6/13/2021

How to write economic research proposal

Research proposal should include following items (example and final version).

1. Introduction
- What issues will you address?
- Why are the issues important?
- What's new? What is known in the previous studies? What is unknown? (Are there any studies that have already addressed the issues?)
- How do you make a new contribution, based on the previous studies.

2. Table of Contents
- Explain about the structure of your thesis.

3. Research Design
- How do you address the issues: theoretical analysis, empirical analysis, or both?

If you conduct theoretical analysis...
- Explain about the related studies.
- Explain about the model used in the previous studies.
- Explain about how do you extend the model.
- Explain about expected results.

If you conduct empirical analysis...
- Explain about the related studies.
- Explain about the model and/or empirical analysis used in the previous studies.
- Will you conduct regression analysis? If so, explain the regression equation, dependent, and independent variables.
- Which data will you use? (Check the availability of the data.)
- Explain about expected results.

To find related studies, use keyword search in EconLit. Google Scholar is also a useful resource.

4. Time Schedule
- Explain about the time schedule. (When is the due date? Based on the due date, around when will you have to obtain tentative results? Around when will you have to finish writing the first draft of your thesis?)

5. Bibliography (References)
- Give complete citation in a list of References at the end, including all works that you have cited and no works that you have not cited.
- Follow the academic writing style.
- Following books are useful in writing thesis.
1) Turabian, Kate L. (2013) A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th
edition: Chicago style for students and researchers, Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press.
2) University of Chicago Press (2003) The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.