MA Research Workshop: Developing Research Skills in Economics

1. ECON7000 MA Research Workshop First Class: Jan. 8, 2019 Slides at http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~simpson/TM(Current%20Teaching).html

3. What the University of Manitoba Calendar Says • “An examination of research methodology to assist students in understanding the process of research in Economics. Students will complete a research project under direct supervision. This is a required course for students in the M.A. by course work. This course is graded pass/fail. Prerequisite: permission of department head.” • required for MA (Economics) by course work

4. What the course will try to do: • “Students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of research methods in Economics by developing and executing a research project in consultation with the course instructor and a faculty supervisor, resulting in a final paper of standard journal length” • Individual meetings with faculty supervisor and course instructor plus class presentations and discussions (Feb 5, Mar 5 11:30, 216 Tier)

5. Developing a research paper

6. Some Recent Topics

9. What you need to do for next class (Feb. 5, 11:30pm , 216 Tier) • Choose a topic in consultation with a faculty supervisor • Use course instructor as a resource if necessary • Complete topic approval form; provide faculty supervisor with course information sheet • Develop your project proposal • Class presentation of about 10 minutes (about 10 PowerPoint slides) on Feb. 5 • Written project proposal of no more than 5 pages (1500 words) due Feb. 8 at noon

10. What you need to do after that: • Develop your review of relevant literature • not an annotated bibliography of your reading but a structured review of the proposed research and how the literature helps you address it, e.g. background and justification for your proposed model and/or empirical analysis • Class presentation of about 10 minutes (about 10 PowerPoint slides) on Mar. 5 and Mar. 12 if necessary (11:30, 216 Tier) • Written review of relevant literature of about 10 pages (3000 words) due one week later at noon

11. What you need to do after that: • Written progress report due May 15 • not to exceed 25 pages (approximately 7500 words) • Written final report due August 15 (for October graduation) • not to exceed 25 pages (approximately 7500 words) • All (4) written reports must be • carefully written, edited and referenced • provided electronically in Word

12. Style and Referencing • All written submissions will adopt the standard of the literature in economics, e.g. as in the Canadian Journal of Economics or Canadian Public Policy • Referencing examples: • Article: Kneebone, Ronald (2006) "From Famine to Feast: The Evolution of Budgeting Rules in Alberta," Canadian Tax Journal 54(3), 657‐73 • Report: Tapp, Stephen (2009) Canadian Experiences with Fiscal Consolidations and Fiscal Rules. Ottawa: Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer • Book: Wesley, Jared J. (2011) Code Politics: Campaigns and Cultures on the Canadian Prairies, Vancouver: UBC Press

13. UM Electronic Communications with Students Policy • “Every year at the U of M, students miss emails with crucial information from the university, their instructors, faculties, and other service offices. A related concern is that the university must protect student privacy. . . all university communications must be sent to a student’s U of M [myumanitoba] email account – no other email address can be used to communicate with a student about official university business. . .

14. Communications with Students Policy • Answers to frequently asked questions are available at: intranet.umanitoba.ca/registrar. • The full policy is available at: http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/electronic_communication_with_students_policy.html.

15. Gook luck with your research!