beginning of class
on Monday, April 2. Provide a few paragraphs that describe your
area of research, then list complete citations and a descriptive paragraph
(or two) for each of between 3 to 8 related academic research articles.
Describe their relevance to your project, their data, their analysis, and
their findings.
You also should include a detailed discussion of your data: the source(s), shortcomings, necessary transformations, etc. You should include tables and figures (as appropriate) that summarize your data and highlight the important empirical relationships. All relevant data should have been collected before this assignment is due. (Note: do not simply print out your data set.) |
| Step 7: |
Conduct your statistical analysis and write your first draft.
You should stop by and speak with me about your progress in April;
I will schedule time outside of office hours if necessary.
Draft projects are due by 4 PM on Monday, April 23.
Late papers will not receive credit. They should
be placed on the Econ 385 directory.
If you would like assistance with your writing, consult with the Writing Workshop or come see me. |
| Step 8: |
Read and provide written comments to two fellow students' drafts.
Comments must be completed by Monday, April 30th, at the
beginning of class.
Comments will be posted publicly on the course web site. I will
assign reviewers to drafts on Monday, April 23rd.
Peer-review is an essential part of academic research; you should provide constructive comments on and suggestions for each of the papers assigned to you. Reviews should generally be between 1 and 2 pages in length. |
| Step 9: |
Revise your draft and submit the final version of your project.
Research papers are due at my office by An electronic copy must be placed on the Econ 385 course directory on or before that date. Only Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format will be accepted. (Software to create PDF files is available in all labs on campus. Check with a lab consultant for help.) All Stata files necessary to reproduce the complete set of results reported in your paper should be uploaded as well by the above deadline. Again, I encourage you to stop by my office, or contact me via e-mail, to discuss any questions regarding your project. |