Economics Senior Thesis---Econ 433-02
Fall Semester 2011-12

Professor Martin Hart-Landsberg
Howard Hall, Room 325
Office Phone: 503-768-7624
marty@lclark.edu


Required Textbook

Steven A. Greenlaw, Doing Economics: A Guide to Understanding and Carrying Out Economic Research (Houghton-Mifflin)


 


Goals of the Class

The senior seminar class gives you the opportunity to draw upon what you have learned during your years of study to
address an economic issue of your choosing. The goals of the class include strengthening your ability to read critically,
work collaboratively, develop and complete a research plan, and effectively communicate the results of your research.


 

 

Class Deadlines

Week 6, October 4: Research proposal due
Week 10, November 3: First draft of thesis due (to me and other students)
Week 11, November 10: Reviews of theses due
Week 15, December 5: Final version of the thesis due
Week 15, December 6: Poster session


 

 

 

Grading

Thesis research proposal: 10%
Participation: 15%
Final submitted thesis: 65%
Poster session presentation: 10%


 

 


Thesis Research Process and Requirements

The Research Process:

Identify a meaningful topic or subject. Examples include:

Trade: Effects on employment and inequality
Exchange rates: Relative benefits of fixed versus flexible rates
Capital controls: Costs and benefits of regulating capital mobility
FDI: Impact on third world and developed country employment and growth
Outsourcing: Consequences for efficiency and employment
Globalization: Consequences for macro policy
IMF, WB, WTO and FTAs: Effects of their policies on international growth and stability
Regional development: Experiences of the European Union and the Euro; ALBA and the Sucre
Industrial policy: Effectiveness of state planning
Commodity cartels: Operation and ability to ensure commodity price stability

Choose a specific research question. Some sources to help in choosing a relevant and timely question include:

Eyes on Trade Blog
Triple Crisis Blog
International Development Economics Associates
Dani Rodriks Blog
South Center
World Bank

Develop a testable hypothesis

Select an appropriate method to test your hypothesis. Commonly used methodologies include:

Economic modeling
Econometrics
Institutional analysis
Political-Economy

Locate required data. Useful sources include:

Aid Data--database of global aid flows and projects
Asian Development Bank--data and research
Economics Department Web Resources
International Statistical Agencies
OECD Statistics Portal
Pacific Exchange Rate Service
Resources for Economists on the Internet
United Nations Development Program
U.S. International Trade Commission--trade statistics
U.S. International Trade Commission--trade and tariff data
World Bank--data center
WTO--trade statistics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Draft Thesis Requirements:

The first draft of your thesis should be an advanced draft, covering (to varying degrees) all parts of your projected final draft. It should be properly formatted and free of spelling mistakes. It should be typed using 12pt Times New Roman font and double spaced. It should have a title page, abstract, bibliography and a core text of at least 12 pages.

 

 

 

 

Final Thesis Requirements:

The final version of your thesis should be properly formatted, free of grammatical and spelling mistakes, and concise.
It should be typed using 12pt Times New Roman font and double spaced. It should have a title page, abstract with
Journal of Economic Literature codes and keywords, table of contents, introduction, body (divided into chapters/sections, each with its own heading/title), conclusion, footnotes (if needed), appendix (if desired), and bibliography. References and bibliography should follow the University of Chicago style. The thesis, excluding title page, abstract, and references, should be approximately 20 pages. A bound hard copy and an electronic copy must be turned into the department office no later than 3 pm, December 5, 2011. Late theses will be penalized one letter grade. No theses will be accepted after the start of the poster session on December 6, 2011.

 


 

 

 

 

 

Honors Procedure:

Beginning of Fall Semester

  • The economics department will determine student honors eligibility based on GPA and course criteria.

End of Fall Semester

  • The Senior Seminar faculty section leader will, in consultation with another faculty member, determine which of the theses written by honors eligible students are potentially of honors quality. Approximately one week after the due date for Fall Semester grades, the section leader will provide those students with written comments outlining the minor revisions that they must make to receive honors.

Beginning of Spring Semester

  • Honors eligible candidates will resubmit their revised theses to the economics department office no later than 2 pm on the first day of classes in the 3rd week of Spring Semester.

Middle of Spring Semester

  • The economics department will evaluate resubmitted theses and award honors at its first regular meeting after the Spring Semester resubmission deadline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 

Review of Other Theses:

Your participation in this class includes reading and writing a one page review of the draft theses of other students. Your review should include:

• a summary of the hypothesis

• a summary of the method used to test the hypothesis

• your opinion of the organization of the thesis and strength of the evidence provided in support of the conclusion.

• suggestions for improving the thesis

Your review will be graded by me and the student who wrote the thesis you reviewed. This is an anonymous exercise. You will send me your review by email. I will remove your name from the review and forward it to the student who wrote the draft. The student will provide me with feedback on the quality of the review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Integrity

According to the Lewis & Clark College’s Academic Integrity Policy: “Acts of academic dishonesty involve
the use or attempted use of any method or technique enabling a student to misrepresent the quality or integrity
of his or her academic work. Academic dishonesty with respect to examinations includes but is not limited to
copying from the work of another, allowing another student to copy from one's own work, using crib notes,
arranging for another person to substitute in taking an examination, or giving or receiving unauthorized information
prior to or during the examination. Academic dishonesty with respect to written or other types of assignments includes
but is not limited to: failure to acknowledge the ideas or words of another that have consciously been taken from a source, published or unpublished; placing one's name on papers, reports, or other documents that are the work of another individual, whether published or unpublished; flagrant misuse of the assistance provided by another in the process of completing academic work; submission of the same paper or project for separate courses without prior authorization by faculty members; fabrication or alteration of data; or knowingly facilitating the academic dishonesty of another.” Plagiarism will result in severe sanctions.


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability that may impact your academic performance, you should request accommodations by submitting
documentation to the Student Support Services Office in the Albany Quadrangle (x7156). Once that office notifies me of the accommodations for which you are eligible we can meet to decide how best to proceed. You should begin this process as soon as possible.