For the term paper, you are required to use one or more of the methods covered in this course to
answer a research question (or questions) and/or test a hypothesis (or hypotheses).
The paper is not intended as a full paper but rather a research note – i.e., 2,500 – 3,000 words
(not including tables and figures).
Required elements of the paper (not necessarily in the order listed) include:
Concept Description and Background: Discuss briefly the issue you are examining and why it
is important and/or timely.
Research Hypothesis (or Question): State explicitly the hypothesis(es) that you are testing or
research question(s) you are attempting to answer with your study.
Description of Data: Describe the data set you have selected for your analysis. (You should also
indicate if you had to process the data – e.g., convert pdf format to an excel file or integrate two
separate data sets into a single data set.)
Method or Modelling Technique: Describe the method you have selected for your analysis and
why it is appropriate given what you are studying.
Results: Present the results of your analysis. Relate your results to your hypothesis(es) and/or
research question(s).
Caveats and Directions for Future Research: Discuss the main limitations of your study
briefly.
You are also required to give a full 5-10 minute presentation describing your research project