Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor’s specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.
Economics deals with the efficient/effective use of resources of various types. These resources can be physical, such as natural resources, land, buildings, and equipment, or conceptual, such as time allotment, policies and procedures, and legislation. Vanderbilt University’s Undergraduate Economics department summarizes this stating, “In short, economics includes the study of labor, land, and investments, of money, income, and production, and of taxes and government expenditures. Economists seek to measure well-being, to learn how well-being may increase overtime, and to evaluate the well-being of the rich and the poor.”
DePaul University’s Department of Economics states that “Students learn to analyze economic data to identify and address problems that arise in changing national and global economy, while studying the broader historical and social context in which economic relationships occur and economic policies are applied.” These courses offer a mixture of history, theory, and applied contextual analysis of economic situations.
Economics majors typically excel in careers within law, medicine, government, non-profits, and international relations, as well as academic positions (American Economic Association, Vanderbilt University).
Preferred Bibliographic Style
Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor’s specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.
Economics typically uses APA style. However, your instructor will be able to specify what citation style he or she expects you to use within a particular course. (More information on APA style from Purdue OWL)
Common Writing Assignments
Marquette University’s Writing Across the Curriculum program notes that students can expect to write assignments such as:
- Analysis papers of Wall Street Journal or other financial review journal articles that explore how Economists work with information in settings outside the academy. These papers critique the application of economic theory or the analysis of a specific economic situation.
- Compare and contrast essays describing different economic systems (i.e. capitalism vs. socialism).
- Exam essay questions asking students to apply a concept or theory to an example situation.
- Short papers on specific issues that require students to review a situation and apply an economic policy or theory.
- Research papers that require students to draw from a number of sources to advance a claim or further explore a topic of interest.
Key Terms
McGraw Hill provides a brief list of economic terms along with a fully searchable online glossary.
Helpful Resources
Investopedia by Forbes Digital provides a basic overview of economics, including short chapters with an introduction and information on production, demand and supply, utility, and monopolies, among others.
Journals specializing in Economics include The Economist and Financial Times. These are available in print and in various electronic databases through the DePaul Library.
