How to dissect an economics article
Specific Questions to Answer
Main questions
- What research question(s) does this work seek to answer?
Data used
- What data does the work use and how are these data used to measure variables of interest?
Testable Hypotheses
- What are the hypotheses tested by the authors?
Assumptions
- What assumptions do the authors make to be able to answer the question they set out to answer?
Contributions
- What contributions do the authors make to the strand of literature in which they are writing?
Empirical Methods
- What methods do the authors use to answer the question(s) they posed using the data they collected?
Findings
- What do the authors find?
General Guidelines
Read the article only as many times as it takes to be able to answer the questions above. In general,
First reading:
- Carefully read through the abstract, introduction, and conclusion.
- Skim the data and results sections, paying particular attention to the results tables.
Second reading:
(page 6)
Image 2:
Rubric
| Item | Points Possible | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Main Question(s) identified | 1 | |
| Testable Hypotheses | 1 | |
| Data used | 1 | |
| Assumptions | 1 | |
| Empirical Methods | 1 | |
| Findings | 1 | |
| Contributions | 1 | |
| Spelling and Grammar | 1 | |
| Writing Style | 1 | |
| Citations | 1 | |
| Total | 10 |
Table 1: Rubric