Unemployment rate since covid 19
Individual Research Paper
Students will select three macroeconomic indicators. For example, a student can pick (Unemployment, Housing Starts, and Interest Rate). Using MS Excel and MegaStat, students will calculate the log returns for each macroeconomic indicator and will statistically analyze the relationship between the indicators and report on the results. 10 pages apa 7th format style
Students will select three macroeconomic indicators. For example, a student can pick (Unemployment, Housing Starts, and Interest Rate). Using MS Excel and MegaStat, students will calculate the log returns for each macroeconomic indicator and will statistically analyze the relationship between the indicators and report on the results. 10 pages apa 7th format style
ECO 132 Research Paper & Presentation
As part of this course, you are responsible to complete an independent research paper. In this project you are expected to use statistics to analyze time-series data and write an individual research paper demonstrating the ability to apply the macroeconomic principles, techniques, and information learned during the semester. Goal is for students to design an individual research paper, make decisions, and have some fun.
You are welcomed to pick any three macroeconomic indicators, or I can select them for you. For example, a student can pick (Unemployment, Housing Starts, and Interest Rate). Using MS Excel and MegaStat, students will calculate the log returns for each macroeconomic indicator and will statistically analyze the relationship between the indicators and report on the results. Note that topics are not first-come, first-served basis. Multiple students can analyze the same data sets or investigate a similar topics; however, each student’s final research paper must be different. You are required to submit your research paper and verbal presentation of your work. The paper must follow APA 7th edition formatting and the verbal presentation must be 10-15 minutes.
The research paper should be at minimum four (4) and at maximum eight (8) written pages. The written pages do not include the cover page, table of contents, references, and appendices inclusive of tables and figures. Ensure you are using APA formatting, with the paper double- spaced with the proper one-inch margins. A minimum of five peer-reviewed sources required.
I strongly recommend that you do not wait to start this project.
Your paper should include a description of the variables you intend to analyze. You should include the following:
• Why should someone care about your topic
• What question you are trying to answer
• A precise description of the variables you are analyzing
• What have previous scholars/researchers found related to your variables you analyzed
The paper will also include:
• A description of the data series and time series properties
• A description of the statistical formulas and techniques
• Your analysis of the data, including tables/graphs, statistical models
• Conclusions and limitations of your work
Over the semester, I will provide brief discussions of the various data sets and the types of issues you may consider in writing your paper. I do not want to be prescriptive, telling you exactly what to do with the data. My intention is that, within the general framework of the instructions, you decide which financial issues you want to emphasize, what methods you want to use, etc.
On the issue of how results should be presented, I cannot stress enough the importance of clarity and brevity. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, it is undoubtedly the case that finance professionals, university faculty members, civil servants, policy makers, and employers are busy people who do not want to spend a lot of time reading long, poorly organized and verbose papers. One key skill that writers of good reports show is selectivity. For example, you may
have many different coefficient results and tests statistics from your various regressions. An important part of any report is to decide what information is important and what is unimportant to your readership. Select only the most important information for inclusion in your report and report honestly and openly the results that you obtain (even if your results go against your theory).
You can download in excel format from the following data sources
Federal Reserve Economic Data | FRED | St. Louis Fed (stlouisfed.org)
Data and Statistics Page – FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK (newyorkfed.org) Damodaran Online: Home Page for Aswath Damodaran (nyu.edu)
Online Data – Robert Shiller (yale.edu)
Available Data Retrieval Tools (bls.gov)
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Typical Research Paper Sections
I. Introduction
a. Begin with an introduction that briefly motivates the reader b. Describe the issue being studied/researched
c. Summarize the main results
II. Literature Review
a. Summarize previous research related to your variables
b. Identify if previous scholars had statistically significant results
III. Economic Theory
a. Papers use theories to develop the foundation of the research
b. Theories connect research and results, how does it connect for your theory and
results
IV. Research Data
a. Describe your data
b. Detailed discussion of data sources including ethics in research
V. Statistical Formulas and Techniques
a. Outline statistical formulas used to derive results, descriptive and inferential techniques
b. How do the results connect with the theory in Section III
VI. Results
a. Heart of the research paper – Describe your results
b. Discuss how they relate to the question you are answering
VII. Conclusion
a. Summarize research issues addressed in the paper b. Specifically discuss the most important results
As part of this course, you are responsible to complete an independent research paper. In this project you are expected to use statistics to analyze time-series data and write an individual research paper demonstrating the ability to apply the macroeconomic principles, techniques, and information learned during the semester. Goal is for students to design an individual research paper, make decisions, and have some fun.
You are welcomed to pick any three macroeconomic indicators, or I can select them for you. For example, a student can pick (Unemployment, Housing Starts, and Interest Rate). Using MS Excel and MegaStat, students will calculate the log returns for each macroeconomic indicator and will statistically analyze the relationship between the indicators and report on the results. Note that topics are not first-come, first-served basis. Multiple students can analyze the same data sets or investigate a similar topics; however, each student’s final research paper must be different. You are required to submit your research paper and verbal presentation of your work. The paper must follow APA 7th edition formatting and the verbal presentation must be 10-15 minutes.
The research paper should be at minimum four (4) and at maximum eight (8) written pages. The written pages do not include the cover page, table of contents, references, and appendices inclusive of tables and figures. Ensure you are using APA formatting, with the paper double- spaced with the proper one-inch margins. A minimum of five peer-reviewed sources required.
I strongly recommend that you do not wait to start this project.
Your paper should include a description of the variables you intend to analyze. You should include the following:
• Why should someone care about your topic
• What question you are trying to answer
• A precise description of the variables you are analyzing
• What have previous scholars/researchers found related to your variables you analyzed
The paper will also include:
• A description of the data series and time series properties
• A description of the statistical formulas and techniques
• Your analysis of the data, including tables/graphs, statistical models
• Conclusions and limitations of your work
Over the semester, I will provide brief discussions of the various data sets and the types of issues you may consider in writing your paper. I do not want to be prescriptive, telling you exactly what to do with the data. My intention is that, within the general framework of the instructions, you decide which financial issues you want to emphasize, what methods you want to use, etc.
On the issue of how results should be presented, I cannot stress enough the importance of clarity and brevity. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, it is undoubtedly the case that finance professionals, university faculty members, civil servants, policy makers, and employers are busy people who do not want to spend a lot of time reading long, poorly organized and verbose papers. One key skill that writers of good reports show is selectivity. For example, you may
have many different coefficient results and tests statistics from your various regressions. An important part of any report is to decide what information is important and what is unimportant to your readership. Select only the most important information for inclusion in your report and report honestly and openly the results that you obtain (even if your results go against your theory).
You can download in excel format from the following data sources
Federal Reserve Economic Data | FRED | St. Louis Fed (stlouisfed.org)
Data and Statistics Page – FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK (newyorkfed.org) Damodaran Online: Home Page for Aswath Damodaran (nyu.edu)
Online Data – Robert Shiller (yale.edu)
Available Data Retrieval Tools (bls.gov)
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Typical Research Paper Sections
I. Introduction
a. Begin with an introduction that briefly motivates the reader b. Describe the issue being studied/researched
c. Summarize the main results
II. Literature Review
a. Summarize previous research related to your variables
b. Identify if previous scholars had statistically significant results
III. Economic Theory
a. Papers use theories to develop the foundation of the research
b. Theories connect research and results, how does it connect for your theory and
results
IV. Research Data
a. Describe your data
b. Detailed discussion of data sources including ethics in research
V. Statistical Formulas and Techniques
a. Outline statistical formulas used to derive results, descriptive and inferential techniques
b. How do the results connect with the theory in Section III
VI. Results
a. Heart of the research paper – Describe your results
b. Discuss how they relate to the question you are answering
VII. Conclusion
a. Summarize research issues addressed in the paper b. Specifically discuss the most important results