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Research Paper
The research paper assignment is a major component of this course. It is intended to serve as a way for students to synthesize the instructor's classroom presentations with the reading materials while also allowing scope for in depth investigation of a specific subject that is of particular interest to each individual student.
One of the primary objectives of this course is application of the theory of international finance to contemporary issues. Thus, the research paper is expected to link what you have learned in class and through the assigned readings with an independent inquiry into some aspect of the international financial system as it presently operates, including particularly operational problems which have been manifested in the past 5 years or so which seem to require some sort of change in or reform of the existing system.
It is suggested that students should start thinking about the topic to be chosen for their research papers during the first week of the course in order to provide ample time for considering alternatives and their comparative feasibility. Just before the mid block exam in the second week students will be expected to submit a tentative research paper topic together with a preliminary 6utline. During the following week these ideas win be considered further (and perhaps modified) before the definitive statement of the research topic together with a detailed outline is required to be submitted on February 7, the day before the end of block exam. The completed paper is to be submitted by the end of the day on February 11 as a component of the Course Notebook.
The paper should be approximately 12 15 pages in length (not including graphs or tables) and should be typed, double spaced, and presented in accordance with standard style and footnote criteria. Substantively, the paper should consist of the following three parts:
1) A brief introduction to the topic to be addressed, including an indication of why the student has chosen the topic and of how it is to be dealt with.
2) The main body of the paper providing the reader with a clearly and concisely stated hypothesis, argument or explanation pertaining to the chosen topic along with the pertinent historical, institutional and / or statistical information required to clarify and support the thesis of the presentation. It should also be made clear in this part of the paper (either in the text or by way of footnotes) how the theory of international finance, as contained in the assigned reading materials and discussed in class sessions, relates to the student's analysis of the topic and the resulting conclusions.
3) A brief summary of the paper and of the author's principal findings and
/ or recommendations.