General instructions regarding the structure and the content of the paper:
The main paper should be, at minimum, 5000-8000 words in length. The abstract and the bibliography ought to be treated as separate sections. The essay must be typed, double spaced with 1.5 inch margins and printed on one side of the paper. The cover page must include the following information: Course number, course title, essay title, student name, student ID number, instructor's name and date.
Student can write the research paper on a particular topic related to economicdevelopment. In the next section, I suggest some specific areas/ topics on economic development that may be relevant for a paper. Students can write on a specific topic of their own choice. In that case, submit the topic to me for approval.
The paper can be written on any of these broad areas:
(1).The paper can be written on a specific topic on issues related to development. For the paper, students can research the general growth and development experience of a country of their choice. The purpose of the paper is to get students to do some background reading on the country. Possibilities include data on growth and other key indicators. Political and social factors can also be included. Students can keep the same country and research a more specific hypothesis or problem that they have learned in the class. Topics can include growth and the environment, trade strategy, population growth, and income inequality. Students can write the paper based on the country of their choice and test the hypotheses that they have formed.
(2). Students can also collect articles related to development issues and write up a short summary of each article discussing the relationship between the article and what they learned in class. The paper should provide an in-depth and exhaustive review of the existing literature on that particular topic. The major strengths/ weaknesses of the literature should also be discussed.
(3). Students can also write the paper on examples from current events and incorporate the theories that are discussed in class. Topics can include important problems and policy issues with recent events in the developing world, growth in microcredit organizations, climate change and its impact on developing nations, controversies over structural adjustment packages, export success of East Asia, reforms in China, Aids crisis in Africa, Brain drain, work of the Gates Foundation and the economic aftermath and recovery after the Asian tsunami.
Data Sources:
Journal articles
Countries and Regions (www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/regions.htm)
World Bank Development Data and Statistics (www.worldbank.org/data/)
International Monetary Fund (www.imf.org)
IMF World Economic Outlook (www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2005/01/index-htm)
United Nations Economic and Social Development (www.un.org/ecosocdev/)
United Nations Statistics Division (unstats.un.org/unsd/)
United Nations Development Program (www.undp.org)
Human Development Report (hdr.undp.org)
Students can write the paper under any of these categories: technical paper; case study, literature review, general review or conceptual paper. The paper may be theoretical or empirical in nature.
The General Structure of the Research Paper:
The paper should include the following sections/headings:
(1). Abstract (250 to 300 words) - This section should only reflect what is written in the original paper. The abstract should be broken down into several subtopics.
(i). Purpose - what is the research question?
(ii). Design/ Methodology - include the main method used in the paper.
(iii). Findings - outline the major findings of the paper.
(iv). Social/Practical implications - discuss the main impact on society of this research. Is there any practical application of the findings?
(v). Originality - highlight the original contribution of this paper to the field of economic development.
(2). Title - provide a precise and appropriate title for the paper.
(3). Introduction- include two sections here:
(i). A general introduction to the topic®provide some background information about the topic and state your research question.
(ii). Organization of the remaining of the paper® outline the format of thepaper and provide comments to what is being covered and in what order.
(4). Body of the Paper:
(i). Literature survey (critical summary of the existing and contemporary journal articles and textbooks that are relevant for the paper)
(ii). Research methodology (empirical specification of the model if necessary)
(iii). Research results and analysis
(v).Discussion®the major findings of the paper.
Conflicts within the existing literature
Areas of strength/weakness of the literature
(iv). Limitations and implications
(5). Conclusion: the conclusion should provide a summary of findings in the paper. It should also includea brief summary of weaknesses in this literature and outlines areas for future research.
(6). References/Bibliography:
Harvard style referencing should be used. All references must be included.
(7).Appendix -if necessary