Human Capital and Discrimination
PROJECT (EMA)
The assignment
Important: Before you start work on this assignment, please ensure that you have read the Assessment Guidance specific to this module and are familiar with the advice in Social Sciences Assessment Information. These sources contain support and guidance that you may need in writing your EMA including, for example, advice on plagiarism, referencing and the marking system. Note that failure to comply with relevant guidance could result in the loss of marks or other penalties.
Your project forms the end-of-module assessment (EMA). To be sure of passing the module you must score at least 30 for your EMA and achieve an Overall Score of at least 40. The project element of the module aims to develop your capacity for independent study in economics, including the ability to:
• formulate and focus on a clearly defined economics research question that is well-grounded in the study materials
• apply and explore economic theory learned in the module, with knowledge deepened through appropriate literature review
• apply one of three research methods: econometrics; primary-data collection and analysis; secondary-data collection and analysis
• effectively integrate evidence and economic analysis in order to address a research question
• provide clear conclusions that address the research question.
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The word limit for the project is 5000 words. This includes everything apart from references and appendices. Good projects tend to make significant use of appendices.
Your EMA must be submitted via the eTMA system. Work cannot be accepted in hard copy or by any other route. When submitting your EMA, simply follow the same procedure as you have done previously with TMAs, entering your EMA as ‘TMA30 – EMA’. Further details are provided in the booklet ‘Information for students submitting examinable work electronically’.
Keep at least one copy of your EMA and a file (or electronic copies) of the material you have used in the EMA in case your EMA goes astray or in case you are asked to undertake a ‘viva’ (an oral, or part-oral, examination).
Your project must include a title page that should include the following information:
• Your PI (and name if you wish).
• Title of the project.
• Type of research method chosen (econometrics, analysis of primary data or analysis of secondary data).
• Word count.
• Date.
Note:
Remember to include the Project Information Form as an appendix in your project.
Finally, we would like to remind you of the assessment criteria that will be used to mark your project (already stated in the project booklet Doing your economics project: Getting started, Doing your economics project: Introduction and overview, Section 10):
• Research question: clarity and relevance to the module.
• Research method: clarity on the methods used and appropriateness for the research question.
• Literature review: clarity and relevance to the research question.
• Economic theory: relevance to the research question.
• Selection or collection of data and evidence: effectiveness in addressing the research question.
• Analysis: effectiveness in integrating theory with data and evidence.
• Aptness of conclusions in drawing threads of argument together.
• Evidence of independent thought and initiative.
• Standard of presentation and referencing.
Standard of presentation and referencing. (The Open University uses the ‘Cite Them Right’ version of Harvard. You can find advice on the ‘Referencing and Plagiarism’ page of the Library website, which provides access to the Cite Them Right website, a practical guide to referencing commonly used by UK universities)
The project will be assessed as a whole, balancing stronger and weaker elements and appreciating the effort put in. Just look through this list and then use it for reference, especially when writing up.
