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ES50115: Applied research methods

Academic Year: 2018/9
Owning Department/School: Department of Economics
Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CW 40%, EX 60%
Assessment Detail:
  • CW Group Project and Presentation 40% (CW 40%)
  • Exam 60% (EX 60%)
Supplementary Assessment:
ES50115 Reassessment 100% Exam (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Description: Aims:

* To foster research skills, students will be required to work both independently and as part of a team.
* To foster skills in data handling and data description, students will be taught how to effectively present and interpret economic data using tables and graphs.
* To foster understanding of relevant economic statistics and hypothesis testing, this unit will include analysis of examples of applied economic research.
* To develop presentational skills, students will be required to present results of a group project.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit students will have acquired enhanced skills essential to undertaking and presenting quantitative research and will have developed competencies to represent and analyse economic data.
* Students will have participated in writing and presenting a group project, which will have enhanced their understanding of economic relationships from the Applied Microeconomics and Applied Macroeconomics units

Skills:

* Problem formulating and problems solving.
* Information technology
* Ability to formulate a research question.
* Ability to analyse and manage data and conduct appropriate bibliographical searches.
* Ability to work independently.
* Ability to work and communicate effectively in a team.

Content:
The first part of this unit will consist of a summary of the overall structure of the research process. Topics covered include: searching for appropriate literature, sources of applied economic and financial data, research ethics, working with survey data, plagiarism, acknowledging sources and referencing conventions, finding a supervisor and managing the dissertation process. The second part of the unit will introduce students to Stata, emphasising the commands that are needed to import data from various sources, arrange and combine datasets and conduct empirical research in applied economics.
Programme availability:

ES50115 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Economics

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2018/19 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2019/20 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2018/19.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Undergraduates: .
  • Postgraduates: .