How To Write An A+ Economics Dissertation On Any Topic

Writing an economics dissertation is in many ways the most important part of your learning experience as a would-be economist. Don’t let that intimidate you, however, for it also is an exciting learning experience which gives you the opportunity to do your own research and to write about something that genuinely interests you.

This article will help guide you to writing your dissertation. We will go through all the different sections of a dissertation and the steps necessary to do them at a high standard.

• Choosing a topic

You should select a topic in which you have a genuine interest. Writing about something which you are passionate about will make the work easier and more rewarding. Make sure to not select a topic which has been excessively researched or, on the other side of the coin, hasn’t been researched at all. Ask your lecturer if your topic is appropriate before moving forward.

• Abstract

The abstract is like a summary of your paper. It should describe what conclusion you came to and how you got there.

• Introduction

Your introduction should examine your topic and how fits into current economic research. Explain why your topic is an interesting subject and how it creates new knowledge in the field of economics. It should also pose your research question: the central unanswered question of your subject that you are attempting to answer in your dissertation.

• Literature review

Your literature review should discuss and critically analyze research that concerns your chosen subject. You need to find gaps in the research that your paper can answer as well as any possible faults in the research methodology or conceptual approach.

• Methodology

When you have selected your subject and the question that you are answering, you need to figure out how to answer it. There are several approaches.

1. Empiricist: All dissertations involve the use of empirical information, but the empiricist approach is a method aligned with the natural sciences. You will attempt to explain the data from an objective viewpoint.
2. Interpretive: The difference between this and the empiricist approach is how you decipher the empirical information. When using the interpretive method you take a less objective approach and consider the subjective experience of the human world. You will be more aware of the social context of the experiment.
3. Critical: A critical approach is focused on the balance of power and social conflict within social systems. This approach will share the methodology with the others but will be more questioning of the underlying reasons for the current socio-economical conditions.
• Findings/Conclusion

Your conclusions should be connected to your literature review and research question. Discuss how your results differ from previous research. Find any possible flaws in your methodology or data and the implications for future research on your chosen research area.