High-Impact Teaching in Economics: A Flexible Paradigm Utilizing Introductory Econometrics for Promoting Undergraduate Research and Publishing

Abstract

This article provides a framework that can be used to increase undergraduate publishing in economics. A two-track research delivery system is outlined in detail: faculty–student co-authorship of papers targeting peer-reviewed journals, and student-authored, faculty-mentored/directed, papers intended for presentation at academic conferences offering the opportunity of publishing revised, presented papers in conference proceedings. This two-track research delivery system is inspired by three perspectives. First, the fact that completing a research project successfully, for students strongly interested in or at least potentially interested in a graduate degree in economics, significantly improves their graduate school prospects (admissions plus financial support). Second, for undergraduates who are not interested in graduate study in economics, completing a research project successfully can significantly improve employment prospects following graduation. Third, the self-confidence and satisfaction associated with publishing a research project enriches the student’s life and elevates the value of the college educational experience.

A Guide for Student-led Undergraduate Research in Empirical Micro-Economics

“…To be done well, these projects involve a substantial amount of work from both the student and the professor. As many economists, including Cebula (2017), point out, everything involves an opportunity cost. With the time spent on a project, the student could be earning money at a job, learning another skill (like a language, be it computer or foreign), or even just enjoying their senior year of college.…”

“…Finally, students want to choose a good researcher. Cebula (2017) suggests that an industrious student will look through faculty curriculum vitae (CVs). Students can usually find CVs on professors' websites, or the student can look at Google Scholar.…”

“…There are strategies to utilize economies of scope and scale in terms of research production, which may involve students working in groups either on the same question with different data or with the same data on different questions (Fenn et al, 2010). Enherberg (2005) and Wagner (2015) provide brief overviews of a four-year system of research, though Cebula (2017) points out this strategy may not work in a setting where students choose their major in their second or third year. DeLoach, Perry-Sizemore, and Borg (2012) and McGoldrick (2007) provide a general framework for doing undergraduate research institutionally and with specific areas students need to cover.…”