Please prepare the proposal for the final essay and inform which topic is chosen within 48 hours. Readings and Instructions are attached.
Formal requirements for the final essay
In this short note I recap the formal requirements for the final essay briefly. (This is what we discuss in class in more details.)
First, you are allowed to work in groups of 2 or just by yourself. If you decide to work in a group but cannot find another member, then I am happy to match you with someone else who expressed interest the same way. You can express such interest by sending me an e-mail by February 2, and I will assign groups right after that.
Please, write a 12-15 page essay, if you work with another person, and a 10-15 page essay if you are working alone. (This is the only discount given to students who work alone.)
Graphs are counted 5 lines each. Please do not go over the upper bound of the pages by too much, as the upper limit is important for me to be able to compare the different essays. The lower bound for the essay is strict; anything shorter will carry deductions especially if the content suffers.
Please, make sure that your essay has:
- Font size: 12 (except for headers; please use built in headers if possible)
- Margins: around one inch
- Fully justified lines (ctrl – j in MS Word)
- Line spacing 1.5
- Page numbering on every page (but see point 6 below!)
- A separate title page (not numbered, ideally) with your name and the title of the essay is required. (This page does not count toward your page requirement.)
- If you send your work via e-mail (strongly recommended) please have a file name that contains your last name (as opposed to just a generic name like essay or draft)
Content related points:
- Please, segment your final essay. Have at least the following Sections: Introduction, Analysis, Discussion / Conclusion, References. Please number your Sections / subsections.
- Please, make sure the references can be found by the reader (check whether the URL is still valid, etc.). Each reference should appear at least twice, in the main text (or footnote) plus in the references. References should be in alphabetical order (use the last name of the first author to order your list).
- Please, be aware what sources we consider reliable, citable, and what sources should be double-checked or avoided. (blogs, Wikipedias, etc.)
- When you write your essay (and, especially your Intro), please remember that it is aimed at your fellow students, and the educated public who have taken Introductory Economics /
finance, and have basic Internet experience. For example, do not assume that everyone knows eBay inside out, but you can assume that the reader has a rough idea about eBay.
Essay proposal: deadline Feb. 29
The format of the proposal can be freer. Length is not crucial either as long as:
- You have a nice Introduction Section that describes the problem, and why you think your chosen topic is important (intellectual merit, financial importance, methodological contribution or novelty value can each be sufficient for our purposes).
- Have a few references listed (maybe around a list of five)
- Please, make sure that you find a nice question in your chosen topic that is not too broad. If unsure about your topic / question, please drop me an e-mail, and I am happy to discuss it with you, or visit me during my office hours.
- The proposal describes what methodology (literature survey, personal experience, analysis, data work, etc.) you wish to use. Also, please try to convince the reader that the chosen method will be adequate to answer your main question(s).
- Make sure that you provide a list of references that you have read and plan to use for your final essay; no need to discuss all the works on the reference list in your proposal
- Optional: if you have some expectations about what results / conclusions you will reach, please feel free to include them in your proposal.
- If you submit your proposal via e-mail (recommended) please have a file name that contains your last name (as opposed to just a generic name like essay or draft)
Some essay titles from previous years:
- The Effects of Digital Technology on the Relationship Between Record Labels and Music Artists
- Productivity Suites: Competition Between Google and Microsoft
- Subscription Music Services: Helping Eliminate Piracy?
- Crowdfunding Athletics
- Is The Print Magazine Dead?
- The Inside Scoop on Groupon’s Business Model
- Facebook Advertising
- The Online and Offline Gambling Industries: A Brief Comparison
- Bitcoin: The future of digital money?
- Surge pricing in Uber