Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module ECON3462: RESEARCH PROJECT IN BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS
Department: Economics
ECON3462: RESEARCH PROJECT IN BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS
| Type | Tied | Level | 3 | Credits | 40 | Availability | Available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap | 8 | Location | Durham |
|---|
| Tied to | L100 |
|---|---|
| Tied to | L106 |
| Tied to | L109 |
| Tied to | L103 |
| Tied to | L104 |
| Tied to | L105 |
| Tied to | L1R1 |
Prerequisites
- • Behavioural and Experimental Economics (ECON2141)
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None.
Aims
- The research project should be a substantial piece of work that provides a detailed and critical examination of a particular topic.
- The research project should include original data collected using experimental economics standards.
- The research project aims to encourage students to acquire the skills of independent research by pursuing a substantial project requiring research reading, study design, data collection and analysis.
Content
- There is a highly structured plan of work involving lectures, practicals and consultations between students and their research project supervisors.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Enhance student's knowledge of a specific topic in behavioural and experimental economics
Subject-specific Skills:
- By completing a research project, students will learn to plan and design a substantial piece of written work on an area of behavioural and experimental economics of their choice which requires literature searches, and the collection and analysis of relevant data.
Key Skills:
- Written communication - by completing the summative assessment
- Planning Organisation and time management - by observing strict deadlines
- Initiative - by searching relevant literature and other information
- The design of instruments for collecting behavioural or choice data.
- Development of statistically rigorous experimental design
- Development of data analytical skill
- Technical writing using word processing software
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Teaching is by lectures, practicals and consultations. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, practicals, preparation for and participation in consultations and private study. Formative assessment is by means of preparation of two assignments linked to the practical sessions to enable students to learn how to conduct data collection and analysis. Summative assessment is by methods outlined below.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 13 | Weekly first term, and then three meetings in the second term | 1 hour | 13 | ■ |
| Consultations (4 group plus 2 individual sessions) | 6 | One in the first term, and then once a week in weeks 2-9 of the second term | 20 mins | 2 | ■ |
| Practicals | 3 | All in the first term | 2 hours | 6 | ■ |
| Student Preparation and Reading | 379 | ||||
| Total | 400 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component: Coursework | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Final Research Project | 8,000 words | 60%% | Same |
| Group Research Design Document | 2,000 words | 15%% | Same |
| Final Project Presentation | 20 minutes | 25%% | Same |
Formative Assessment:
There are two formative assessments through practicals. One is a practical on pre-study power analysis with accompanying assignment, and the other is on developing data-collecting instruments with accompanying assignment.
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University