• Offered by Crawford School of Public Policy
  • ANU College ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy
  • Course subject International and Developmental Economics
  • Areas of interest Econometrics, Economics, Applied Economics
Research Essay (IDEC8011)

This course is available for on-campus & remote (online) learning. All students participate in interactive, real-time classes.

This course allows the student to pursue independent research on a topic of their choice in economics under the guidance of an academic economist at ANU. Usually, the essay will be quantitative in nature, although theoretical or other contributions are also possible. The student must develop a strong research question, bring evidence to bear on this question, and clearly and concisely provide detail on the research design, results, implications, and limitations. The essay will be written in the style of a journal article typical in economics and should not exceed 7,000 words.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. Conduct independent and original research in economics.
  2. Critically review economic literature and demonstrate a sound understanding of the strengths and limitations of existing research and where the research project fits within the field.
  3. Choose and apply appropriate analytical methods to answer an important research question in economics.
  4. Communicate the study’s analysis and arguments in a clear and concise style that is suitable for economics journals.
  5. Deliver effective oral research presentations.

Other Information

If taking this course, students are recommended to do so in their final semester of study.

Indicative Assessment

  1. Research proposal (2 pages) (5) [LO 1,2,3]
  2. Presentation of research proposal (5 minutes) (5) [LO 5]
  3. Presentation of research essay in conference style forum (10 minutes) (5) [LO 5]
  4. Research essay (maximum 7,000 words) (80) [LO 1,2,3,4]
  5. Replication files (data, code, and other workings; no limit) (5) [LO 1,3]

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including in class time and independent study.

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course students must be currently enrolled in the Master of International and Development Economics or the Master of Environmental and Resource Economics and need to have successfully completed CRWF7900 Graduate Academic and Research Skills for Public Policy or equivalent, IDEC8002 Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy or equivalent, IDEC8015 Mathematical Methods in Applied Economics or equivalent, IDEC8016 Microeconomic Analysis and Policy or equivalent, and IDEC8017 Econometric Techniques or equivalent. You are unable to enrol in this course if you have previously completed or are currently enrolled in IDEC8033 Research Project.

Prescribed Texts

None.

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. 

Student Contribution Band:
34
Unit value:
6 units

If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
2026
2027

First Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
2181 23 Feb 2026 02 Mar 2026 31 Mar 2026 29 May 2026 In Person N/A

Second Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
7186 27 Jul 2026 03 Aug 2026 31 Aug 2026 30 Oct 2026 In Person N/A

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