FOR KIM WOODS ONLY

Module 3 – Assignment: Submit Research Paper Topic   

Submit Assignment  Due Sunday by 11:59pm     Points 100   Submitting a file upload      

  Review the research paper instructions carefully and then submit a summary of your chosen microeconomic topic and proposed outline of your idea for your paper.  

Additional Guidance  For this first step in developing your term paper, you are to choose a topic.  In order to write a quality term paper, there must be sufficient information available in quality publications on which to base your paper.  So, in addition to your topic, include at least four (4) current (within the one year) articles from authoritative sources (more on sources below).  For each article, list the article in APA style as it will appear in your reference list.  Next summarize in one or two paragraphs the important points that you believe will be useful in your final paper.  Write in your own words; do not copy and paste from the article.   Objective, authoritative and accurate descriptions of the chosen topic are provided in academic journal articles, financial and economic publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and the Economist, and in industry-specific publications.  The best newspapers are also good sources.  The New York Times and the Washington Post are examples.  Smaller newspapers usually do not employ journalists trained in economics and finance, so accuracy often suffers.  Websites may be used for some background information, but are not acceptable as listed sources for this first assignment.   Academic journals and publications such as the Wall Street Journal are usually not available for free in a web search.  However, all of these publications are available from the Hunt Library electronic databases.  ProQuest is the largest database and will contain most of the publications needed for this project.  Some industry publications may be exceptions.  To access ProQuest and other databases, click on the Hunt Library tab on the course menu or the ERNIE homepage.  From the Hunt Library page, select find Research Databases.  Next scroll down or use the alphabetical selection on the top menu to find ProQuest.  Within ProQuest, use one of the several search methods to locate articles of interest.  It’s often helpful to search first for the Publication, then do a search within the publication.  The Hunt Library has tutorial available.  Under Help, select Library Basic Training, then Start Library Basic Training.  Finally, develop a short outline as you currently envision your paper.  This will, of course, evolve as your paper develops.

Please see attachment

ECON 210 Research Paper Checklist

Your topic summary and proposed outline of your idea for the paper is due in Module 3, a draft of the paper is
due in Module 6, and the final paper is due in Module 9. Here is a checklist that you may find helpful.

 The objective of the assignment is to demonstrate the application of microeconomic theory as
presented in Arnold to a current topic you have chosen. It is the application of the theory that is
important; this is not just a research paper which describes a current situation with some economic
features.

 The selected topic must be one that relates to microeconomics; that is, any of the subjects listed in the
Arnold table of contents under microeconomics, for example, market failure. Macroeconomic topics
and analysis are not acceptable for a micro class.

 The paper should not be long. Provide enough information and detail on your chosen topic to serve as
the basis for economic analysis. The topic must be relatively current; an analysis of some past event is
not acceptable.

 Show how the theory you’ve learned from the course and presented in Arnold applies to or explains the
current situation. The analysis need not be complex, but must include a written explanation and a
graphical analysis similar to those used throughout Arnold. Basically, you are just selecting the
appropriate tools from Arnold and showing how they apply to a specific situation.

 Write a short conclusion. This might include some predictions for the future.

The paper should include the following:

 Title page

 Insert page numbers. A Running Head is fine but not necessary.

 Abstract – not required but OK if desired

 Table of Contents – not required

 Section Headings – strongly encouraged

 Citations – cite all references in the body of the text and in the Reference list.

 Plagiarism – Do not copy text from another author or Web source unless it is quoted.

 Appendices – Not necessary but may be appropriate for raw data.

Resources on APA Style

 American Psychological Association: Learning APA Style (see The Basics of APA Style tutorial)

 Purdue OWL: General APA Guidelines (General format of APA research papers, in-text citations, and
reference page)

If you have questions, please ask now.

http://www.apastyle.org/learn/index.aspx

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/