Research and Writing Seminar

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Research and Writing Seminar
Thursday, 1500 1635, room B

• To find an up-to-date version of the schedule and
  to read the papers check the website
  www.wne.uw.edu.pl/seminar

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• Coordinators
• - Prof. Andrzej Cieslik
• - Dr. Pawel Kaczmarczyk
• - Dr. Michal Krawczyk
• - Dr. Anna Kukla-Gryz
• - Dr. Grzegorz Kula
• - Dr. Joanna Tyrowicz
• - Dr. Leszek Wincenciak

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• Objective of the course
• Give you basis for your own research.

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• The goals for each student are following
• Gain exposure to state-of-the-art research in
  economics,
• Become familiar with key analytical tools and
  modeling skills,
• Develop academic writing skills,
• Develop critical thinking and evaluation skills,
• Gain exposure to useful presentation techniques.

Follow presentations gt write reviews
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• Writing reviews
• Why do you need to do this (except for because
  we say so)?
• Thinking is nice, writing shows results
• Organization is key no better way to test it
• Criticizing is a skill not each critique merits
• What for do you do this?
• WYDIWYL ( what you do is what you learnt)
• Discipline helps getting nice ideas (for thesis
  too!)

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• Writing reviews how do you do this
• Necessary steps
• 1. Read the paper and prepare your comments in
  the week before the seminar (this we do not
  check).
• 2. Ask questions and present your comments at
  the seminar (this is where we evaluate your
  potential).
• 3. Discuss the first draft one week after the
  seminar (first evaluation of your work).
• 4. Submit the final version two/four weeks
  after the seminar (final evaluation of your
  work).

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• Step 1 - preparation
• Read the paper and prepare your comments
• (you may want to identify first, what is of
  interest for you)
• Read the paper to be presented and think about
  it.
• Find some time to read more literature in the
  field.
• Make comments that include your reasons
  explaining why you like (or do not like) the
  paper, your suggestions and concerns.
• Make a list of specific questions you would like
  to ask to the presenter at the seminar.
• In addition think about possible extensions that
  could be made to the paper.

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• Step 2 face the dragon
• Ask questions and present your comments
• Use the knowledge of both paper and presentation
  to be sure your accusation/praise is grounded
  (question relevant).
• Speakers are here for you ask them all possible
  (relevant!) questions.
• Use the opportunity of speaker presence to
  discuss with them your suggestions/questions/ideas
  on the theme.

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• Step 3 first attempts
• Discussing the first draft
• Prepare your first draft (not free notes, but a
  coherent draft) and send it you your coordinator.
• Set up a meeting to discuss vices and advantages
  of your work.
• You get feedback on both substance and
  exposition.
• Listen to our comments, but do not fear
  presenting your own opinions, views and
  suggestions.
• Give us the time to give you the time (send
  drafts by e-mail in advance, set up appointments,
  etc.).
• We like you if we cannot read it, it means you
  really need to revise it.

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• Step 4 salvation
• Submitting the final version
• There is a point in Step 3 make best use of it.
• Make sure your structure is clear and coherent.
• Make sure sentences make sense (have beginnings,
  ends, etc.).
• Use spell checker, mind editing, complete
  bibliography, etc.
• We have many students make sure there is one
  main reason for which we should want to read this
  paper.
• Papers submitted by email only
• E-mail title Name, surname plus number of review
• File name surname_draft_number or
  surname_final_number

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• Students obligations
• Winter semester 5 critical reviews
• Purely descriptive, and not exceeding 10 pages,
• Due date 2 weeks after the seminar presentation.
  
• Summer semester 4 critical reviews with
  extension
• Reviews must include an analytical extension of
  the reviewed paper,
• Reviews should not exceed 20 pages,
• Due date four weeks after the seminar
  presentation,
• Can work in teams of two.
• By the end of August
• Write your own research proposal for the master
  thesis (not graded but indispensable).

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• Each review should include
• Title page with abstract
• Introduction with motivation, intuition, goals
  and structure
• Brief literature survey
• Critical analysis of the theoretical framework
  AND/OR statistical methodology
• Critical analysis of theoretical AND/OR empirical
  findings
• In the winter semester a list of possible future
  extensions
• In the spring semester extended theoretical
  model or new empirical results
• Concluding section with your main points
  summarized
• Bibliography

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• Introduction
• Explain, what is your motivation for reviewing
  this paper (saying it is interesting is not
  enough).
• Describe what the paper is about, maybe mention
  its main points.
• State the goals you want to achieve in the review
  (reviewing the paper and criticizing it is too
  general for the goal of a review) they should
  be the same as your criticism afterwards.
• TEASE the reader.
• Be organized and clear.

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• Literature review
• Locate the paper in the field. We do not need you
  to repeat what was reviewed in the original paper
  (it is not an analysis of what literature is used
  in the paper and how it is presented).
• Show how you understand the field and the
  contribution of this particular paper.
• Link this section to you criticism (ground your
  criticism in the field).
• You do not need to read everything nor summarize
  all the papers you have found.
• The idea is to compare the problems, methods and
  results, and not to describe other papers in
  details.

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• Critical analysis
• Do not describe theory or methodology in detail,
  unless you have comments or opinions of your own.
  
• If you have them, include in the paper sections
  on a critical analysis of the theoretical
  framework and/or a critical analysis of
  statistical methodology.
• If you have nothing to say about them, drop these
  sections, but say a few words about theory and
  methodology in the introduction.
• You have to include a critical analysis of
  theoretical and empirical findings.
• You should present arguments supporting your
  opinions.

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• Extensions
• In the winter semester
• Possible future extensions only suggestions.
• You have to describe
• - what the suggested extension is,
• - the intuition behind it,
• - what result you hope to obtain,
• - why it is significant,
• - its feasibility.
• You should think of at least two possible
  extensions.

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• Extensions
• In the summer semester
• Theoretical or econometric extensions of the
  reviewed papers
• - a step further in the research described in
  the reviewed paper,
• - solutions of some special cases,
• - alternative methods of estimation,
• - tests which were not conducted in the original
  research,
• - alternative assumptions, approaches,
• - etc.
• Only one extension per review (no need to do
  completely new research, although you may do that
  if you wish).
• You may work in teams of two.

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• Some really useful tips
• Write a review not a summary (do not rewrite
  the reviewed paper)
• Even genious points are unclear if you are not
  clear, neat and organised
• GIGO does not merit our appreciation (without
  main theme, there can be no good review)
• Make yourself heard by being interesting and
  right not necessarily critical or controversial
• Not each question needs to be asked not each
  criticism merits being written down

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• Papers evaluation and final grades
• Each paper is evaluated on the basis of
• Clarity of exposition 20
• Academic writing quality 30
• Substantive quality 50
• In the summer semester these three points
  constitute 50 of the grade, while the extension
  yields the remaining 50.

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• Papers evaluation and final grades
• For each paper maximum 10 points,
• One additional point for a sensible question
  during the discussion after the presentation,
• In order to get this point you have to introduce
  yourself,
• Be on time late submission cuts your points
  (minus one point for the delay of one week),
• The final grade in the semester is an average of
  the points from the reviews.

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• Research proposal
• Introduces and describes the subject,
• DOES NOT HAVE TO BE your eventual master thesis
• Should not exceed 10 pages
• Describe the problem,
• Explain why it is worth studying,
• Say how you will conduct your research and what
  you plan to find out from this excercise,
• Include a short bibliography of basic literature,
• Shows that you are interested in the subject,
• Shows that you know the problem enough to start
  the research
• Shows that you are able to write the thesis.

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• Contact details
• Prof. Andrzej Cieslik
• Room 409 Office hours Monday, 1315 - 1415
• e-mail cieslik_at_wne.uw.edu.pl
• Dr. Pawel Kaczmarczyk
• Room 211 Office hours Wednesday, 1500-1630
• e-mail p.kaczmarczyk_at_uw.edu.pl
• Dr. Michal Krawczyk
• Room 214 Office hours Monday, 1805 1900
• e-mail mkrawczyk_at_wne.uw.edu.pl
• Dr. Anna Kukla-Gryz
• Room 214 Office hours 1315 - 1415
• e-mail akukla_at_wne.uw.edu.pl
• Dr. Grzegorz Kula
• Room 106 Office hours Thursday, 1355 - 1455