Essay about economics
In this section we highlight gaps in the current methods and suggest what we need to focus on in future research.
43rd Annual Essay Contest
Keeping with our mission to connect, inform and inspire, The Econ Club works with The Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University each year to sponsor a high school economic essay contest. This contest helps bring interest to the relevant topics of economics to our community’s high school students as well as invests in our future leaders’ careers.
Through our members’ unwavering support of this worthwhile endeavor, we continue to provide successful programs year after year!
2021-22 ESSAY COMMITTEE AND JUDGES:*
Chip George, Comfort Research & Essay Committee Chair
Bill Coderre, Junior Achievement
Danielle DeWitt, Spectrum
Brian Greenleaf, Sabo PR
Leslie Muller, Seidman, GVSU
*The Judges receive the essays anonymously for the selection process
2021-2022 HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST TOPIC:
How Will Workplace Culture Change in a Post-Pandemic Era to Recruit and Retain Talent?
- FIRST PLACE – $3,000 + YMCA Teen Membership
- SECOND PLACE – $2,000 + YMCA Teen Membership
- THIRD PLACE – $1,000 + YMCA Teen Membership
- FOURTH PLACE – $500 each (10 winners)
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 43RD ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS
Chandler Baillie — East Kentwood High School
Jaylynne Calderon — Grand Rapids University Prep Academy
Samantha Dick — Catholic Central High School
Jordan Fridsma — Grand Rapids Public Museum High School
Camille Gerville-Reache — Forest Hills Northern High School
Avery Graham — Jenison High School
Wayne He — Forest Hills Northern High School (3rd Place Winner)
Graham Kaufman — Catholic Central High School
Chloe Pluger — South Christian High School
Hannah Roelofs — South Christian High School (3rd Place Winner)
Aidan Rozema — Grand Rapids Christian High School (1st Place Winner)
Extended Economics Essay – ECON5650
The module provides an alternative to students carrying out an economics research project in the dissertation module. Some students lack the necessary analytical, quantitative and research skills necessary for a piece of original research. This module will give such students the opportunity to investigate an area of economics in depth by critically reviewing the literature on a chosen subject.
Students will be given a set of questions with readings. They can also construct their own question so long as it is approved. Each student would write a different essay. Examples of questions are: what evidence exists on the success(es) of micro lending schemes? Can active labour market policies reduce long term unemployment? Can economists explain voting behaviour? Students are taught about what is required for an extended critical review of the literature and advised about what should be contained in an essay on their topic. They are also advised about how to present a poster session.
Details
Contact hours
Total contact hours: 7 hours
Private study hours: 143
Total study hours: 150
Availability
Either this module or EC541 – Economics Dissertation are compulsory for Single Honours degree programmes in Economics.
This module is optional for students registered on Joint Honours degree programmes in Economics.
This module is not available to students across other degree programmes in the University.
Method of assessment
Presentation (20%)
Extended Essay (5000 words) (80%)
Reassessment Instrument: Like for like
Indicative reading
B. Atkinson and S. Johns, Studying Economics, Palgrave, 2001
Other general books and advice on undergraduate extended essays are held by the library and Student learning Advisory Service. Additional readings will be given for the selected topics/questions. The information for individual topics will be accessed from the periodicals and books held in the economics section of the library and the Internet where appropriate. No additional books or journals will be required for the library.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, you will be able to:
* frame, motivate and analyse a research question
* search, analyse, understand and critically review a large body of literature.
* adapt and learn from set-backs in the research process.
* think critically and apply your analytical skills to real world issues.
* demonstrate a critical and in-depth knowledge of one particular area of economics.
Notes
University of Kent makes every effort to ensure that module information is accurate for the relevant academic session and to provide educational services as described. However, courses, services and other matters may be subject to change. Please read our full disclaimer.
IB Extended Essay – Class of 2023: Introduction
Click on the appropriate tab at top of page to read and take notes on your specific IB subject area. Each tab above includes a summary, example research question, and possible approach.
Open the PDF and find the subject you are considering. Take notes on the types of sources for each IB Subject. PDF: IB / EE – Primary and Secondary Sources
Read both the “Subject-specific source lists” and the “Types of sources“. Guidance for each subject will appear two times in this document; be sure to read both sections.
Additional subject guidance:
- Make a copy of the guidelines for your IB Subject.
Research & Reflection
Use the links in this Research Guide to research and find the following sources:
Economic growth: A review essay
The last decade has seen an explosion of research on economic growth. Based on a selective review of this literature and the recent book on Economic Growth by Robert Barro and Xavier Sala-i-Martin, we see four main challenges for future research. First, to more tightly link theory and evidence. We think a good way of achieving this would be to follow the methodology common in the business cycle literature of simulating models to compare their predictions to the data. Second, to develop new ways to empirically distinguish between competing theories of endogenous growth. Third, to develop more theories of international productivity differences. Finally, to collect detailed country data bearing on the process of technology diffusion.
Keywords
JEL classification
Cited by (0)
Recommended articles
Article Metrics
We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. By continuing you agree to the use of cookies .
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V.
IBDP Economics
In line with the IB Learner Profile, “Act with integrity and honesty”.
If you are a student and wish to access these resources, ask your school to subscribe.
Alternatively, sign up to our sites at www.studyib.net which are specifically designed for self study and revision.
Log in
Extended essay
Introduction to the extended essay in economics
The following page is designed for students as a guide to writing the extended essay in economics.
Many of you will be aware of the extended essay and what it includes. The extended essay consists of a 4000 (maximum) word essay on a topic of your choosing and concludes with a viva voce or short interview to confirm the candidates level of competence in the topic area chosen. You are also required to provide two additional reflections during the process.
The extended essay provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge on a particular topic or area of study and is chosen from a list of approved subjects.
Before starting work on the essay you are advised to complete the following tasks:
- Read the assessment criteria carefully.
- Where possible ask your teacher or IB coordinator to let you read previously completed essays in economics. Many school libraries keep an archive of extended essays previously written by students.
- Work on a research question and discuss this with your supervisor. This is a very important part of the process. A good research question will go a long way to helping you towards a good finished essay. A bad research question; one that is too broad in scope or where original data is difficult to obtain will make it significantly more difficult to achieve a high score in your finished essay.
- Decide how you will collect the research that you need for your essay and check the validity of this research with your supervisor.
- Write down a brief structure for your essay and discuss this with your supervisor before sitting down to write your essay.
How to choose a subject and research question to study?
The first piece of advice must be to pick a subject and a research question that is something you will enjoy researching and writing about. The EE involves a considerable amount of work – approximately 40 hours as an average.
In terms of selecting a research topic, why not ask the following question: ‘What is it that I am interested in? What research question am I genuinely interested in finding out?’. What topic(s) do I enjoy?
What to do next?
Having completed all the preparation that you need, having written your research question and essay plan and had all of this approved by your supervisor you are ready to begin.
The essay should be no more than 4000 words in length but this does not include the following:
Contents page, acknowledgements, formulas, calculations, diagrams, tables, the bibliography, citations and references.
Essays can actually achieve a reasonable score just by following these simple rules:
- state the research question
- analyse your results
- discuss your results
- have a conclusion
- keep to about 4000 words
- present it well
- cite all sources appropriately.
What makes a good title in economics?
This is a hugely important part of the extended essay writing process and the title should provide a clear focus of what the essay is about. The essay may include a combination of primary and secondary research, but should be primarily based on the latter. As a general rule an effective extended essay should be possible were you to lock yourself in your school library for the duration. Which ever subject and title that you select must also not be historical. The new IB guide specifically applies the 5 year rule, meaning that you should not pick a title more than five years old. This is because essays based on historical events are difficult to write without becoming very descriptive. When choosing the title of the essay you must select a research question which can be answered using conventional economic tools.
Opportunities for analysis
The topic that you chose should provide an opportunity for you to demonstrates some critical analysis of the information that is gathered. You should avoid any topic that depend entirely on summarizing secondary data, because this leads to an essay that is overly descriptive in nature. A good way of making your essay more unique is to restrict the scope of the essay, so that it focuses on, for example, a specific business, area or demographic.
Suitable areas of economics
Macroeconomics topics can be chosen, but any research question must be narrowed to a particular part of the economy and is not on the economy as a whole. An extended essay on economic development would be recommended but the research question would need to relate to a particular aspect of development or a limited area. It would not be suitable, for example, to examine the effect of some government policy on the development of the whole economy.
The following are some examples of extended essay titles which are suitable for use an economics extended essay. You will notice that each of these are locally based on an area in which the student is familiar and allow the candidate to investigate their own primary research, applying it to conventional economic theory. You will also be expected to complete secondary research as part of their essay. You should also formulate your own critical arguments as well as construct a conclusion, consistent with the findings displayed during the main body of the essay.
- What is the relationship between the volume of livestock and the wholesale price of meat in Erzurum county?
- The impact of the 2018 rise in minimum wage on employment levels in London’s catering and restaurant industry?
- What is the MPC (marginal propensity to consume) of guest workers working on a construction site in Singapore?
- To what extent do the ski lodge hotels in Palandoken practise John Nash’s game theory when setting prices during the tourist season?
- How has the declining value of the £ affected the Airbnb market in Leeds?
- What is the PED for tobacco products amongst different age groups in Istanbul, Turkey. How might this influence government policy aimed at reducing consumption of tobacco products?
Final questions to ask yourself before deciding on your RQ
Is this research question actually viable?
Before answering this question, consider how you might collect information to answer your question. For example, how confident are you that you can actually access the information? Remember that any information gained from businesses might be confidential. Some economic questions are also difficult to research because isolating the particular variable is difficult.
When conducting primary research you need to very clear about who your sample frame is going to be and can you get access to those people? For instance when completing research on the viability of solar panels, your sample frame must be those potential purchasers e.g. those who own their own home with a roof large enough to accommodate it and not just your friends and family.
Can this topic be completed in 4000 words?
4,000 words may seem like a dauntingly large amount but you will be surprised how quickly the words go. Some topics are far too broad in their scope to tackle in 4,000 words and some economic theory maybe too complex to cover adequately within the word limit. Try to stay clear of topics more suited to essays in Business Management or Psychology and you will be disadvantaged, unless you also take those subjects as part of your Diploma. Some of these topics would be more suited to a multi-disciplinary approach of World Studies and combining Economics and Psychology.
You also need to be cognisant that this is a project where you should spend around 40 hours. For some topic it would be impossible to survey enough interested people, without giving up your entire summer vacation.
Is your topic academically rigorous enough?
One of the skills of writing the essay is connecting to an area of the syllabus with sufficient complexity so you can demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate and analyse like an economist. Remember that essays which are too descriptive are unlikely to score well.
For more information about completing an extended essay in economics including a sampler essay read the remainder of the pages in this section.
Candidates should expect to spend approximately 40 hours completing their essay.
All materials on this website are for the exclusive use of teachers and students at subscribing schools for the period of their subscription. Any unauthorised copying or posting of materials on other websites is an infringement of our copyright and could result in your account being blocked and legal action being taken against you.