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| Module Availability |
All Year
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| Assessment Pattern |
| Unit(s) of Assessment |
Weighting Towards Module Mark (%)
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| Project |
80
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Research Plan
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20
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Qualifying Condition(s)
A weighted aggregated mark of 40% is required to pass the module. |
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| Module Overview |
| Students must agree a topic with a supervisor and present a research plan early in the Autumn semester. |
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| Prerequisites/Co-requisites |
| None |
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| Module Aims |
| To use the analytical and empirical skills acquired throughout the programme to investigate in depth a topic in Economics selected by you. To gain some initial experience in undertaking independent investigation. |
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| Learning Outcomes |
By the completion of the project, students will have:
- gained experience in identifying a suitable topic for investigation and in formulating a coherent outline
- seen how theory and empiricism may be combined in order to investigate a well-defined topic
- gained experience in searching existing academic literature and in collecting data as required
- gained experience in selecting appropriate theoretical and empirical tools (and rejecting others)
- had the opportunity to interact one-on-one with a member of staff and to make best use of guidance received
- been exposed to the discipline of having to prepare an in-depth piece of work over an extended period of time but constrained by a specific deadline
- gained experience in presenting work in an acceptable academic format, and condensing a relatively large amount of material into a relatively short (article length) space.
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| Module Content |
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An initial lecture and classes in literature searching skills and online data sources (given by the Economics Librarian, Jean Portman) are timetabled for students doing this module in the Autumn semester.
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Students who have not agreed a topic with a supervisor are assigned a member of staff to supervise their project. They should meet their supervisor regularly to appraise their progress
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In conjunction with the supervisor, you will need to establish whether your project requires a formal ethical approval. To help you, there is a website prepared by the
Faculty of Arts and
Human Sciences Ethics Committee (www.fahs.surrey.ac.uk/ethics). This website sets out the criteria that determines whether a formal ethical opinion is required, or whether your supervisor can take responsibility for vetting your project. In most cases, economics projects do not require formal ethical approval.
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| Methods of Teaching/Learning |
Supervised Research
Readings using lecturers guidance
Preparing Research Plan
Writing up 10, 000 words project |
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| Selected Texts/Journals |
T.L Wyrick, The Economists Handbook: A Research and Writing Guide, West Publishing Corp., 1994
R Berry, The Research Project: How to Write It, Routledge, 3rd ed, 1994 |
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| Last Updated |
5 October 2010
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