A Guide to Writing in Economics

Introduction: A Guide to Writing in Economics
Thinking like an economist
        Models and behavior
        Empirical results and data
        Distinguishing fact, opinion, and value
        Questions economists ask
        Types of evidence economists use

Researching economics
        Using databases to find sources in economics
        Using economics journals
        Checklists for evaluating sources

Reading the economics literature
        The basic structure of an economics article
        Choosing your sources in economics literature
        Reading your sources actively

The process of writing papers and projects in economics
        Purpose and audience
        Thesis and hypothesis
        Checklist for assessing the writing situation
        Considering the “So what?” question
        Organizing and drafting
         Revising
         Four approaches to revising thesis statements
         Editing

Writing conventions in economics
        Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness
        Sentence structure
        Vocabulary
        Using equations 
        Presenting data in tables and figures
        Presenting and documenting code

Integrating, citing, and documenting sources
      Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing sources
      Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property
      Documenting sources in economics

Genres of writing in economics
      Abstract
      Analysis and evaluation
      Argumentative essay
      Annotated bibliography
      Literature review
      Theoretical or modeling paper
      Research proposal
      Research paper
      Policy memo

Glossary of vocabulary in economics
References
Practice activities
Practice activity: Thinking like an economist 1
Practice activity: Thinking like an economist 2
Practice activity: Thinking like an economist 3
Practice activity: Researching economics 1
Practice activity: Researching economics 2
Practice activity: Researching economics 3
Practice activity: Researching economics 4
Practice activity: Researching economics 5
Practice activity: In-text citations in author-date format
Practice activity: Evaluating figures
Practice activity: Writing in-text figure descriptions
Practice activity: Incorporating tables
Practice activity: Analyzing argumentative writing
Practice activity: Writing for an audience
Practice activity: Writing and revising thesis statements
Practice activity: Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness
Answers to selected activities

Sample student writing: Economics
Annotated bibliography: Keynesian Policy: Implications for the 2008 U.S. Economic Crisis
Argument paper: Hosting the Olympics: A Poor Decision for Economic Growth

More help with documentation: Economics reference list
AEA-style reference list: Additional examples

Editing strategies
Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun agreement, reference, and case
Strong verbs
Sentence fragments
Run-on sentences
Distracting shifts
Parallel structure
Clear, uncluttered sentences
Sentence emphasis
Commas
Apostrophes
Quotation marks