ECOP1001:
ECONOMICS AS A
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Week 9: Research and writing in Political Economy
PLAN
• Issues paper feedback
• Essay overview
• Essay research
• Essay structure
• Essay tips
• Referencing
• Questions
ISSUES PAPER FEEDBACK
• Well done!
• Things to develop from issues paper in essay:
• Maintain consistent argument throughout
• Select scholarly sources that are relevant to your topic
• Use theory to interpret evidence
• Referencing: use of paraphrasing and quote marks
LEARNING HUB
• https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/learning-hub-academic-language.html
• Independent resources on: writing; critical thinking; research skills; group work; exam
preparation; time management; oral presentations.
• Workshops
• One-on-one consultations
• Studiosity online feedback
ESSAY
• 35% weighting
• Due: 11.59pm 2 May 2024 (Week 10)
• Compare two schools of economic thought that we have encountered in ECOP1001
• 2000 words (+/- 10%)
• Answer one of four questions.
• Explain, compare and critically analyse how your two chosen schools of thought would approach your chosen question.
• Use key points of comparison, such as the different methods, concepts, values, and policy prescriptions
• Develop your answer with reference to a real-world issue, such as the housing market, big tech, or climate change
• Cite at least 4 scholarly sources beyond reading list
• Cite at least 2 sources of empirical evidence from reliable sources
• In-text referencing and reference list
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Do markets reconcile competing interests? Can markets reconcile individual interests with
the public interest?
2. How do economic relations and structures create inequality? Should economic inequalities
be challenged?
3. What is meant by competition in the economy? Is a competitive economy always desirable?
4. To what extent do governments manage the economy? How should governments manage
the economy?
MARKING CRITERIA
• Understanding of two schools of economic thought in comparative perspective
• Critical analysis of two schools of economic thought in comparative perspective
• Application of two schools of economic thought to a real-world economic issue
• Extent, depth and relevance of research across scholarly and empirical sources
• Clarity of expression and development of a well-structured argument
• Consistent and appropriate referencing
TUTORIAL WORKSHEET
1. What question are you answering?
2. What two schools of economic thought are you comparing?
3. What points of comparison are using to compare your two schools of thought?
4. What real-world issue are you focusing on?
5. What four scholarly sources (beyond the reading list) have you identified?
6. What two sources of empirical evidence have you identified?
7. Summarize your overall argument in one or two sentences.
FINDING PEER REVIEWED SCHOLARLY
SOURCES
• Library catalogue
• https://sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=61USYD_INST:sydney&lang=en
• LIBR1000: “Use the library catalogue effectively” and “Manage your search results”
• Google Scholar
• https://scholar.google.com/
• Follow references
• Political economy journals
POLITICAL ECONOMY JOURNALS
• Journal of Australian Political Economy
• Economic and Labour Relations Review
• Environment and Planning A: Economy
and Space
• New Political Economy
• Socio-Economic Review
• Globalizations
• Competition and Change
• Development and Change
• Cambridge Journal of Economics
• Review of Political Economy
• Review of Radical Political Economics
• Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy
and Society
• Global Political Economy
• Review of International Political
Economy
• Journal of Post Keynesian Economics
• Capital and Class
• Feminist Economics
• Review of Keynesian Economics
• Journal of Economic Issues
• Economic Geography
• Economy and Society
• Labor Studies Journal
• British Journal of Industrial Relations
• Labor History
• World Development
• Ecological Economics
• Capitalism, Nature Socialism
• Energy Policy
• Housing Studies
• Urban Studies
FINDING EMPIRICAL SOURCES
• Who is publishing it?
• Government sources (E.g. ABS, Treasury) ✓
• Intergovernmental agencies (E.g. IMF, IEA) ✓
• Reports and articles from think tanks, NGOs, industry – yes but think critically
• Media articles – yes if reputable but better to locate original sources where possible, and think
critically
• Wikipedia – no but use in your preliminary research to locate reputable and relevant sources
• Other unaffiliated websites - no
• Evidence from scholarly sources
ESSAY STRUCTURE
• Builds on your Issues Paper
• Connect questions with overall argument and use of essay structure:
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• References
INTRODUCTION
• State what question you are answering
• State your argument
• “This essay will argue…”
• Outline your method (i.e. how you are going to make your argument)
• Your points of comparison
• Your real world issue
• Your structure
BODY
• Introduce your two schools of thought and how they approach the issues in your question
• 2 or 3 points of comparison to explain, compare and critically analyse the similarities and
differences between your two schools of thought
• Real world issue can be integrated into discussion of each point of comparison or discussed
at the end of the body of your essay
CONCLUSION
• Summarise your argument
• Point to implications of your argument for debates and research in political economy and/or
real work policy and politics
REFERENCES
• List all references cited in text
• Do not reference anything that is not cited in text
TIPS
• Use clear and common points of comparison, e.g.:
• Methods
• Unit of analysis
• Concepts
• Normative values and view of capitalism
• Theory of the state and policy prescriptions
• Use theory to interpret real world evidence and use real world evidence to evaluate theory
• Make a preliminary plan for structure
• Maintain clear argument
• Elevate your own voice
• Connect the dots yourself
• Leave time to edit your work
• Read tips in reading list from Frank Stilwell and Adam Morton
REFERENCING
• Use “Harvard” (Author: Date) system of referencing
• Library guide here
• Example:
The annual rate of inflation in Australia in 2023, as measured by CPI was 4.1 per cent (ABS 2024).
Quote: Stilwell (2011: xvi) states that the CPI “indicates how the price of a typical basket of goods varies over time.”
OR
Paraphrase: Inflation is a measure of the rise in prices over time, typically measured with reference to a commonly consumed basket
of goods and services (Stilwell 2011: xvi).
References
ABS (2024) ‘Consumer Price Index, Australia’, Australian Bureau of Statistics, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-
indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/latest-release
Stilwell, Frank (2011) Political Economy: The Contest of Economic Ideas, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
QUESTIONS?