### PhD Thesis Research Strategies ###.pdf

《### PhD Thesis Research Strategies ###.pdf》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。

1、Ph.D.ThesisResearch:WheredoIStart?NotesbyDonDavisColumbiaUniversityIfyouarethenextPaulSamuelsonandwillwhollytransformthefieldofeconomics,paynoheed.IfyouarethenextKenArrowandwillinventanewbranchofeconomics,thesenotesarenotforyou.Theaimhereismorehumble:toprovidestrate

2、giesforidentifyingexcitingthesisresearchtopicsfortherestofus.Thereisnoalgorithmthatyieldsanexcitingthesis.Toomuchdependsonyourenergyandimagination.Buttherearemoreandlessefficientwaysoftryingtoidentifyexcitingtopics.AndIwilltrytoconveyatleastmyownaestheticsaboutwhati

3、nterestingresearchisabout.Thesemayvaryabitbysub-fieldandcertainlyacrosseconomists,socertainlyseekoutothersperspectives.So,ignorethesesuggestionsifyouchoosebuthaveagoodreasontodoso.HowDoIFindTheRightTopic?First,thereisnoRightTopic.Whatishottodaymaybeicecoldbythetimet

4、hatyougoonthejobmarket.Youdontwantthenineteenthbestpaperoftheyearonahottopic.Muchmoreimportantistofindsomethingthatisimportantandgenuinelyinterestsyou.Therearegreatpaperstobewritteninalmostallfields.Youneedtosettleonanareawhereyouaresufficientlyinterestedthatyoudont

5、mindmakingsomeinvestments,sincetheseinvestmentsarepreparingyounotonlyforthesisworkbutalsoforyournextroundofpapersasanassistantprofessor.Letmeunderscorethatyoushouldfocusonanimportantproblem.TheloreofeconomicsincludeswhatissometimestermedSummersLaw(yes,afterLarry).Th

6、isholdsthatittakesjustasmuchtimetowriteanunimportantpaperasanimportantone.Hence...youmightaswellworkonimportanttopics.(Note:Thisisnotanincitementtoworkonbroad,vaguetopics!).Thisisnotastriviallyobviousasitmightfirstappear.Letsstartwithafirstfact:Mostofeconomicsisbori

7、ng.No,Idontmeanthisinthewaythatthepublicatlargemeansit;onthecontrary,Ithinkthateconomicsdonewellcanbebeautifulandfascinating.WhatImeanisthatmostwritingoneconomicsisboringbecause:(1)Itdoesnotaddressinterestingquestions;(2)Ithasnothingnewtoaddthatisitselfimportant;or(

8、3)Eveniftheresearcherdoesinfacthavesomethingnewandimportanttosay,theresearcherdoessuchapoorjobofarticulatingthisthatthereaderhaslittlechan