| CODE | ECN5228 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Economics Research in Theory and Practice | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Economics | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The unit provides an overview of the conceptual, philosophical and particularly practical basis of research methodology in economics as well on how to plan, design, conduct, evaluate and critique actual research - as applied to potential research projects that students themselves will be working on. The unit integrates the various components of economics to accomplish a defined, goal-directed research. It therefore pulls together various aspects of economic theories, methods, and analysis to present in a coherent, logical, reliable and useful manner with emphasis on ‘real world’ problems and the application of economic research to them. The unit also includes overviews of the range of possible methods in economics including Econometrics, Input-Output analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis and Experimental methods. Scientific communication, especially academic writing, and the ability to relate economic knowledge to the public are also covered. Students will also be exposed to notions of FAIR data, Responsible Research and Innovation and Research Ethics and Data Protection issues. Study-unit Aims: The aim is to teach students how to "do" economics, as distinct from only "knowing" economics. Beyond the understanding of theories or techniques, what students will glean from this study-unit is an understanding of real economic issues, an ability to source and synthesize the right literature, to finance and conduct ethical research, to communicate results to academic audiences and stakeholders and to participate as a a member of the economics community in the review and critical analysis of research by others. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Differentiate between field of enquiry and precise objectives of their research; - Critically evaluate prior research on the subject, synthesize it and identify gaps; - Conceptualise the research theoretically, selecting the right analytical structural model for investigation; - Deploy the right tools for empirical investigation, with due consideration to developments in the field, beyond econometrics to include also experiments; - Present and defend conclusions; - Critically participate in the evaluation of research presented by others. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Justify and seek finance for economic research; - Plan, design and conduct economic research; - Communicate economic research; - Participate actively in critical discussions on economic research; - Conduct research in a manner that conforms with research ethics and data protection considerations. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Specific papers and chapters will be made available to the students on VLE. The following texts are recommended. - Thomson, William. A guide for the young economist. MIT press, 2001. Supplementary readings: These will also be made suggested to students, and include: - Cost-Benefit Analysis: Economic and Financial Appraisal Using Spreadsheets by Richard P. C. Brown and Harry F. Campbell (2015, Second Edition), Routledge. - Miller, Ronald E., and Peter D. Blair. Input-output analysis: foundations and extensions. Cambridge university press, 2009. - Field, Andy, and Graham Hole. How to design and report experiments. Sage, 2002. - Ethridge, Don. Research methodology in applied economics: organizing, planning, and conducting economic research. No. BOOK. Blackwell publishing, 2004. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Marie Briguglio |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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