COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: RESEARCH METHODS IN ECONOMICS AND FINANCE

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
ECO 501	A	3	3	0	0	3	7.5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Assoc.Prof.Dr. Drini Imami dimami@epoka.edu.al , 17.00 - 18.00
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Compulsory
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Master of Science in Economics
Classroom and Meeting Time:	In the classroom where the classes are scheduled
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:	60%
Course Description:	The purpose of the research techniques is to familiarize students with a variety of academic texts and their applications in research papers. This engagement with other sources will be demonstrated by the student through the theme they will choose to write, the sources they use, the types of quotations they mention, the way they include these quotes in their work and the clarity and sophistication of the style and the vocabulary they use to get these ideas and forward them to readers. Academic writing requires a demonstration of original thought, critical analysis, citation of academic texts, and synthesis on a topic. Students will work on integrating information from other texts into their research papers in such a way that it reflects their viewpoint. Students will also become familiar with the various methods of citation, quotation and analysis, which are based on a statement or claim.
Course Objectives:	This course aims to enable students to acquire the know-how on how to design and implement high quality research work. The course aims to prepare students for writing a high quality master thesis. .

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	prepare the Conceptual Framework
2	analytical skills, writing and presentations skills

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction to course & research methodology. Presentation of the course structure and didactic materials. Explaining the Reasons for Studying Research Methodology. Explaining Common flaws in Methodology
2	Research and Methodology. In this week will be explained how research is defined, will be presented the main classifications of research, description of the research process and creativity and its role in the research process. Furthermore, will be provided instructions for the assignments.
3	Methodological Concepts and Perspectives. This lecture will provide basic definitions on science, classification of types of knowledge, explanation about the role of personal objectivity as well as the role of facts, theory and hypothesis. In addition there will be provided further instructions for the assignments.
4	Philosophical Foundations. In this lectures will be explained the Philosophical Foundations related to research methods, including: Positivism, Normativism, Pragmatism, Blending the Philosophies, as well as Empiricism in Research. Further instructions for the assignments.
5	Planning the Research. In this week will be explained the Planning of the Research, including The Research Project Proposal, Elements of the Research Proposal, Evaluating Research Proposals, Importance of Writing and Writing Guidelines and Tips.
6	The Research Problem and Objectives. In this lecture will be discussed the Research Problems & Objectives, including Research and Decision/Action Problems, Importance of Problem Specification, Researchable Problem vs. Problematic Situation, Problem Statements, Use of Data and Developing Problem and Objective Statements. In addition there will be presentations of the research design.
7	The Literature Review. In this lecture will be analyzed various aspect related to Literature Review, including Purposes of the Literature Review, Search Aids, Key Words, Reading, & Notes, Writing the Literature Review and Referencing. In addition there will be presentations of the research design.
8	The Conceptual Framework. The lecture on Conceptual Framework will discuss the Role of the Conceptual Framework, Hypotheses and Hypothesis Testing and Operational Suggestions. In addition there will be presentations of the research design.
9	Methods and Procedures & Qualitative research . This lecture will include: Purposes of Methods and Procedures, Models in Economic Research, Types of Empirical Methods, Data Considerations and Procedural Suggestions
10	Reporting the Research . This lecture will cover various aspects related to Reporting the Research such as Types of Reports, Components of the Research Report, Writing the Methods/Procedures and Findings, Writing the Conclusions.
11	Publishing. A special lecture will be on publishing, explaining what researchers should consider before submitting their research work for publication. In addition, will be started with student assignment presentations. Students will present the research findings. After the presentations will be Q&A and comments.
12	Assignment presentations. Students will present the research findings. After the presentations will be Q&A and comments.
13	Assignment presentations. Students will present the research findings. After the presentations will be Q&A and comments.
14	Assignment presentations. Students will present the research findings. After the presentations will be Q&A and comments.

Prerequisite(s):	Basic Economics and Statistics Courses
Textbook(s):	Ethridge, D.. (2004) Research methodology in applied economics: organizing, planning, and conducting economic research. No. BOOK. Blackwell publishing. Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2018). Business research methods. Oxford university press.
Additional Literature:	Skreli E. & Ćera G (2014) Metdologjia e kerkimit ne ekonomine e zbatuar Lami, E., Imami, D., Pugh, G., & Hashi, I. (2021). Fiscal performance and elections in the context of a transition economy. Economic Systems, 100886. Imami, D., Rama, K., & Polese, A. (2020). Informality and access to finance during socialism and transition–the case of the rotating savings and credit schemes. Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 30, 1367-1383. Harri, A., Zhllima, E., Imami, D., & Coatney, K. T. (2020). Effects of subject pool culture and institutional environment on corruption: Experimental evidence from Albania. Economic Systems, 44(2), 100783.
Laboratory Work:
Computer Usage:
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Learn how to conduct indepth literature review
2	Conduct research design, identify and formulate research questions and hypotheses
3	Learn how to prepare the Conceptual Framework
4	Improve analytical skills, writing and presentations skills
5	Start preparatory work for the MSc thesis

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Master of Science in Economics Program
1	Students apply advanced knowledge in economics	2
2	Students explain the interaction between related disciplines and economics	4
3	Students apply scientific methods to address economic problems	5
4	Students define existing theory in a specialized branch of economics	4
5	Students critically evaluate knowledge in economics and carry out advanced research independently	4
6	Students develop economic models and formulate policy options	3
7	Students make an original contribution to the discipline	3
8	Students effectively communicate in a variety of professional and academic contexts	5
9	Students will develop new strategic approaches for unexpected, complicated situations in economics and take responsibility in solving them	3
10	Students uphold and defend ethical values data collection, interpretation and dissemination	3
11	Students use advanced empirical analyses to address social problems	3
12	Students interact with professional networks in their field of specialization	3

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)	1	20
Project	1	60
Final Exam	1	20
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	3	48
Mid-terms	1	20	20
Assignments	1	61.5	61.5
Final examination	1	10	10
Other			0
Total Work Load:			187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):			7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			7.5

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER

To be added at the end of the semester