Highlights – How to Ace the IA?

1. Highlights – How to Ace the IA? • Read the Economics Guide section on the IA and this entire PPT! • Find a GREAT article – 1 to 2 pages, aligns to Micro-Econ theory, < 6 mths old • Evaluate 2 to 3 articles: state the theory, define terms, diagram, identify stakeholders • Get feedback on the best choice article from Mr. P/H or Ms. B • Write the IA, proof it, submit DRAFT • Get feedback. Edit. Re-read helpful hints PPT. Edit again. Submit FINAL. • DO NOT SUMMARIZE ARTICLE! You don't have enough words. • Define, Apply, Analyze, Diagram, Explain, Evaluate. • Apply the Economic theory and explain how it links to the article and why. Be sure to properly use and define economic terminology properly throughout. • Analyze and link the actions in the article to theory. Explain using theory, and be sure to use real figures in diagrams where present. • Evaluation – clarify who are winners vs. losers, prioritize steps to take, evaluate the impact on different stakeholders • Proofread, read it out loud, have a friend read for BREVITY and COHERENCE • Remember that Commentary writing must be such that it enables a layman to understand about the article, but it must still use proper Economic terminology.

2. How to Select an Article • Each article must be on a different section of the syllabus. • Students must use a different source for each commentary. • Students need to look for articles relating to current events and these must be published within the last six months. • The article used does not have to be purely economic, • the application of economic theories and concepts can be observed in many areas. • articles without any obvious economics are sometimes the most effective, allowing students to introduce economic analysis where it is not immediately apparent. • Articles that include substantial economic analysis, such as in The Economist, while allowable as a source, may leave little opportunity for further analysis.

3. Where to Select an Article • Articles may be chosen from newspapers, magazines or the internet. Students need to look for articles relating to current events, and these must be published no earlier than six months before the writing of the commentary. • News media websites are acceptable, but blogs are not allowed unless they are associated with recognized news organizations. • Take care to record correctly the actual date the article was published, not just when it was posted on the internet. • Graphic sources (for example, pictures, cartoons and advertisements) do not qualify as articles for the purpose of this internal assessment. • Take care not to choose articles where there is little room for Student analysis and evaluation.

4. Additional Points RE Articles • Shorter articles are best as they tend to be focused on just one or two economic theories/concepts. One to two full sides of letter-size paper in font 10–12, with normal line spacing. Moderators will not read beyond two pages of text. • Articles that are too short will not usually provide enough interesting issues for students to analyze. • If longer than two pages, the original article should be included in its entirety, with the selected part(s) highlighted. The teacher and moderator will only read the highlighted section(s) and it is crucial to highlight all the relevant sections in the commentary. • The article chosen should be in the same language as the commentary, or a full translation of the article must be included • Students must select their own articles to analyze. The teacher may require students to find alternative articles. • The commentary must be each student’s individual work and must not be prepared collaboratively with other members of the class.

5. Tips to find an article? Pick an article that will allow you to use what we have learned in class. • For your first IA, you might select an article including the concepts of supply, demand, role of price, elasticity and/or government intervention. • You might browse business and economics magazines and newspapers, either in the library or online. • You can use any article you find in any recognized publication, as long as you have a hard copy to hand in as well as the source from where you found it. • You must submit your article before further work so that we can validate that it is appropriate.

6. Academic Honesty • All work and writing must be that of the Student. • Information and analysis based on standard economic theory does not require referencing. • Quotations from the article must be identified clearly by quotation marks and by a line or paragraph number. • References from the internet must be cited fully, including the full web address and the date the site was accessed. • If the sources are from a news agency, for example, Thomson Reuters or Associated Press, and these appear in another publication, students must cite the final publication, not the news agency, as the source.

7. Important Considerations The assessors appreciate variety. Choose articles that: • Cover news from different parts of the world (not only the US) • Use a different kinds of sources (newspapers, magazines, domestic, international) • Make it INTERESTING!

8. How to reference sources • Use APA Guidelines!! • References for articles used in the commentary • References for information from the internet • References to materials ( books articles websites) used in the body text of the commentary. • Author title (Edition,Publisher,Place,Year),page. • John Sloman,Economics ( 4th edition , Prentice Hall, London 2000) p.323.