Research and Quantitative Methods for Trade Policy

Course Description

Good decision making requires sound evidence arrived at through systematic, critical and objective research methods, procedures and analyses. This course is designed to introduce students to a range of research methods, designs, techniques and analyses in the quantitative and qualitative methodologies for students to investigate phenomena in a coherent and thorough manner. The primary goal of this course is for students to learn a litany of qualitative and quantitative research methods and practice how to design effective inquiry. We will address the theoretical, ethical, and practical issues that arise in the conduct of qualitative and quantitative research.

This course is designed for graduate students with an interest in international trade policy and some of the various quantitative methods available to facilitate detailed analysis. The course emphasizes areas such as sources and understanding of trade and other economic data, descriptive statistics for summarizing  and  recounting data, index numbers, regression analysis, partial and general equilibrium analysis, games theory, and measures of competition and protection.