NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS ECG580WRITING IN ECONOMICS

Spring, 2013 Craig M. Newmark OFFICE: 4104 Nelson Hall OFFICE PHONE: 513-2878 craig_newmark@ncsu.edu E-MAIL: Assoc. Professor

OFFICE HOURS: Regular hours will be from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you would like to see me but dont want to visit during these hours, please see me after class, e-mail me, or call me to schedule an appointment. COURSE WEBSITE: http://courses.ncsu.edu/ecg580/lec/001/ COURSE PREREQUISITES: Masters-level microeconomics (ECG505 or equivalent) and masters level econometrics (ECG561 or equivalent). COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Learn how to find good research topics. 2. Learn to locate economic data in the library and on the Web; learn how to locate research papers on economic issues. 3. Learn how to write to write concisely and clearly. 4. Learn how to think carefully, especially avoiding pitfalls in logic and statistics. COURSE GRADING AND EXAMS: The work in this course will be grouped into two tracks. Your course grade will either equal your grade for track 1 minus one half-letter grade, or your grade for track 2, whichever is higher. (Note that this means using track 1, your course grade would be capped at a maximum of B+.) Track 1 consists of two short papers (about 2 or 3 pages each)due February 12 and March 21which will count 20% and 30% of the track
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grade, and two midtermsapproximately February 26 and April 4which will count 30% and 20% of your track grade. Track 2 consists of the first midtermapproximately February 26 which will count 35% of the track grade, one proposal memodue March 12 which will count 10% of the track grade, and a long paper (about 8 to 14 pages)due April 25which will count 55% of the track grade. (Class participation will be used, if needed, to break a tie for students on the borderline between two grades.) Up until, possibly, two or three weeks before the end of the semester, you should work diligently on both tracks. YOU will be responsible if you focus on the two short papers and the two tests, are then disappointed with your grades, and then start the long paper too late. YOU will be responsible if you focus on the long paper, encounter some difficulties, and then wish you had worked harder on the shorter papers and midterms. PLEASE NOTE: You are responsible for completing work on the dates designated. Only under extraordinary circumstances beyond your control (such as a death in your immediate family or your severe illness) will failure to complete work by the due date be excused. Work not handed in or handed in unexcused after the due date will receive a zero. If you believe that you have a problem severe enough to warrant special treatment, you should talk to me as soon as possible and you should be prepared to document the excuse. Please note that if your failure is excused, no make-up work will be given. Ill put the weight for the excused work on the other, yet-to-be-completed components. AND: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course; if you cheat on an exam or plagiarize on a paper, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for disciplinary action. (See NCSUs policy on academic integrity.) All students will be required to sign the Honor Pledge on all tests. READINGS: The required texts are as follows: 1. Joseph M. Williams and Gregory G. Colomb, Style: Lessons in Clarity & Grace, 10th Edition (Longman, 2011) 978-0205747467. $37.20, new. 2. M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley, Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, 10h Edition (Prentice-Hall, 2012) 9780205111169. $41.60, new.
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Additional readings will be available on the course webpage, the Web, and from D.H. Hill Library. STATEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information on NC States policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation.

COURSE OUTLINE
1. Introduction
A. Motivation B. Overview of tools and course C. Writing assignments Writing assignments handout

2. Developing Paper Topics

Finding paper topics handout Steve Pischke, How to Get Started on Research in Economics? Amy Finkelstein, An Unofficial Guide to Trying to Do Empirical Work, (PowerPoint presentation) http://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CDUQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F %2Fecon.lse.ac.uk%2Fstaff%2Fspischke%2Fphds%2FAmy%2520Finkelstein %2520IAP%2520talk %252007.ppt&ei=Xp3aTpvEMoHh0QG71eSODg&usg=AFQjCNGjZ8hooqT10pkUVipNsL TxHL5--Q http://econ.lse.ac.uk/staff/spischke/phds/How%20to%20start.pdf

Peter Lattman, Michael Lewiss The Big Short? Read the Harvard Thesis Instead! http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2010/03/15/michael-lewiss-the-bigRecommended, not required: Ten Years and Beyond: Economists Answer NSF's Call for Long-Term Research Agendas,
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1886598 short-read-the-harvard-thesis-instead/

3. Information Gathering
A. Finding academic articles and data B. Searching the Web C. Using sources Information gathering handout Bill Goffe, Resources for Economists on the Internet,
http://rfe.org

4. How to Get Started Writing

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A. The first draft B. Introductions C. Review of microeconomic concepts

5. Basic Devices to Help Your Writing

A. Cut, cut again B. End sentences and paragraphs properly C. Paragraphs should be unified D. Paragraphs should be coherent E. Advice from McCloskey F. Selected examples to study; additional resources Sample short papers, available on course website What to avoid, who to imitate, and helpful websites handout Diana Middleton, Students Struggle for Words,

Donald McCloskey, Economical Writing, Economic Inquiry, 23(2), April 1985, 187-222. Available on electronic reserve,
https://reserves.lib.ncsu.edu/reservesViewer.php?reserve=159737

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703409904576174651780110970.h tml

Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz, The Ten Most Important Rules of Writing Your Job Market Paper, Williams, Style: Lessons in Clarity & Grace, Chapters 7, 6, and 5 Problems in Williams: 7.1: 1, 3, 4, 7, 9; 7.3: 2, 3, 5; 7.4: 1, 3, 5 6.1: 1, 3, 5; 6.2: 2, 5
http://www.economics.harvard.edu/files/TenRulesWriting.pdf

6. Thinking
A. Scheme for analyzing arguments B. What is the conclusion? C. What are the assumptions and values?
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D. What is the evidence? E. What is the reasoning? F. Special problem: causality G. Special problem: ambiguity H. What are the qualifications? Logical fallacies handout Cooks letter to the editor and my reply handout Browne and Keeley, Asking the Right Questions, chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13 Mike Gene, Ten Signs of Intellectual Honesty, Jonah Lehrer, The Truth Wears Off,
http://designmatrix.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/ten-signs-of-intellectual-honesty/ http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/13/101213fa_fact_lehrer

7. Sample Research Papers

Features often criticized handout Sample research papers available on course website Cement prices handout Craig M. Newmark, Price and Seller Concentration in Cement: Effective Oligopoly or Misspecified Transportation Cost? Economics Letters, 33(4), August 1990, 369-373. Available on electronic reserve, https://reserves.lib.ncsu.edu/reservesViewer.php?reserve=125594

8. Aspects of Statistics and Econometrics

A. An important reason why we need statistics: biases in probability judgments Philip B. Stark, The Monty Hall Problem, B. Statistics as argument John H. Cochrane, Writing Tips for Ph.D. Students, Philip B. Stark, Does Treatment Have an Effect?
http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_3_social-science.html http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/phd_paper_writing.pdf. http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/users/stark/SticiGui/Text/index.htm (go to chapter 25). http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/users/stark/SticiGui/Text/index.htm (go to chapter 15).

Jim Manzi, What Social Science Doesand Doesnt Know,

Stephen T. Ziliak and Deirdre N. McCloskey, The Cult of Statistical Significance, http://www.statlit.org/pdf/2009ZiliakMcCloskeyASA.pdf Walter Krmer, The Cult of Statistical Significance, B. D. McCullough and Ross McKitrick, Check the Numbers: The Case for Due Diligence in Policy Formation,
http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/product_files/caseforduediligence_cda. pdf http://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/46356/1/640578543.pdf

C. Notes on econometrics Statistical resources handout Browne and Kelley, chapter 11 Peter E. Kennedy, Oh No! I Got the Wrong Sign! What Should I do? Journal of Economic Education, 36(1), Winter 2005, 77-92. (Access through D.H. Hill Library.) Peter E. Kennedy, Sinning in the Basement: What Are the Rules? The Ten Commandments of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Economic Surveys, 16(4), September 2002, 569-589. (Access through D.H. Hill Library.)

9. More Ways to Improve Your Writing

A. Four more devices B. Graphics Graphics handout John P. Boyd, How to Graph Badly Or What NOT To Do, available on course website. John P. Boyd, The Gospel According to Tufte, available on course website. Williams, chapters 3, 4, and 8 Problems in Williams: 3.6: 1, 3, 5, 9, 13 8.1: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9; 8.2: 1, 3, 5

10. A Note on Presentations

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Class
1/8

Topics
Overview of tools and course Administrative details Writing assignments Start: finding paper topics

Handouts/Readings
Writing assignments handout

Problems

1/10

Finding paper topics handout Pischke, How to Get Started Finkelstein, An Unofficial Guide Lattman, Michael Lewiss The Big Short? Information gathering handout Bill Goffes rfe.org

1/15

Finish finding paper topics Information gathering Using sources How to get started writing First drafts Introductions Review of basic economic concepts Begin basic writing techniques Finish basic writing techniques Start problems

1/17

1/22 1/24

Williams, chapters 7 and 6 Williams, chapter 5 Middleton, Students Struggle McCloskey, Economical Writing Golden and Katz, Ten Rules What to avoid, who to imitate, and helpful websites handout Sample short papers 1, 2, 3, and 4 Sample short papers 5, 6, 7, and 8 Browne and Keeley, chapters 3 and 6 Browne and Keeley, chapters 4, 7, 8, 9, and 12 Gene, Ten Signs Logical fallacies handout Browne and Kelley, chapters 10 and 13
8 7.1: 1, 3, 4, 7, 9 7.3: 2, 3, 5 7.4: 1, 3, 5

1/29 1/31

Finish problems Start sample short papers Finish sample short papers Start: scheme for arguments Finish scheme for arguments What is the conclusion? Assumptions and values What is the evidence? What is the reasoning?

6.1: 1, 3, 5 6.2: 2, 5

2/5

2/7

2/12

PAPER 1 DUE Start special problem: causality Finish causality Special problem: ambiguity Manzi, What Social Science Does and DoesntKnow Lehrer, The Truth Wears Out Browne and Kelley, chapter 5 Cooks letter to the editor handout Features often criticized handout Sample research papers Cement prices handout Newmark, Economics Letters

2/14

2/19

What are the qualifications? Sample Letter to the Editor

2/21

Hand back Paper 1 More sample research papers MIDTERM 1 Start statistics as argument Statistical resources handout Browne and Kelley, chap. 11 Stark, The Monty Hall Problem Cochrane, Writing Tips Stark, Does Treatment Have an Effect? Ziliak and McCloskey, Statistical Significance McCullough and McKitrick, Check the Numbers Mustard, Re-examining Criminal Behavior Kennedy, Oh No! I Got the Wrong Sign Kennedy, Ten Commandments Williams, chapters 3 and 4

2/26 2/28

3/12

Hand back Midterm 1 Finish statistics as argument Start econometrics MEMO ON THIRD PAPER DUE Finish econometrics

3/14

3/19

Statistical resources Start remaining writing techniques PAPER 2 DUE Finish remaining writing techniques Problems Graphics, quotes, and punctuation A note on presentations

3/21

Williams, chapter 8

3.6: 1, 3, 5, 9, 13 8.1: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 8.2: 1, 3, 5

3/26

Graphics handout Boyd, What Not to Do Boyd, Gospel According to Tufte

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4/2 4/4 4/9 4/11 4/16 4/18 4/23 4/25 5/9

Hand back Paper 2 If necessary, finish lectures MIDTERM 2 Tentatively NO LECTURE Tentatively NO LECTURE Midterm 2 grades available Tentatively NO LECTURE Tentatively NO LECTURE Tentatively NO LECTURE PAPER 3 DUE NO LECTURE Course grades and comments on Paper 3 available

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