Doel vak

The ultimate goal is to have students show proficiency in independent,
scientific writing, from an economic perspective. Main procedural or
learning objective is to acquire and apply practical skills that
characterize a good academic economist.

Specific learning outcomes upon completion of the Research Project:
(i) Students are able to identify relevant economic issues, to formulate
appropriate research questions, and to proceed to a plan for
implementation to answer their question.
(ii) Students have developed a feel for what makes a good and useful
model and in what context to use it. They have acquired a critical
attitude towards scientific literature.
(iii) Students have developed a critical attitude to relevance and
shortcomings of empirical data compared to theoretical requirements, and
have become aware of limitations in insights that can be gained from
theoretical reasoning alone when addressing real- life issues.
(iv) Students are able to write at an appropriate academic level, and at
a professional level of English. Students are able to provide an
appealing expository written presentation of results, and can orally
present their findings convincingly to both expert and non-expert
academic audiences.
(v) Students are able to work independently under supervision.

Inhoud vak

A critical attitude towards scientific papers is essential for a
professional economist. In the module “Research Project” students are
asked to review a coherent set of around 10 scientific papers, of which
around four core contributions. Core contributions are preferably
(recently) published in leading economics journals and of high technical
or substantive content.

The process requires to reflect on those contributions, to put them into
perspective, and to write a critical evaluation. Formally, the project
embodies formulating a clear, relevant, specific, and feasible research
question, and providing a sufficiently deep answer to that question
based on literature review.

The student develops and writes the research project under close
supervision of a faculty member. The research project is submitted in
the form of an academic paper. The main results will be discussed and
presented in public.

Onderwijsvorm

Individual supervision by faculty member.

Toetsvorm

Paper and presentation in public (single grade); subcriteria apply.

Vereiste voorkennis

None.

Literatuur

n.a.

Doelgroep

Progam participants MSc Economics (except Public Policy track)

Overige informatie

students need to have completed the Research Project before they can
start on their master's thesis

Aanbevolen voorkennis

Intermediate Microeconomics and Advanced Microeconomics; Introduction to
Econometrics and Applied Econometrics; Advanced Macroeconomics