Module Directory

Each student completes a separate individual research project under the guidance and supervision of a member of staff. In the first term, students prepare and turn in a 'literature review and project plan' to be marked, and will give a short oral presentation of this, also to be marked. Students may choose a title from an approved list or propose one of their own.

The main purpose of the project is to enable students to demonstrate knowledge of how economic ideas can be applied in greater length and depth than is feasible in the context of a taught course. Upon completion of the individual research project each student will have designed and implemented a modest research project in applied or theoretical economics, normally including a critical literature survey and the evaluation of evidence (as appropriate to the project title).

The aims of this module are:

• To provide opportunities for students to develop academic and professional working skills.


• To write a literature review, project plan and dissertation.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Identify, plan, organise and pursue a research-oriented project or study.


2. Demonstrate the capacity to exercise a range of research and transferable skills and methods in order to produce a research-oriented dissertation.


3. Analyse and reflect critically on theories and/or conceptual/analytical frameworks in addressing real-life management, marketing or business problems.


4. Demonstrate a series of transferable skills including those related to accessing documentary evidence, academic literature and analysing data from primary sources.


5. Demonstrate an ability to analyse, synthesise and critique knowledge from a variety of sources.


6. Communicate effectively findings and analysis, and generate appropriate recommendations.

Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)

By the end of this modules, students will be expected to have enhanced the following key professional and transferable skills:

1. Written Communication – through the preparation of a final report.


2. Research Skills – through the retrieval, evaluation and synthesis of published academic research and commercial and professional literature.


3. Critical Thinking – through the evaluation and critique of published academic, commercial and professional literature.


4. Digital and Technical Fluency – through the use of internet and electronic database searches to obtain published academic research and commercial and professional literature; or, for example, through research into on-line communities.


5. Innovation and Curiosity – through the development of a research question and awareness of the academic process.


6. Data and Analytics – through the evaluation of published research.


7. Personal Brand – through the development of all these skills to enhance your curriculum vitae.


8. Commercial Awareness – through the evaluation and critique of professional and commercial literature.

This module is part of the Q-Step pathway. Q-Step is an award which you can gain simply by enrolling on specific modules and will signal to employers your capability in quantitative research. Learn more about the Q-Step pathway and enhance your degree now.

A non-assessed sequence of lectures and laboratory sessions is taught to provide students with the econometric methods relevant for applied research.

This module will be delivered via:

• One lecture per week in the spring term.
• One laboratory session per week.

Appointed supervisors provide individual supervision