OBJECTIVE of Assignment:

You are to apply microeconomic theory to explain and analyse an article

1. You are to select a newspaper/magazine/web article for your microeconomic analysis.

a. The main article must relate to ANY two or more of the topics (L1 to L5, i.e. chapters 1 - 5) covered in the lecture program.

b. The main article must have been written after 1st January, 2017.

c. Article can be internationally focused, so long as it's in English.

d. You should back up some of your key points or use for data purposes by having several relevant supplementary articles-either from peer-reviewed journals or other relevant topicrelated news sources.

You should cite your use of other sources via appropriate in-text referencing.

e. Your microeconomics diagrams can either be hand-drawn and then scanned and inserted as a 'picture' into your working document, or be drawn by using appropriate computer/web software -- such as using the textbook's MyEconLab.

2. You need to submit both a hardcopy AND electronic copy via Bb: 1. Hardcopy of your assignment INCLUDING a printed copy of your main article + official COVER SHEET is due by 5pm on Monday 1st May, in Week 8. Hand in your hardcopy to the front office of the School of Economics and Finance, Building 402, Level 5. l The official School of Economics and Finance Cover Sheet is available for download on Bb. Cover sheet - student's name, student ID, unit name, tutorial day and time, tutor's name, and student's signature. Complete the check list before submitting! For the hardcopy, the Cover sheet must be ‘date stamped'. 2. Electronic copy via Blackboard (Bb) EXCLUDING the copy of your main article and excluding the official cover sheet is due by 5pm on Monday 1st May. Yet make sure the front page of your electronic copy includes: student's name, student ID, unit name, tutorial day/time, and tutor's name.

3. 1500-1800 words (excluding reference list). Suitable length: 1500-1600 words.

4. The essay must be word processed in an editable Microsoft Word document or PDF (sorry, no PAGES files). Keep in mind the following essential formatting requirements: a. single-spaced b. line spacing between each paragraph c. body of text justified d. font size 12 in Calibri or Verdana e. 2.5cm margins on the Left & Right f. 2.0cm margins on the Top & Bottom g. pages to be consecutively numbered and identified

Students should allow a 2 to 3 week marking turnaround for written assignments. It is the student's responsibility to keep electronic copies of their assignment. The assignment must be submitted to ‘Turnitin'-instructions are on Bb.

The main article must have been written after 1st January, 2017. Please check the date/month/year of the main article before you show the article to the tutor, as tutor is not responsible if you choose the incorrect date/month/year. Assignment will not be marked if date of article is before the time specified. Strictly no time extensions are available under normal circumstances, as there is plenty of time in advance to plan and work on the assignment.

In summary, you are to select a newspaper/magazine/web article for economic analysis. The article must relate to two or more of the microeconomics topics (chapters 1 - 5) covered in the lecture program. The article must also have been written after 1st January, 2017. You are to apply relevant economic theory to explain and analyse your chosen article.

Refer to the ‘An Inside Look' section at the end of each chapter in the textbook for examples. The assignment should be approximately 1500-1600 words in length and include (where relevant) well-labelled diagrams. When submitting the hardcopy, include a signed copy of the official ECON1000 assignment COVER SHEET, and a printed copy of the main article showing date and source is to be included with the analysis. It is also very important to discuss the choice of topic/article with your tutor well before the submission date (sorry, but no detailed discussion about the assignment will take place via email, unless you talk to your tutor in person about it first).

You will have the opportunity to discuss the assignment with your tutor in your tutorial in Week 6. You should be presenting your assignment in essay style, where the body of the essay is divided into the following four (4) sections: introduction; analysis; conclusions; and references.

Components Weight Your Mark
ISSUES & THEORY Introduction of key issues (sets the scene: main article title, author(s), when? where? what?)

Outline of relevant theory (concise definitions of microeconomic concepts, gives reasons for the theories and issues to be analysed)

ANALYSIS Application of theory to article (sufficient depth of coverage, concepts clearly understood and applied, logically developed argument)

Drawing of diagrams and/or use of data out of 5
Evidence and quality of research (good use of available information in the main article, effective use of supplementary sources)

CONCLUSIONS Implications and/or policy recommendations (follows logically from the information in the analysis)

Penalties will apply for late assignments. An important part of assignment writing is to correctly reference the sources of information that you have used. Correctly referencing your work will help to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism means presenting the work or property of another person as one's own, without appropriate acknowledgement or referencing (the copying of other people's work and/or ideas). Plagiarism is a form of cheating. The penalty for plagiarism is a mark of zero and possible expulsion from the unit and/or course of study. On referencing, do not plagiarise (see below). Referencing is a (standardised) method of acknowledging any sources of information and ideas which are not your own. Referencing enables you, and the reader, to clearly identify the source of information in your assignment. References should be properly cited in the body of the assignment, using Chicago.

Note the following:

i. If you are using a direct quote, put the quote in inverted commas.

ii. Quotes from books should show the author, date and page number.

iii. A paraphrase means that you have condensed a whole paragraph into one or two sentences of your own. In such cases, you must acknowledge the reference source but do not put it in inverted commas. However, changing one or two words from a quote is NOT a paraphrase, nor is it a quote, so do not do this. Just use the quote.

iv. Internet sources should identify the writer (if available) and the title and the date, plus the date accessed.