Doing Economics: A Guide to Understanding and Carrying Out Economic Research - Softcover

Greenlaw, Steven A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0618379835 ISBN 13: 9780618379835

Publisher: South-Western College Pub, 2005

Synopsis

This handy reference text provides undergraduate students with a practical introduction to research methodology. Doing Economics makes students aware of what experienced researchers know implicitly: research is fundamentally a process of constructing persuasive arguments supported by theory and empirical evidence. As a result, students learn how to implement critical-reading, writing, and online research skills to produce valid and reliable research.

About this title

Review

Note: All chapters contain a Summary, Suggestions for Further Reading, and Exercises. 1. What Is Research? Research Is the Creation of Knowledge How Are Arguments Evaluated? Appendix 1A: The Range of Economic Methodologies 2. Overview of the Research Process Research in Science and Nonscience Disciplines Steps of the Research Process for Economics Appendix 2A: Writing the Research Proposal Appendix 2B: Questions for Evaluating a Research Proposal 3. Surveying the Existing Knowledge about a Topic Why Is a Literature Survey Necessary? Where to Search: Popular Versus Scholarly Literature How to Search: Developing an Effective Search Strategy Obtaining the Resources Appendix 3A: Scholarly References and Citation Styles 4. Using Writing as a Tool for Economic Research Writing to Learn Composition as a Creative Process The Structure of an Argument Examining an Argument Three Types of Reasoning: Deductive, Inductive, and Warrant-Based What Makes for a Persuasive Argument? Appendix 4A: Logical Fallacies 5. Economic Writing/Writing as a Product What is Economic Writing Writing the First Draft Revising the Paper Writing Style Writing Mechanics 6. Critical Reading or How to Understand Published Research Making Sense of Published Research Taking Research Notes and Writing Abstracts and Critical Reviews Appendix 6a: How to critically read a purely theoretical study 7. Conceptualizing the Model What Does It Mean to Apply Theory to a Research Topic? What Is Theorizing? Narrative Reasoning Mathematical Reasoning A Commonly Used Shortcut What Makes a Good Research Hypothesis? 8. Locating and Collecting Economic Data Data Creation The Structure of Economic Data Organizations That Collect and Publish Data Major Primary Data Collections Major Secondary Data Collections Appendix 8A: Overview of Data Sources 9. Putting Together Your Data Set Developing a Search Strategy for Finding Your Data Data Manipulation Constructing a Data Appendix to Your Research Appendix 9a: What Are Chained-Dollars? Appendix 9b: Example of a Data Appendix 10. A First Look at Empirical Testing: Creating a Valid Research Design Key Issues of Research Design How Does One Analyze Data? Random Variation in Human Behavior Statistical Methods Simple Statistical Hypothesis Training Confounding Variable Causal Validity Appendix 10A: Table of Critical t-Statistics 11. Introduction to Econometrics Steps in Regression Analysis Appendix 11A: Data Transformations for Regression Analyses Estimation Using Qualitative Variables 12. Communicating the Results of Economic Research Writing the Research Report Presenting Research Orally Appendix 12A: Rubric for Grading Research Papers Glossary Reference List Index

Synopsis

This text/reference provides an introduction to research methodology in economics. Doing Economics is designed to make explicit to undergraduate economics students what experienced researchers know implicitly about the research process. The principle thesis of the book is that research is fundamentally a process of constructing persuasive arguments supported by theory and empirical evidence. The text examines the tools of economic research such as critical reading and writing and on-line search skills and describes how those tools are combined to produce valid and reliable research.

Edition details

• Publisher: South-Western College Pub
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0618379835
• ISBN 13: 9780618379835
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304