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Lesson 0 - Introduction

ECON 398 is a preparatory course designed to develop economic thinking and introduce applied research, focusing on writing an applied economics research paper and learning causal econometrics. The course includes lectures, hands-on activities, and labs, with assessments comprising assignments, midterms, a final exam, and a project. Classroom expectations emphasize respect and punctuality, and the course utilizes R software for practical applications.

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Lesson 0 - Introduction

ECON 398 is a preparatory course designed to develop economic thinking and introduce applied research, focusing on writing an applied economics research paper and learning causal econometrics. The course includes lectures, hands-on activities, and labs, with assessments comprising assignments, midterms, a final exam, and a project. Classroom expectations emphasize respect and punctuality, and the course utilizes R software for practical applications.

Uploaded by

ps4npw
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 0 - Introduction

ECON 398

Jonathan L. Graves

2024-12-31
Big Picture

1. Designed to be preparatory
2. Designed to develop economic thinking.
3. Designed to introduce you to applied research.

An Analogy

You can think of research as driving a car.

• Econometrics: is the study of how a car works.


• Applied Economics: is the study of how to drive a car
– Causal modeling is how to drive a car well.

The last piece is deciding where to go which is the really creative and challenging part of
research.

What is this course about?

In this course we’re going to do two main things:

1. Walk through (together) the process of writing an applied economics research paper
2. Learn the causal approach to econometrics

My goal for this course is that you leave confident that you can write a good applied research
paper, and that you have the tools to do so.

Course Structure

• Most weeks will be split between different classes: lectures and hands-on.
– The lectures cover theoretical material.
– The hands-on parts _require pre-reading and are mostly an applied activity.
– Pre-readings are absolutely essential, as is attendance.

2
Labs

There are also labs which start in the second week of classes.

• Labs are a way to practice and learn applied skills which we will use either on assignments
or in class.
– There’s also part of the final exam using skills which are demonstrated in labs.
• You can also work on the homework and project in the labs.

3
Assessment + Policies

Assessment

• Assignments: 10%
• Exams:
– Midterm: 25%
– Final Exam: 40%
∗ Better on final: drop midterm.
– Applied Exam: 10%
• Project: 15%

Assignments

There will be 4-5 assignments (approximately 1 per unit).

• If you hand in a completed assignment by the deadline, that is worth 30 points.


• If you subsequently review the solutions and correct your assignment, that is worth 20
points.
• Each assignment is scored out of 50 points in total.

Assessment Policies

• Late: 2% per hour, rounded up


• Concessions: contact your faculty Advising office → no make-up midterms
• Extra-credit: not by request

4
Late Waivers

You start the course with 3 late waivers

• Use 1 waiver: extend the deadline for an assessments which is not (a) an exam or project
or (b) time-limited.
• Use 2 waivers: drop an assignment.

Misconduct Policies

• Seriously disrespectful behaviour will not be tolerated, and may result in a student being
asked to leave the class or even withdraw from the course.
• All exams and submissions in this course (including assignments) are governed by the
UBC policies on Academic Misconduct (see syllabus for link)
• Cheating and plagiarism will be dealt with by the department or dean, and result in
penalties as outlined in the calendar (including failure of the course or submission)
• Everything must be your own work or cited; including LLM-tools which are prohibited
unless specifically allow.

� AI Stuff

Don’t use it for any of the analytical materials:

• It is frequently wrong, and confidently misleads.


• You can use it to help you code stuff, if necessary. Emphasis on help you not “do it for
you.”

UBC Early Alert: earlyalert.ubc.ca

• With Early Alert, faculty members can connect you with advisors who offer help and
assistance to help students get back on track
• Only specialized UBC advisors will be able to access any concerns I identify
• Early Alert does not affect your academic record (or anything else)

5
Classroom Expectations

• Arrive on time, avoid disrupting your classmates


• Be respectful of others:
– Don’t talk or interrupt other people
– Be present during class
– Raise your hand if you have a question or comment
– Avoid electronic distractions

Textbook

• There is one textbook “Mastering Metrics” by Angrist and Pischke


– You can buy it online or from the UBC bookstore
• This is supplemented by a more advanced textbooks called “Mostly Harmless Economet-
rics” by the same authors
– This is available online but you can find a free (and legal!) PDF version online
– This textbook is more technical than required but can be a good supplement

Software: R

In this class, we will be using the software R:

• R is free
• You will also need a laptop which can run it or be willing to use a JupyterHub online

6
Research Report

Research Report

Don’t be scared (If in ECON, you have to write one anyways)!

• The report is a full-length summary of the research project we carry out during the term
• You build most of this report as you work through the assignments in the course
• You have to synthesize and clean up your work in the final report at the end

The Project

We create the project together, as a class

• Doing this on your own can be hard


• This means everyone’s report is going to be on roughly the same topic
– However, you can take your own twist on it!
• If you have your own really good idea, talk to me.

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