Economics 403: Seminar in Economic Research    Fall 2002
TR 5:30-6:45 in SSB 408          Prerequisites:  Econ 251 and 252

Prof. Lawrence H. White             Tower 313  www.umsl.edu/~whitelh
Office Hours: TR 10:55-11:55 am, 4-5pm, or by appt.
Phone: 516-6129  fax: 516-5352   email: lwhite@umsl.edu

The objective of this seminar is to give you guided practice at writing economics and talking about it. I hope you will come away with a better understanding of how to think like an economist, build an argument, gather and display statistical information, write persuasively, and present your work in person.

Required texts:
 
    

Deirdre N. McCloskey, Economical Writing, 2nd ed. (Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 2000).

Howard Becker, Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article, 6th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986).

Recommended:

Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996).

Edward R. Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Cheshire, CT:  Graphics Press, 1992).

A tentative schedule of assignments and class discussions appears below. You will be asked to write 30 or so final draft pages in the aggregate, divided into several assignments.  On many class days we will not meet, as you will be working independently on research and writing projects.

As a matter of record, note the following rules.  (1) Attendance is required at every scheduled meeting.  (2) Assignment deadlines are firm.  Late assignments will receive a score of zero.  (3) Your final grade will be based entirely on your written assignments and class participation.  No after-the-fact “extra credit” or “make-up” work will be accepted.  (4) Submitted writings must be typed or word-processed, double-spaced and paginated.  (5) Your work must be exclusively your own.  (6) You may not plagiarize.  Borrowed sentences must appear in quotation marks and must be clearly attributed to their authors.  Data, borrowed ideas, and paraphrased sentences must be clearly attributed to their authors.

Tentative Assignment Schedule

Aug. 22     1st writing assignment made (1 p.).
Aug  29     1st writing assignment due.  2nd assignment made (5 pp.).
Sept. 12   2nd assignment due.  3rd assignment made (5 pp.).
Sept. 26   3rd assignment due.  4th assignment made (5 pp.).
Oct. 15     4th assignment due. Research project handout.
Oct. 22     Individual meetings to discuss topics.
Oct. 29     One-page outline of project due, with prepared 3-5 minute presentation in class about how you plan to approach your topic.
Nov. 5      Progress report due (3 pp.), with references.
Nov. 14    First draft due (10-12 pp.)
Nov. 19    Individual meetings to review first draft.
Dec. 3      Final draft due (10-12 pp.), with 15 minute presentations in class.
Dec. 5      Presentations continue.