Applied Economics Research Course

Course goals

Please note:
You can enrol for this course for only one occasion in the academic year. Enrolment is only possible during the regular enrolment dates.

Learning objectives 
At the end of the course the student is able to:

• Formulate a valid research question in the field of economics (combined with another field, in the case of a dedicated minor) and argue for its societal relevance
• Argue for the scientific contribution of their study, based on a review of relevant literature (from both fields, in the case of a dedicated minor)
• Select and apply a methodology suitable to answering the research question
• Interpret and discuss the results of the study
• Expose the research in the form of an academic paper 
• Summarise the research in the form of an academic presentation
• Perform research in an independent and feedback-reactive way
• Formulate analytical feedback for other students

Content

Please note: You can enrol for this course on only one occasion in the academic year. Enrolment is only possible during the regular enrolment dates.

The 'Applied Economics Research Course' is the concluding third-year full-time course, and it builds on the knowledge and skills acquired during the economics study. During the 3-year Bachelor programme, students (should) have acquired sufficient economic knowledge and academic skills to complete their bachelor studies and obtain the corresponding academic degree. As a final proof, they need to demonstrate in the Applied Economics Research course that they are able to do a small independent research project, utilising the acquired knowledge and skills. Students who follow a Bachelor in Economics and Business Economics with a dedicated minor do a research project in which two disciplines are combined: economics and the minor of the student's choice. Students who follow both the bachelor Economics and Business Economics and the Bachelor Mathematics do a research project in which the two disciplines are combined. Students without a dedicated minor do a research project that focuses on a purely economic issue. In most cases, research projects are related to the research programme of the supervisor. In all cases, the research should meet academic criteria.

Supervisors will formulate broad topics, relating to real-world economic challenges, on which small groups of students will do research. In these research groups students will present their work, give feedback on each other and write an individual research paper. Examples of research topics of recent years include private and private- public regulation of sectors, illicit capital flight, economics and criminology, entrepreneurship and economic growth, diversity in the labour market, the sharing economy, financial markets and legal systems, corporate capital structure in Europe, economic development and regional integration, sustainability and ESG scores, audit quality, consumer attitudes, and subsidising professional football clubs. Topics will be available well before the start of the course. Students will be informed via Brightspace how and when to register for a topic.

Academic skills
This course focuses on all academic skills, but the following two in particular:
 
Information processing

• Knowledge of potential sources for literature and data and the skills to explore these independently for a comprehensive research project
• Being able to detect plagiarism and being able to avoid any kind of plagiarism
• Providing correct references in text in a comprehensive research project
• Providing a correct reference list for a comprehensive research project
• Being able to work with data software, such as Excel and Stata
• Being able to present self-constructed data in a correct and useful manner in a comprehensive research project

Academic research

• Clear and convincing anchoring, relevance, accuracy and functionality of the problem definition
• Clear, consistent and accurate research design
• Selection of main available sources on the subject; critical evaluation of the literature consulted
• If empirical research has been done; in line with the instructions provided in Econometrics
• Replicable and falsifiable research, well described arguments, in line with the introduction, with correct references
• Strong link between the research and the relevant theories
• Clear answer to the problem statement, based on research results, good discussion of the conclusions, in consistency with the introduction and analyses

Format
Students will develop a research plan, execute an independent research project, and write an individual research paper. In addition, they participate in a research group. The course is organized so that students receive frequent supervision and feedback during the different stages of the research cycle. There are plenary and individual meetings.

• In the plenary meetings students present and discuss their research progress, give constructive and critical feedback to their fellow students and respond adequately to the received feedback. The plenary meetings are chaired by the supervisor(s) and attended by all the students of the group.
• In the individual meetings with the supervisor students will discuss the content and direction of their research more in depth.

Effort requirements

• Attendance and active participation in all research group meetings
• Timely submission of all deliverables
• Research plan is assessed as sufficient

Please note that the course is full-time. Students come prepared and show their progress during the meetings by submitting parts of their work via Brightspace. Effort requirements are strictly enforced: only in case the course coordinator has approved in advance, students can deviate from the above requirements.

Prerequisites period 2

• The student must have 135 EC in September of the academic year in which the student wants to follow the Applied Economic Research Course.
• Before the start of the course, the student must have passed 'Econometrics' and two level 3 courses of which at least one needs to be an economics course;
• Pass of academic skills assignment (reflection report on academic skills).

Prerequisites period 4

• The student must have 90 EC in September of the academic year in which the student wants to follow the Applied Economics Research Course;
• Before the start of the course, the students must have passed 'Econometrics' and two level 3 courses of which at least one needs to be an economics course;
• Pass of academic skills assignment (reflection report on academic skills).