Research Paper Guideline for Intermediate
Microeconomics
Deadlines related to this paper:
·
Research
Evaluation. This requires that you submit
1.
A 1-2 page
detailed summary of your paper.
2.
A bibliography of
articles that support this paper. This
must include at least 4 peer reviewed sources.
·
Paper.
Completed written paper due by the start of class, submitted in hard copy and
online. This is a 6-8 page typed (double spaced with one inch margins) paper,
with a bibliography that includes at least 4 peer reviewed sources). You may
also include appendices for tables or figures if you wish. Please see them full
assignment handout for grading rubric. Note: I will not accept late paper under
any circumstances.
For your research paper you may
examine any domestic or international microeconomic issue. I encourage you to come up with
your own topic. If you have difficulty coming up with a paper topic, you may
select it from the list of topics. Try to select a topic that genuinely
interests you because you don’t want to be bored writing the paper.
A.
General Outline
Your completed paper should have the following items and
sections:
Title
Author (you)
I.
Introduction/Significance of the Problem (around
0.5-1 page)
This section should explain the significance of the issue you
are studying. Why should we (or the company or government of X) care?
II.
Analysis including literature review (5-6 pages)
In this section, you should analyze the issue you are
interested in using the tools (models) and concepts learned in ECON2101. Did
anyone else study this or similar issue before? What are their main findings?
How do your analysis/findings differ from or coincide with the findings of
others? Be sure to use data or some other evidence to support your arguments.
If you are studying some policy issue, what policy recommendations would you
make and why? Make sure that your recommendations and findings are consistent
with your evidence. Do not write literature review for longer than one page.
III.
Conclusion (0.5-1 page)
Summarize your findings. You need to convince the reader that
you addressed the issue you wanted to study and that you have important
findings/recommendations. Make sure that your conclusions are consistent with
your analysis.
IV.
References
Cite your sources in alphabetical order. Use at least four primary sources. Do not forget to cite
the sources for your data. When citing references, please use Author(Date) citation style commonly
used in economics papers.
Sample citation for journal articles:
Aigner, D.J., C.A. Lovell and P.
Schmidt (1977). “Formulation and Estimation of Stochastic Frontier Production
Function Models.” Journal of Econometrics
6(2): 21-38.
Sample citation for books:
Pindyck, R. (1990). The Structure of World Energy Demand. Cambridge: MIT Press. pp.
36-38.
B.
Format
Your paper should be typed using font 12, double-spaced. The
length of your paper should be around 7 pages. Try not to exceed 9 pages.
Label, name and number all your graphs and tables.
C. Other Suggestions
Please feel free to ask questions about any part of your
project. If in doubt, use common sense. Do not plagiarize.
You can obtain most US data from the following websites:
–
the Federal Reserve (research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/)
–
the Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.gov)
–
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov)
You can obtain most international data from the following
websites:
–
International Monetary Fund (www.imf.org)
–
the World Bank (www.worldbank.org)
D.
Grading
The following are the main criteria that will be used to grade
your paper:
Clarity and Organization
(30%)
Does the student clearly
state her/his research question and motivate the topic in the first
paragraph?
Are arguments and
conclusions clearly stated?
How well does the student
communicate her/his ideas? Do paragraphs and sections flow well together?
Is the paper well
organized?
Analysis (50%)
How well does the student understand the topic?
Does the student
understand the main issues involved?
Does the student utilize
concepts, models, and analytical techniques studied in the class?
Does the student use
relevant data in her/his analysis?
Are arguments and
conclusions supported by the evidence presented? Does the student present her/his own analysis or
interpretations?
Other (20%)
Are all sources properly sited?
Does the student use
variety of sources? Are tables and figures properly labeled? Are there many
spelling or grammar errors?
Note: Failure to submit your paper topic or completed paper on time
will reduce your paper grade.
E. SAMPLE LIST OF PAPER TOPICS
1. Has the demand for oil
changed over the last decade?
2. Has BP recovered from its
catastrophic mistake?
3. How is the demand and supply
of corn affected by the weather or the policies?
4. How have the consumption
patterns changed in households?
5. Evaluate the functions of
different market structures in the auto industry
6. Evaluate the functions of
different market structures in the appliance industry
7. Evaluate the functions of
different market structures in the food industry
8. Evaluate the functions of
different market structures in the airline industry
9. Evaluate the functions of
different market structures in the petroleum refining industry
10. Evaluate the functions of
different market structures in the higher education industry
11. Determine if wage-price rose
or fell
12. Unemployment in America
compared to the rest of the world
13. Costs and benefits of labor
unions in various industries
14. Costs and benefits of labor
unions in different market structures
15. Pricing policies in various
market structures
16. Pricing strategies and the
effects on pricing wars
17. Pricing strategies and
competitive advantage
18. Effects of globalization on
a particular industry or business
19. Discuss the effects of the
current fiscal policy or monetary policy on small businesses
20. How interest rates influence
consumer spending
21. Effects of gambling or drug
addictions
22. Effects of immigration on
business in America
23. Effects of financial crisis
on market structures of an industry or business/individuals
