Doing Economics : A Guide to Understanding

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. Numerous examples (including scholarly writing and student samples) help to highlight what does and does not work in research. Boxes feature tips and guidelines for novice researchers on a variety of topics, including how to read research critically. End-of-chapter exercises provide unique activities and opportunities for students to apply what they have learned. A textbook web site serves as both a clearinghouse and reference center for writing and research in economics.

Note: All chapters contain a Summary, Suggestions for Further Reading, and Exercises
What Is Research?
Research Is the Creation of Knowledge
How Are Arguments Evaluated?
Appendix 1A: The Range of Economic Methodologies
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
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
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
Economic Writing/Writing as a Product
What is Economic Writing
Writing the First Draft
Revising the Paper Writing Style
Writing Mechanics
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
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?
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
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
Introduction to Econometrics Steps in Regression Analysis
Appendix 11A: Data Transformations for Regression
Analyses Estimation Using Qualitative Variables
Communicating the Results of Economic Research
Writing the Research Report Presenting Research Orally
Appendix 12A: Rubric for Grading Research Papers
Glossary
Reference List
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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

Summary

Table of Contents

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