Research-Focused Paper: Development Economics MA Course

This research-focused paper, designed for advanced study students, explores a development economics topic using professional experience and secondary sources. The paper follows a structured format, including an abstract, introduction, sources and methods, literature review, discussion, findings and recommendations, and a conclusion. It emphasizes the importance of analyzing a development problem, such as aid effectiveness or the relationship between democracy and development, and making a contribution to scholarly and/or policy analysis. The methodology involves collecting and analyzing secondary data, including scholarly articles, policy briefs, and organizational reports. The literature review covers at least 12 sources, and the discussion section provides an in-depth analysis using conceptual frameworks. The paper concludes with specific recommendations for addressing the studied problem and reflects on the gaps and significance for sustainable development. The paper adheres to APA style formatting and encourages the use of visual presentations of data.

Research focused Paper:
Write a research-focused paper, particularly for advanced study students, using the
student’s relevant professional experience and by exploring secondary sources. The
aim is to make a contribution to the scholarly and/or policy analysis of: (i) a broad
development question (e.g., effectiveness of development aid, the relation between
democracy and development) or (ii) a more narrowly defined problem by analyzing
the work of an organization and where it fits in a certain development sector.
MA Paper Structure:
All MA paper options should include the following sections, with maximum
suggested length as indicated below: Cover Sheet with Title. See Annex IV. The
cover sheet will indicate the paper option you select. Table of Contents with page
numbers.
Abstract (250 words maximum):
Summarize the substance of the whole paper by introducing the development problem
or issue, the type of paper you have selected, the methodology you employed, your
discussion of the problem, and your main recommendations and conclusions.
Acronyms and abbreviations.
A table should list all the acronyms in alphabetical order. For example, World Health
Organization (WHO) or United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Spell out the
organization’s full name followed by the acronyms in parentheses the first time you
use them in the text.
Introduction (target length: 2-3 pages maximum):
This section introduces the topic of your paper and explains why you have chosen a
particular option. The introduction states the development problem that you will
analyze, comments on the importance of the problem, and presents the main questions
covered in the study. It provides the critical background information, such as
historical and geographic contexts, and whatever other information is essential for the
reader to understand the significance of your topic. The introduction also lays out the
organizational structure of the paper, describing the sections that follow.
Sources and Methods (target length: 1-2 pages maximum):
Summarize the type of sources you used to collect information for the study.
Examples include secondary data of all types, including policy briefs, organizations’
annual reports, scholarly articles and books, census reports and databases. Explain the
criteria you used to select the evidence (e.g., publications in the last 10 years that
appeared in refereed journals). If applicable, discuss the quantitative variables you
used, where you found the data, dates for the data used and how it was collected. You
should also mention sources and information gained through your professional
experience on the topic, course work and practicum experience.
Write about the types of methods you use to identify or generate relevant information
for your study. You may rely on qualitative or quantitative methods, or a mixed

methods approach. Explain why the methods you have selected are the best approach
to analyzing the development problem as you have framed it in your paper. (Note that
primary research involving human subjects may require special authorization and is
therefore not generally permitted.) Workshops on sources and methods for the
master’s paper will be provided during your first year.
Literature Review (target length: 6-8 pages maximum): The literature review
generally covers a minimum of 12 sources, at least half of which are peer reviewed
books or articles from academic scholarship. (The normal expectation is that you will
have collected a minimum of 20 sources, including Internet sources, public media,
government reports, policy briefs, and multilateral instruments such as human rights
frameworks. You will refer to these sources, throughout the paper starting with the
introduction but at least 12 sources should be treated in the literature review. The
literature review presents what scholars, researchers, practitioners and policy analysts
say about the topic of your paper and how they debate both the framing of the
problem and solutions to it. Cluster the opinions of the authors into schools of thought
about the topic rather than summarizing the ideas or conclusions of each author. For a
good primer on how to write literature reviews see the following resource:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews/.
Discussion (target length: 9-10 pages maximum): This is the major section of the
paper. You provide your own analysis of the problem as it relates to conceptual
frameworks discussed in the literature review. You can use your experiential learning
but highlight your particular insights and contributions. Discuss why your findings are
important. Discuss any interesting results you found that were different from what
you expected or what is known on this topic. Propose further lines of research based
on your findings. For example, if you find there is no downward accountability to
recipients of development aid in a certain country due to factors such as conflict or
corruption, then draw out the implications of that finding for development study and
practice.
Findings and Recommendations (target length: 1 page maximum): Based on your
findings, present specific recommendations you have for addressing the problem
studied. This could include additional research or specific practices, programs or
projects or broader policy changes. Discuss the necessary conditions for these
recommendations to be implemented. Conclusion (target length: 1 page maximum):
Summarize the overall analysis, findings, and recommendations. Reflect on the gaps
you found in investigating your development problem and what would be required in
the future to address them. After investigating your problem in depth, what is your
final assessment of its significance for sustainable development in general?
Appendices References (See https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ for
guide to APA style.) Formatting (for all options) The paper should be a minimum of
20 and suggested maximum of 25 single-spaced pages in 12-point font Times New
Roman, excluding cover page, table of contents, abstract, acknowledgements,
acronyms, references and appendices. Use 1inch margins on each side. References
should be in the APA style. For a good resource on APA style, see this link:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Students are encouraged to use
visual presentations of data that could include tables, figures, charts, maps and

graphs. Make sure that each table or figure has a number and title and is integrated
into the text. Students can also present testimonies from the field, (which are not
formal research interviews,) and add them as boxes within the general narrative.
Figures, charts, etc. are included in the total page count.