Writing an economics dissertation can prove to be a tough task and quality economics dissertation topics are hard to come by. The dissertation in hand allows you to investigate your ability for, and interest in doing economic research. Economics is not the easiest of subjects but it is one of the most interesting. Economics touches nearly every aspect of business and economic theory has been taught for centuries. Economics is seen as the analysis of production, consumption, distribution of wealth and allocation of limited resources to satisfy the needs of people and business. Nowadays, economics extends across national boundaries in the form of international business and global fiscal policy; this is noticeable with the formation of the European Union and flow of international finance.
Your economics dissertation is likely to be the biggest project you undertake at university or college. It can consist of anything between 10,000 to 15,000 words for a typical undergraduate dissertation and will involve in-depth research, time and dedication, you must organize your own time effectively in order to make it a success and set realistic goals. Here we have given a few thoughts and some advice on planning, researching and writing your dissertation. You will see a list of economics dissertation topics further on in this post.
Economics Dissertation Topics
Before you begin your economics dissertation, you must decide on an appropriate economics dissertation topic and title. Your dissertation should focus on a specific issue try to avoid generalizing as you may write a fragmented and disjointed piece of research. The topic should be interesting, something that can uphold in-depth research.
Choosing an economics dissertation topic and getting started
What is your topic question?
Do you have adequate background research?
Stay focused on it
In previous posts, I always stress to keep the research up to date and to engage the reader. There is no real benefit in writing an economics dissertation on outdated theory or defunct policy.
Choose a topic from an area you are familiar and comfortable writing about. Remember that this is a large project that will keep you engaged for most of your final year. It is advisable to revisit topics you have already covered on your degree as this may lead you to elaborate and base your dissertation on a project you have already completed. Writing your economics dissertation will be the ideal opportunity for you to use your intellect, skills, creativity, and economics training.
Economics Dissertation Advice
For empirical papers: Where will you get your data? How will it help answer your question?
What statistical techniques will you be able to use? Will you be able to identify causation or only correlation?
Theory papers typically are not just informal discussions. They tend to involve more mathematics than empirical ones, not less.
If you are having trouble understanding a topic, a good place to start is to look in several relevant textbooks to see how they handle it.
Economics is a specialized and scientific subject that involves equations, mathematics, figures and tables, economic theory is often underpinned by statistics and you need to be mindful of this. The field of economics differs vastly from other business subjects such as marketing, strategy and information management. These subject areas tend not to rely heavily on statistics or equations to strengthen findings and recommendations.
Below is a list of economics dissertation topics that will help you
I hope you have benefited from reading this post. Feel free to add comments or suggests that I may have left out. These will be considered and added to this post.
Choosing a dissertation topic is the first and most important part of the dissertation writing process. You should be interested in the topic and the research needs to be easily readable, fluid, informative, attainable and more importantly to answer the research question posed by the author. There needs to be adequate and readily available facts to comfortably help you accomplish your dissertation research project. Below are six methods which may help you discover a dissertation title and to kick start the writing process and more importantly help you in choosing a dissertation topic.
Choosing a Dissertation Topic
1. Make the Topic Interesting and Informative
A lot of researchers and student undertaking a dissertation project of spend months, if not years composing their dissertation. You should choose a topic that you are familiar with and have a good understanding of. If you are not enthusiastic about a topic then there is a high probability that you will waste a lot of research time and effort. Image yourself as the reader and try to make your dissertation stimulating.
2. Attainable and Solvable Dissertation Topics
Can the questions or hypotheses in the dissertation be answered and is the topics too broad with no real relevance to your field of research? If you are about to write a Marketing Dissertation try not to write a dissertation outside of this subject field, make it relevant and informative to individuals within the marketing arena. Make sure you can answer the questions within the time frame set by your university or supervisor, I am aware of so many students failing their dissertation project because they ran out of time, or they hurried their research resulting in a lower grade. Try to break your research into attainable milestones and be realistic when doing this.
3. Be Organized
Organization is so critical when you are looking to start a dissertation project. From experience I suggest you have a well structured electronic filing system on your computer. Create folders to mirror the dissertation chapters, try to keep all your files in one location and make sure to back this up from time to time. Don’t have files located on numerous computers and folder structures as you will lose track and valuable time. Also use folders to keep copies of printouts and photocopied material, this will prove useful when conducting a Literature Review or Appendix Section of the dissertation. Try to identify best days to conduct your research, weekend is a good time as you can reflect on the material gathered during the previous week and you can identify what material you need in the forthcoming weeks.
4. Expand on Existing Material You Have Written
If you intend to write a Business Dissertation take a look at what you have already written in previous modules or classes in degree. You will be surprised on how much you have already written and how relevant the material is to your project. From my experiences of writing dissertations, you can use existing literature already identified in previous modules, this is also true of academic models, structure and you may extend a previous topic you have written about and turn that into your own dissertation topic. Inspiration can be found within oneself.
5. Original and Meaningful Content
There are many dissertation topics and ideas that are interesting, attainable and solvable however, someone else may have already covered the topics you are looking into. It is safe to say that if your dissertation supervisor lectures a class of 200 students on the current global economic environment, a significant number of students will write their dissertation topic relating to this subject area. Try to find gaps in existing research or a void in current knowledge, this will make your research more readable and you will get a lot of satisfaction from it. This will prove useful experience when you leave university and start your career in employment. Groundbreaking dissertation research tends to be unique and highly thought provoking whilst adding a valuable contribution to the subject area.
6. Relax and Compose Yourself
Lets be honest, dissertations are in-depth and complex to write if you have never written a dissertation or thesis before. You need to gather your thoughts and do not go off on a different tangent when writing your dissertation. Try to visualize who will be reading your dissertation, in reality on a handful of fellow students and your dissertation supervisor will read your dissertation and it is highly unlikely that it will make the cover of The Wall Street Journal. Don’t be afraid to use the writing style you have adopted at university whilst paying careful consideration to your university guidelines. Remember, writing your dissertation is one of the most satisfying aspects of undertaking a degree or professional university qualification. Writing your dissertation can prove enjoyable and you will benefit from a sense of accomplishment once you have completed it.
To summarize, your dissertation must be interesting, relevant to the subject area you are acquainted with and you must answer the questions and hypotheses presented. Be organized, look at your existing writing contributions, don’t be afraid and make sure you complete your dissertation on time. Hopefully, the tips on choosing a dissertation topic will prove useful to you.
Many students ask us the question – What Is A Dissertation?… Well, your dissertation will be the most challenging aspect of your university study. It may also be an unfamiliar mode of assessment that requires you to engage independently with your subject matter, at a level of both breadth and detail that is perhaps not typical of most other forms of assessment. A crucial aspect of all this is to ensure that you are aware of all the elements involved in the dissertation writing process and that you allow yourself adequate time to do your dissertation topic justice. At most universities around the world, a dissertation or thesis is an extended piece of academic writing based on extensive reading of a subject area and independent research at an undergraduate or postgraduate level. Having been the longest established sample dissertations website we are here to assist and support you in preparing your own dissertation project by giving you some general information on how a dissertation is structured and what a dissertation is.
Many of you will be expected to construct and submit your own original idea for a dissertation topic, though students in certain disciplines (e.g. business) may either be given a specific topic, or expected to choose from a list of suitable projects. Nonetheless, it is advisable that you start to think about your choice of dissertation topic at the earliest possible early stage of your final year, if not earlier. Let’s make no mistake about it, your dissertation research project is probably the single most important task you will undertake whilst at university or college, and is often a key indicator of your true capabilities as a student and researcher. In addition to the information contained in this article, you must refer to the instructions and guidelines outlined in your nominated study program. It is worth noting that different subject areas have different expectations, referencing styles and support mechanisms for the dissertation. For example, in some areas you are able to formulate your own dissertation title, whilst in others you will be required to choose from a list of predefined titles. The content and structure of a dissertation can differ across national boundaries and level of study.
What Is A Dissertation
The structure of an undergraduate dissertation written at a UK university can differ immensely to an undergraduate dissertation written at a North American university. This is due to how learning content is delivered and taught and many words can be used interchangeably. For example a dissertation abstract can be referred to as a dissertation synopsis. Similarly, a dissertation appendix can be referred to as an annexure. Some universities encourage The Harvard System of referencing while other universities prefer citing dissertations using the APA, MLA, Chicago and AAA Styles, the list goes on. Nonetheless, a dissertation is, in essence, a piece of research submitted in support of submission for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author’s research and findings. Never lose sight of this. We at study-aids.co.uk will give an insightful overview to what a dissertation is:
A Dissertation Adheres To Certain Fundamental Principles Of Academic Writing:
It is a structured piece of writing that develops a clear line of thought in response to a central question or plan.
What Is A Dissertation?… A dissertation is an extended piece of work, usually divided into chapters, and containing a significantly more detailed examination of your subject matter and evidence than is the case for most essays.
Because you usually have much more responsibility in choosing your research topic, and for sourcing supporting material, your dissertation provides evidence of your ability to carry out highly independent study and research.
You are typically expected to be clear about the methodology you have used to gather and evaluate your evidence. This aspect of producing a dissertation has much greater emphasis than in a typical essay or assignment.
Those of you undertaking analysis of quantitative data must similarly ensure that you adhere to the methodological requirements expected within your academic discipline and that you utilise the appropriate software such as SPSS and SYSTAT. You must satisfy yourself as to these requirements within your subject area.
It is highly advisable for you to ask your supervisor where you can find details of any regulations about your dissertation, such as its word count, structure and submission details. You should pay special attention to this. Hopefully, we have answered your question of what is a dissertation.
Dissertation Structure
Abstract
The length of the Abstract should be no more than 300-500 words, but not included in the formal word count.
The purpose of this very short section is to tell the reader something about the contents. About 1/3 of the Abstract should explain what you intended to do (parameters). The other 2/3rds should tell the reader what you did, including recommendations.
The Abstract may duplicate some material included in the Introduction and/or Conclusion
Introduction
The length of the Introduction should be about 10% of the whole dissertation.
The Introduction gives you the opportunity to provide your reader with an overview of the dissertation. Firstly, introduce the topic; secondly, outline the key areas to be covered; and identify your primary aims and objectives.
The background section should be short and securely focused on the topic, real statistical data can be included.
Larger themes, as well as specific topics, should be identified
Literature Review
The length of the Literature review should be about 20% of whole dissertation.
This chapter gives you an opportunity to show the reader that you have learned to analyse and to synthesise the views of others in relation to your own research programme.
The Literature Review is NOT a Book Review. Contents of books and articles are only useful if particular points have some direct relevance to your dissertation. In Literature Review you should compare and contrast ideas, theories and/or views relevant to your proposed research topic. Keep in mind that at least 10 references should be discussed and 3-4 different models or theories or views should be mentioned.
At the end of this chapter, identify the principal research questions to be addressed in the dissertation. These will form the basis of your dissertation in the subsequent chapter on Research Methodology.
Research Methodology
The Research Methodology chapter in length should be about 20% of whole dissertation.
This chapter gives you an opportunity to discuss the research programme that you have designed for your dissertation.
Begin by reviewing briefly some common methods advocated for structuring research programmes.
Then look again at the research questions formulated at the end of the Literature Review. Select the kind of programme best suited for addressing those particular research questions, and discus the reasons prompting your decision.
Discuss the research strategies adopted, the collection procedures selected and the difficulties and/or problems encountered.
Findings and Discussion
You might divide this chapter for two like:
Analysis of Findings
Discussion
This is the largest and probably the most important part in assessing your research by examiners. The length of this section should be about 30% of the whole dissertation.
The Findings and Discussion chapter gives you an opportunity to discuss your research findings.
Your findings may be derived from the analyses of statistical data, interviews, questionnaires or any viable combination of instruments used for research collection and the measurement of data.
Link important points of this chapter back to principle ideas in the Literature Review with the evidence obtained in your own research.
End this chapter with a brief summary of you findings. This, in turn, should set the scene for the concluding chapter.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Again you can divide this chapter on two smaller parts:
Conclusions
Recommendations or Recommendations from the future studies
This chapter in lengths should be about 15% of the whole dissertation.
The Conclusions and Recommendations chapter gives you the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of your research programme and to offer recommendations, if desired.
Conclusions can be rather short, because the bulk of the analysis and synthesis of material will probably have taken place in the chapter of Findings and Discussion.
In your Conclusions be sure that all of the questions raised in the Literature Review have been addressed. Weigh the final results of your research against the original aims and objectives of the dissertation. Anomalies, for example, can be important and interesting.
Add recommendations if you desired. Ideas for further research and/or some strategies advocated for better management of the issue or the enterprise are particularly useful.
Bibliography
Not included in the word count
This part of the dissertation gives you the opportunity to show the reader what research sources were used in your dissertation.
All books articles, sources of statistical data and web sites used in the dissertation must be listed in the bibliography. Additional sources consulted should be also be placed in the bibliography
Entries in the Bibliography should be placed in alphabetical order. Web sites, however, should be grouped together separately at the end of the Bibliography.
Appendices
Not included in the word count
This part of the dissertation gives you an opportunity to add interesting research material to your dissertation.
Interview summaries and sample questionnaires, for example, should appear in the Appendices
Title: dissertation introduction examples – Writing a dissertation introduction is perceived as a relatively straightforward aspect of the dissertation writing process. The reason for this may be that we often find typical components in an introduction that we can use, regardless of the study we are writing. One of the challenges of writing a good introduction, however, is to be brief, and to stay focused. An incoherent or unfocused introduction, or one that is over lengthy, may detract from the overall grade of the dissertation and will not create a good impression on the reader(s). Be mindful that you should avoid being anecdotal in your introduction (i.e. writing as if you are telling a story) and you will also need to avoid wasting words by stating the obvious and writing a series of over-generalised statements. Below you will find some helpful suggestions for writing an effective dissertation introduction:
To write a fascinating opening sentence that will keep the reader’s attention focused
Not to say everything you have to say in the introduction – save some of your good material for later sections of the dissertation
To try to keep the reader engaged and to make them read on
To ensure that there is a direct relationship between the introduction and the remainder of the dissertation, do not deviate from the key objectives
To ensure that you do not promise what cannot be fulfilled or what goes beyond what can reasonably be expected
Dissertation Introduction Examples
The reason for this is that in a longer piece of writing such as a dissertation, it becomes more important to remind the reader of what you are doing and why you are doing it, before each chapter continues. Because of its length, there will be more opportunity to introduce a sense of debate into the introduction to a dissertation; and you will have time to bring in a wider range of references from outside. It is a good idea in a chapter introduction to remind the reader what happened in the previous chapter. Many academic experts have identified a number of key components of an introduction. It will not always be necessary or desirable to include all of them, but they will generally be used in some combination or other, in order to introduce an academic argument:
A statement of the importance of the subject
Mention of previous work on the subject
A justification for dealing with the subject
A statement of your objectives
A statement of the limitations of the work
A mention of some of the differing viewpoints on the subject
A definition of the topic being discussed
I hope you enjoyed reading this post on dissertation introduction examples and how it may assist you in your own research endeavors. If you enjoyed reading this post on, I would be very grateful if you could help spread this knowledge by emailing this post to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you.
Question: Where Can I Find Dissertation Introduction Examples?
Title: Example Dissertation Abstracts – So, what is a dissertation abstract? Many academic institutions across different countries have contrasting views to what a dissertation abstract is. At study-aids.co.uk we believe that an abstract, in its purest form, is a concise summary of the entire dissertation this includes the dissertation topic, rationale and overview of the conclusions. A primary objective of an abstract is to provide the reader with a firm understanding of the content of the dissertation; this would include a concise synopsis of the dissertation aims and objectives.
It is important to note that the abstract will help a reader decide whether to read the whole dissertation or thesis in detail, or skip to the key findings. It is important to write an engaging and meaningful abstract so that you can inspire interest in your dissertation. Some students write a disjointed abstract which leads to low interest shown towards the dissertation, it is advisable that you engage the reader from the outset. Be mindful that a dissertation abstract is not an introduction its primary purpose is to summarise not introduce, many students lose sight of this.
In most cases the abstract is found at the beginning of the dissertation immediately after the dissertation title page. Dissertation or thesis abstracts tend to be separate from the main body of research and are often held in a university’s database of dissertation abstracts, there will be many dissertation abstracts contained within your university’s database. You may find that the abstract is available but not the entire dissertation project, you will have to contact the author to gain access to the research if this is the case. Nonetheless, you will get a clear understanding of the dissertation project from the contents of the abstract.
How Long Should A Dissertation Abstract Be?
As previously mentioned, dissertation abstracts differ depending on institution, location and level of study. A typical undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation abstract written at a UK university will be approximately 350 words in length. It is worthwhile noting that word count is important, 350 words will be adequate provided you write concisely and are summarizing your dissertation. Be mindful that academic electronic databases automatically truncate abstracts beyond a certain length. It is safe to say that academic databases such as ETHOS and JSTOR will omit sections of the abstract if it is deemed too long or convoluted, 350 words would suffice.
How To Write A Good Dissertation Abstract
Writing a good dissertation abstract has its perils, there is so much reference material and advice available at your disposal but in some cases this advice appears confusing and often conflicts with what you already know. We suggest you consult your university library in the first instance and have a conversation with your dissertation tutor; this will definitely set you on the correct path.
There are key points of interest you need to include in your abstract. Why did you undertake the study? What were you examining or investigating in the dissertation project. Be sure to return to your research question and ensure you have defined it concisely and succinctly. A good opening is often, “This dissertation study tested…”, “This dissertation study investigated…”, “This dissertation study examines…”. A dissertation abstract example will be included in this post.
It is advisable to include what was done and how you achieved it. Be precise, don’t make broad statements. This is will differ depending on whether your dissertation is an empirical or a literature review structured research project. What did you find? Include specific outcomes and highlight conclusions on the research you will present. “The results from the survey questionnaire found that 83% of UK respondents are not aware that the European Court of Human Rights impacts the UK law system…”. “There was a significant relationship between low employee morale and high employee turnover…”
Dissertation Abstracts
Example Dissertation Abstracts
This dissertation study examines what drives the children of the self-employed to enter self-employment themselves. In the aftermath of the financial crisis and from the subsequent development that many working places have been outsourced, the Danish government has elaborated an initiative to increase the rate of entrepreneurs to support economic growth in Denmark.
It has been found that it is the enterprises of those new entrepreneurs, which are the primary engine in creating new jobs. However, research shows that despite the Danish welfare system, which provides safety in terms of unemployment, Danes are very reluctant in becoming entrepreneurs. One exception to this rule is the children of entrepreneurs. Their chances of entering self-employment are much higher, as investigated on basis of statistical data from IDA.
Through a constructive approach, this dissertation seeks to investigate what drives the children of the self-employed to enter self-employment themselves in their later life. This investigation is performed on three cases of second generation self-employed. The theories used in this dissertation to investigate the aforementioned are all within the constructivist paradigm. Building on Karl Weicks sense making theory, this dissertation views sense making as meaning constructed through stories.
Those stories are analysed with a narrative framework, through this analytical tool the construction of motivational and supportive parameters are analysed. Furthermore, building on discourse theory of Laclau and Mouffe, this dissertation views social reality as constructed through language, in respect of articulations and discourses. Those discourses are analysed through the application of discourse analysis. With this analytical tool the articulation of the difference between the self-employed and the employee, and also the articulation of the upbringing of the second generation self-employed are analysed. Lastly, the analyses are being integrated through the sense making perspective.
Finally, the dissertation concludes that the exposure to the self-employed as a role-model in childhood, plus the insight and emotional values attached to the identity of being self-employed, on one hand gives aspirations to enter self-employment, but on the other hand excludes the second generation self-employed from choosing a career as an employee.
Did you manage to find some relevant research strategies of your own in this post? What are your thoughts on writing a dissertation abstract and how would you implementing them? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
