EC215 Research Methodology
Course Information
Level: Undergraduate | Credits: 3 (3-0-6) | Semester: 2/2568
Schedule: Thursday 9:30–12:30 | Room: ศ.234Y
Prerequisite: EC211, EC212, and EC325 (or EC425)
Grading: Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory (S/U)
Course Description
This course teaches students to write quality economics research papers systematically. Students develop practical skills in research question formulation, academic literature search and synthesis, empirical research design, and academic writing. Most learning activities take place in class through writing exercises, peer review, and workshops — attendance is therefore mandatory.
Topics
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Course overview and structure of an economics research paper |
| 2 | Finding and formulating a research question |
| 3 | How to write an introduction |
| 4 | Writing motivation and research context |
| 5 | Identifying research gaps and contributions |
| 6 | Introduction revision workshop |
| 7 | Searching, screening, and selecting economic literature (Google Scholar, EconLit, Scopus) |
| 8 | Extracting evidence, quality assessment, and literature synthesis |
| 9 | Writing the literature review |
| 10 | Advanced literature review techniques; citations and avoiding plagiarism |
| 11 | Transitioning from literature review to methodology |
| 12 | Designing the methodology section |
| 13 | Writing the methodology section |
| 14 | Integration and consistency across paper sections |
| 15 | Final revision and presentation of mini-paper |
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the structure, purpose, and standards of an economics research paper
- Formulate a clear, feasible, and significant research question with a testable hypothesis
- Search, screen, and select relevant economics literature using academic databases
- Critically evaluate and synthesize economics literature to identify research gaps
- Design an appropriate empirical research methodology
- Write the key components of a research paper (introduction, literature review, methodology)
- Present research ideas and findings clearly in both written and oral form
Assessment
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 45% |
| In-class writing assignments (handwritten) | 30% |
| Final mini-paper | 15% |
| Final presentation (5–7 minutes) | 10% |
Note: AI tools are not permitted for in-class writing assignments, which must be completed by hand during class time.
Chaleampong Kongcharoen
Assistant Professor of Economics, Associated Dean on Academic Affairs
I’m an assistant professor of economics at Thammasat University. My research interests are time series econometrics, and empirical macroeconomics.