Writing an economic research paper can be a challenging and rewarding task, but also a daunting one. How can you ensure that your paper is high quality, relevant, and original? Here are some tips to help you plan, conduct, and present your economic research effectively.
Your topic should be interesting, relevant, and specific enough to address a research question or problem. It should also be feasible, meaning that you can access the data, methods, and literature you need to support your argument. Avoid topics that are too broad, vague, or complex, as they will make your paper unfocused and unclear. Instead, narrow down your topic by defining the scope, context, and objectives of your research.
The choice of topic must espouse added value to the literature on the subject matter; meaning that the choice of topic must convincingly fill conceptual and evidentiary gaps in the literary tradition. The topic is usually erudite, with expositions that could be challenging and appreciated in the field of economics.
It is disappointing when an exciting topic you're interested in doesn't have a breadth of available literature. In order to understand the feasibility of your study, you may ask: 1. Is there high-quality literature published in the last 5 years? 2. Are these papers guided by an established theory, or will I have to assign a theory to my research? 3. Should I examine a little known phenomena or add to an already popular subject?
A literature review is not just a summary of what others have done, but a critical analysis of how your research fits into the existing knowledge and debates. You should identify the main theories, models, and empirical evidence that relate to your topic, and evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. You should also compare and contrast different perspectives, and show how your research contributes to or challenges them. A literature review should be organized logically, with clear transitions and connections between the sources.
Your methodology should explain how you will collect, analyze, and interpret the data to answer your research question or test your hypothesis. You should justify your choice of data sources, sampling methods, measurement tools, and analytical techniques, and discuss their limitations and assumptions. You should also demonstrate that your methodology is consistent with the standards and conventions of your field, and that it follows ethical principles and guidelines.
Your findings should present the results of your data analysis in a clear and concise way, using appropriate tables, graphs, and statistics. You should interpret your findings in relation to your research question or hypothesis, and discuss their implications and significance. You should also acknowledge any limitations, uncertainties, or anomalies in your findings, and suggest possible explanations or solutions. Your findings should be supported by relevant and credible evidence, and cited properly according to the citation style you are using.
Convincing findings are dependent on recognizable or reputable sources of information (data), sampling sizes or sampling techniques, and tests for external validity (tests that are generally accepted in the field of economics). Very good samples closely approximate their targeted but usually elusive population, and are extensively known to be of the probabilistic genre, including Bayesian probability, bootstrapping, and monte carlo simulations. Further, convincing findings are usually peer-reviewed for external validity.
Your conclusions should summarize the main points and arguments of your paper, and answer your research question or problem. You should also discuss the implications and contributions of your research for the theory and practice of economics, and identify the gaps and limitations that remain. Your recommendations should suggest how your research can be applied, extended, or improved in the future, and what actions or policies can be derived from your findings.
Before you submit your paper, you should proofread and revise it carefully to ensure that it is free of errors, inconsistencies, and plagiarism. You should check your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting, and make sure that your paper follows the instructions and guidelines of your assignment or journal. You should also ask for feedback from your peers, supervisors, or mentors, and incorporate their suggestions and comments into your paper. Proofreading and revising your paper will help you improve its quality, clarity, and credibility.
High quality papers are often and erroneously misperceived as publications in selective outlets rather than peer-reviewed and visible papers with impressive reception in the field of economics. Relatively useful peer-reviewed papers (publications) will garner impressive downloads and citations as indicators of their usefulness (or appreciation) in the field of economics; this is partly because useful (influential) articles could also be found in journals that are listed on platforms that are transparent and reputable.