EH402      Half Unit
Research Design and Quantitative Methods in Economic History

This information is for the 2013/14 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Olivier Accominotti CMK.C216

Availability

This course is available on the MA Global Studies: A European Perspective, MSc in Economic History, MSc in Economic History (Research), MSc in Global History and MSc in Quantitative Economic History. This course is not available as an outside option.

Course content

This course is concerned with how economic historians have used quantitative methods and with how researchers design and structure a research project. In terms of quantitative methods the emphasis is on the applied and practical rather than the theoretical and will range from the use of simple summary descriptive statistics to multiple regression. The course will start with a consideration of broad issues in research design, this might include, for example, models, narrative and case studies. The rest of the course will then be concerned with quantitative issues, the problems of analysing and interpreting quantitative historical evidence. It will consider topics such as sampling and statistical distributions, correlation, simple and multiple regression, specification problems, hypothesis testing, logit and probit analysis, non-parametric tests, and modern time series analysis, although the content may vary slightly from year to year. The course will also provide students with training in using an econometrics software package. An important component of the course is the deconstruction of historical articles that have used quantitative techniques.

Teaching

10 hours of seminars and 20 hours of computer workshops in the MT. 2 hours of computer workshops in the ST.

MT only. Three hours per week. One-and-a-half hours computing session, one-and-a-half hours classes weekly.

Formative coursework

Students are required to do weekly exercises and to submit one paper during the term.

Indicative reading

C H Feinstein and M Thomas, Making History Count (2002); P Hudson, History by Numbers (2002); C H Lee, The Quantitative Approach to Economic History (1977); G Hawthorn, Plausible Words (1991).

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.

Teachers' comment

Survey questions on feedback to students may be non-informative because assessed work comes later in the term than the survey.

Key facts

Department: Economic History

Total students 2012/13: 29

Average class size 2012/13: 15

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills