- From the
syllabus
section D.2:
Extra-credit Option. There is no required homework assignment or
term project. However, you may choose to replace 14% of your course grade with
a four-page (absolute maximum, typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins,
12-point Times New Roman font) explication of a topic/problem
directly
related to a concept covered in the course and/or to a current
macroeconomic policy issue. You may put any graphs, charts or tables on extra
pages. You may do this project in one of the following ways: either
choose a topic from a newspaper or magazine article and/or a reliable
Internet source, and relate it to what we do in this course, or do a
piece of empirical (econometric) work on one of the subjects covered in the
course. If you wish, you may consult with me regarding your topic.
However, please do not wait until the last minute to do this. I suggest a deadline of
Thursday, March
7th, for consultation; the consultation is not required.
This assignment, if you choose to do it, is due, in electronic format,
on Monday, March 18th,
at 4:00 p.m. Late submissions will NOT be accepted.
This
option is NOT open to students who miss more than two classes during the term
(see section 3 below). You need to exercise this option very carefully.
Something cobbled together at the last minute, or in any case done
carelessly, will be worse than useless.
- Choose a very clear and sharply-focused topic
relevant to the course. The topic must be a
macroeconomics-related one. You should certainly refer to more
than one source for your paper.
- The relevance of your topic to the course material must
be clear. If in doubt, check with me.
- Assume that your readers know the material covered in
class. Therefore, you should not repeat that material in detail. You
may, of course, refer to that material and use it. For
example, if you need to use IS-LM and/or PC curves,
do so; but do not explain the details of how they are constructed.
- Stay away from opinion and
speculation. You are
fully entitled to your opinions and speculations. But this paper
is absolutely NOT the right place for those.
- Your paper must be well-organized and
well-written. As much as
possible, try to avoid unnecessary jargon.
- Make sure your paper has a nice, crisp, descriptive
title. Do not forget to paginate your paper.
You will lose 10 points if you don't.
- The text of your paper should be
at
most 4 pages long, typed, double-spaced, one-inch
margins all around, in Times New Roman 12-point font. Charts, graphs, references and/or any other ancillary
material may be put on additional pages.
- Remember that there is an opportunity cost to this
option--the time you could spend better preparing for Quiz 2 and for the
Final Examination. Only a paper which is truly excellent in all
respects is going to get high marks. So, make sure that your
decision to take this option meets the cost-benefit test.
- Please check with the
Writing Center
to make sure that the quality of your writing is high. You will
lose points for poor writing quality.
- For citation and referencing style, consult
here,
and for more details check out
this paper and
this
paper.
- Be careful about Internet sources. There is
some good stuff on the Internet, but a lot of rubbish as well. You
need to be able to tell the wheat from the chaff. If in doubt,
consult with me.
- The paper you submit for this course must not have
been previously submitted for another course. Also, you are not
allowed to submit this paper for another course concurrently or in the
future.
- Include the honor code statement and your signature.
- Your paper must be submitted, via e-mail in electronic format (pdf or Word).
If you use graphs for your paper, try to draw them electronically so
that you can embed them in your paper. If you need to draw them by
hand, try to see if you can scan them and incorporate them in your
paper. If none of these options works for you, you may slip your
hand-drawn graphs under my office door. Make sure to put your name
on whatever you submit in the latter way.
- The due date for the optional paper is
Monday, March 18th
at 4:00 PM. Late
submissions will NOT be accepted.
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