The students in this seminar will write original research papers suitable for submission to peer-reviewed academic journals. We will choose the topics together and spend class time presenting and discussing the papers as they develop. After the semester ends, I will monitor the papers that are submitted to journals as they progress through the review process and keep you informed of their publication status. Below are some papers from previous semesters; my web site has some examples of papers that I've coauthored with students. But the potential topics are not limited to these areas.
Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, January 23. At this meeting, we will discuss the topics you have chosen. In preparation for this meeting, please e-mail the entire class the tentative title of your paper and a 1-paragraph summary of what your paper will be about. Please e-mail these titles and summaries by midnight, Monday, January 21, so that we will all have time to read them carefully before the January 23 class meeting.
This course must be taken for a letter grade. Your grade in this course will be based on your final paper and your class participation (comments on other people's papers). I will deduct 1 point on the Pomona 12-point scale from your course grade for every week (or fraction thereof) that you miss a due date; e.g., if the grade on your final paper and class participation is B+, but your first draft was 3 days late and your second draft was 8 days late, your course grade will be C+:
Here are some important deadlines:
Outline. Our second meeting will be Monday, January 28. In preparation for this meeting, please e-mail the entire class a pdf file that is a tentative outline of your paper. This outline should not be cryptic bullet points, but should describe in some detail the topic you will be researching and how you intend to proceed with your analysis, in light of the comments made at the first class meeting. For example, if you intend to estimate a multiple regression equation, say specifically what the equation will be and what data you will use to estimate it. It is very important that you settle on a feasible topic early in the semester and not have to scramble for a topic as the deadlines come and go. Please e-mail these pdf files by midnight, Saturday, January 26, so that we will all have time to read them carefully before the January 28 class meeting. At this meeting, everyone in the class will be expected to offer constructive comments about everyone else's outlines.
Introduction. Monday, February 11. In preparation for this meeting, please e-mail the entire class a pdf file that is a first draft of the introductory part of your paper. This introduction should set up the topic you will be researching, summarize relevant previous research, and identify the data (if any) you will be using. Please look at some of the papers (below) from earlier courses and at some of the papers at my web site to see examples of what an introduction should look like. Specifically, summarize relevant research concisely and put proper references at the end of your paper. Please remember that an ordinary term paper might be mostly (or entirely) a summary of other people's work. In an original research paper, the focus is on your original research. A literature review should be confined to what is directly relevant to your original research; i.e., you are telling the reader why your research is different from and extends the work of others. Anything else should be omitted—which means that the literature review is usually a brief introduction that motivates your paper. If you are using data, you should identify exactly what data and which statistical tests you will be using. (Be specific. Don't say "interest rate data; do say "rates of return on long-term U.S. Treasury bonds from the Ibbotson data bank.") Please e-mail these pdf files by midnight, Saturday, February 9, so that we will all have time to read them carefully before the February 11 class meeting. At this meeting, everyone in the class will be expected to offer constructive comments about everyone else's papers.
first draft. Monday, February 25. This should be a rough first draft of your paper, with tentative results. You can anticipate that you will be asked to modify and/or expand your analysis, but you must have tentative results that can evaluated. Please e-mail the entire class a pdf file of your first draft by midnight Saturday, February 23, so that your reader will have time to read the paper carefully before the February 25 class meeting. The reader should make comments directly on the paper or type up comments. The reader will give verbal comments in class, but must give written comments to the paper's author.
second draft. Monday, April 7. This should be a rough second draft of your paper which incorporates the suggestions made on your first draft. Please e-mail the entire class a pdf file of your second draft by midnight Saturday, April 5, so that your reader will have time to read the paper carefully before the April 7 class meeting. The reader should make comments directly on the paper or type up comments.
final draft. Monday, April 21. This should be an essentially finished paper that you would give to a colleague for comments before submission to a journal. Please e-mail the entire class a pdf file of your final draft by midnight Saturday, April 19, so that your reader will have time to read the paper carefully before the April 21 class meeting. The reader should make comments directly on the paper or type up comments.
final paper. Monday, May 5. Hard copies of the final papers must be handed in on Monday, May 5.
Papers (Spring 2008)
You can contact the entire class by e-mail.
Spring 2007
Spring 2006
Spring 2005