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Weekly reading response (at least one paragraph; definitely not more than a page). Respond to one of the questions which frame the readings using the main arguments from the readings. Raise one question that arises for you out of the readings. The reading response is due by 10 pm of the Sunday night before the seminar. Submit the response on 'Ella.'

2. Case response

For Febr 25th, you need to write a 1-2 page response to the case we will be discussing (no other reading response due that day). The case response needs to incorporate key relevant theoretical arguments we have covered in the readings.

3. Research Paper (15-20 pages):

Each student has to write a research paper on FDI and development in a specific country.

Focus of the paper: The literature makes amply clear that FDI may serve as an engine of development, as a handmaiden for development, or as an obstacle to development. Which role has FDI played in the development of the country you are studying? How central has it been in the country’s development strategy? Which development benefits did FDI generate? Which ones were missing? What policies has the government adopted to attract FDI and to maximize the likelihood that the potential benefits from FDI will actually materialize? Are there particular external conditions that have facilitated or hindered the realization of an FDI-development nexus?
These are the key issues your paper will explore.

Sources: The most common and comprehensive data base for developing countries is the World Development Indicators Online, which is available on the MHC website. UNCTAD has the most comprehensive data base on FDI, also available on-line. Check the resource page on our course page for other sources for data and analyses. Check EconLit to see which articles/books on FDI/development in your country are available.

Structure of the paper: Your paper needs to be structured clearly, with an introduction, a main body, and a concluding section. The paper needs a succinct introduction where you state the main argument(s) that your will present. It is a summary of your paper that guides the reader as to your main point(s) and the structure that will follow.
The main body starts with a theoretical part, which lays out the conceptual issues, major points of controversy, and findings in the literature, in other words a mini literature review. That part is due on March 14th (a 4 page paper). Since the theoretical part focuses on those issues that are relevant to the argument of your paper, it provides a structure for the empirical analysis that follows.
In a literature review/theoretical framework, you need to lay out the main issues in the analysis of the FDI-development nexus: where do economists agree? Where do they disagree? What does the empirical evidence say? Based on everything we have read, you structure the argument drawing in the different authors where appropriate. You do NOT discuss one author after the other.
The concluding section summarizes your findings, comments on the implications of your findings for our understanding of the impact of globalization on the development prospects of developing countries, suggests policy implications (if there are any), and identifies areas for further research.

Presentation of the arguments:
a) You need to be nuanced in your statements. The readings and discussions in the seminar show that many points are contested and that there is often evidence on both sides of an argument. That does not mean that every point of view is equally valid, after all coherence of argument and strength of evidence matter! But it does mean that you need to acknowledge complexity of argument. E.g.: “FDI is an important driver behind economic development.” is a sentence that belies the contested nature of the statement. It would be more insightful to say “FDI can be an important driver behind economic development.”
b) Make good use of subtitles and sub-subtitles. They help you structure the paper.
c) I encourage you to use ‘active voice’ as much as possible. Economists sometimes tend to shy away from active voice and rely nearly exclusively on passive voice. It makes for really dull writing and reading. Don’t say, for example, “it has been argued that…..” Instead, say : “Amsden and Rodrik argue that ….”
d) Seek out ‘powerful’ verbs: use ‘argue,’ ‘claim’, ‘assert’, etc…..
‘ State’ and ‘say’ don’t convey the same power…
e) Make judicious use of paragraphs. A new point, especially when you elaborate on it, normally warrants a new paragraph. You do not want to have paragraphs that run on for a whole page. A reminder: a paragraph needs to have at least two sentences. Make sure that your sentences do not run on and on and on. Karl Marx and James Joyce styles are not appropriate here.

Citations and proper references of sources:

a) Any use of sources has to be identified properly. Verbatim excerpts from other writings have to be identified as quotations with reference; paraphrasing another author requires proper source identification. Any violation of these rules is plagiarism and will result in zero points for the paper and presentation, and may result in a failing grade for the whole course.
If you use a sentence or substantial sentence fragments from a written source verbatim, you have to indicate that by using quotation marks and giving the exact source, including page number. When you paraphrase an argument, you still need to give the reference (e.g. Rodrik 1994), but you do not need the quotation marks.
There can be a grey line as to whether something is paraphrasing or not, but as a rule, paraphrasing means that you alter the use of words significantly. Changing one word in an otherwise ‘intact verbatim’ sentence does definitely not qualify as paraphrasing.
b) Be sparing in your use of quotations. You have read enough to be more assertive about a point yourself. Most of the times, you do not need to rely upon somebody else to make that point for you. Use your own words (and cite).
c) You need make extensive use of journal articles and books for your research. The evidence will be citations in the text and the bibliography. You need a commonly-used style for the bibliography. It is not enough to have all the pieces of information there (although that is critical); there are bibliographic conventions that you need to follow. You can pick any of the articles we have read and follow their example as to how to cite books, articles, webpages, etc…. I find the author/date/page number convention the most convenient for writer and reader. For example: “Rodrik (2006) argues….” Rather than ‘In his article “…..article title …… “Rodrik argues …..
d) If you refer to a specific argument, you need to provide the page number. For example: Paus and Gallagher (2006, 35) claim that …..
e) You can only use quotation marks for citations from written works, not from talks or lecture notes.

Style and grammar:

a) Never split an infinitive! E.g. it’s is grammatically wrong to say: ‘To better assess the impact of….” Instead, it should read: “To assess the impact of ….better…” or maybe “to reach a better assessment of ….”
b) When you use a footnote, put the footnote at the end of the sentence, and after the period, and not in the middle of the sentence.
c) Make sure your paper has page numbers.
d) Make sure that referents like ‘this’ are always clearly identified. E.g. : ‘This demonstrates that ……” Often it’s not clear what ‘this’ refers to….
e) The paper needs to be typed (double-spaced). It has to include a bibliography with an accepted bibliographical style. All tables and figures need to be referenced properly.

Summary of deadlines for the research paper:

March 14th, 2008: 4 page literature review.
March 28, 2008: 1 page outline of the main arguments of your paper + 1 page annotated bibliography

During the week before your presentation:

Meet with SAW mentor for a practice presentation (video-taped). Your discussant needs at least THREE days to read the paper, formulate a response and have a practice session (herself) with the SAW mentor. Your best first draft is due to the discussant and me by Friday evening 11 pm of the week before your in-class presentation.

The final paper is due at the beginning of class of the week after your presentation.