Assignment Specifications Assignment 1 Specifications Purpose: Students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a chosen research topic by applying international trade theories and concepts learnt during Week 1 to Week 5. The in-depth analysis of the chosen topic, should be supported by data/statistics, figures, tables and relevant literature. A group of up to 4 students, will be provided with a set of topics (see below) from which the group must choose on a ‘first-come, first-served basis’. In this assignment, students are required to do better than recycle the lecture materials. Students are to research the chosen topic in more depth providing evidence of independent research. Assignment Structure should be as the following: Research Paper (worth 25%): The research paper is to be structured and written as a seminar report. It, therefore, must begin with a Management (or Executive) Summary within which you state in stark form (i.e. unsupported by argument) what you are asserting in this paper and you must do that in less than two pages. You can begin the main body of the paper with some general background followed by a description and discussion of significance of the specific issues considered. This introduction will normally end with a brief paragraph outlining the plan of the rest of the paper. The next section which could be divided into 2-4 sub-sections containing an in-depth discussion of the relevant issues based on the existing literature and/or data. You must provide in-text references to your sources. The last section contains a brief summary followed by a complete list of references that are cited in the text of the paper. Follow a standard referencing method (APA style or Harvard Business) consistently. The recommended assignment structure for final submission is as follows: · Table of content · Executive Summary (Optional) · Introduction · Body ¾ The sections depend on the topic chosen by individual or group. · Conclusion · List of References. Note*: The structure content is not limited to the items listed above. Creativity for a better report structure is a key requirement.
Detailed requirements of the assignment You are a group of advisors to the working in the Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs in Australia. As advisors you are first, required to write a research from a topic of your choice from the following covering the previous 5-10 years. Research Paper 1 Topics 1. Comparative advantage ¾ Choose any two countries chosen from the list of countries listed in Annex 1. For each country, identify an industry or industries in which the chosen countries have comparative advantage. You must use relevant data/statistics to support your analysis used in the identification ¾ Explain the reasons/sources of the comparative advantage in each of the chosen countries ¾ Suggest ways to improve the comparative advantage in each country ¾ Reasons for the flow of trade and investment, the factors affecting the industry or industries and how Australia can benefit from these countries 2. Terms of Trade ¾ Choose any two countries from the list of countries listed in Annex 1. For each country, analyse its terms-of-trade trend over the last 10 years using relevant facts/figures ¾ Identify and analyse factors affecting the trend in the terms-of-trade for each of the chosen countries ¾ Analyse how the terms-of-trade affect welfare in the chosen countries ¾ Advise the Minister on any benefits from these countries to Australia 3. Export Subsidies in Agriculture, Wind/Solar energy industry ¾ Choose either an agriculture or a wind/solar energy industry from any country listed in Annex 1 that currently provides export subsidies to the industries. Discuss positive and negative aspects of the export subsidies on the country’s economy. ¾ Evaluate the effects of the export subsidies on the country’s welfare using relevant supporting data/statistics and literature ¾ Examine the effects of effects of the subsidies on Australia (Only applies if the country chosen is not Australia. However, if the country is Australia explain the effects of the subsidies to other countries) 4. Pattern of Trade ¾ Choose any two countries from the listed countries in Annex 1. For each country, describe its pattern of trade over the last 30 years using relevant data ¾ Identify and analyse factors responsible for a changing trade pattern in the chosen countries ¾ In your opinion, discuss if your findings conform with what the trade theories predict ¾ Examine the effects of the pattern of trade on Australia (Only applies if the countries do not include Australia. However, if the countries include Australia explain the effects of the pattern of trade on other countries) Note: (i) Two groups must not research on an identical combination of 2 countries (ii) The combination selected will be first come basis posted in Discussion Board (iii) Following (i) and (ii), before choosing a combination check to identify that the countries is not identified. (iv) A combination of countries can be in a pattern such as: Australia and Country x or Australia and country y; —- or country x and y or x and n; —.
This report should provide useful information for the Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs for appropriate strategic decision making for Australia and multinational enterprises in the country. (vi) The report should use a variety of resources, including the textbook, newspapers, industry reports, the ABS website, and other sources.
The Fund and the World Bank tend to assume that endogenous, policy-related errors lie at the base of a nation’s difficulties. In fact, exogenous difficulties are usually more of a factor. Consequently, adjustment programs fail to address the causes of an economic crisis. problems are invariably brought on by structural problems.” Discuss this statement. Do you agree? why or why not?
Darts A student interested in improving her dart-throwing technique designs an experiment to test 4 different stances to see whether they affect her accuracy. After warming up for several minutes, she randomizes the order of the 4 stances, throws a dart at a target using each stance, and measures the distance of the dart in centimeters from the center of the bull’s-eye. She replicates this procedure 10 times. After analyzing the data she reports that the F-ratio is 1.41.
a) What are the null and alternative hypotheses?
b) How many degrees of freedom does the treatment sum of squares have? How about the error sum of squares?
c) What would you conclude?
d) What else about the data would you like to see in order to check the assumptions and conditions?
e) If your conclusion in part c is wrong, what type of error have you made?
Gas mileage A student runs an experiment to study the effect of three different mufflers on gas mileage. He devises a system so that his Jeep Wagoneer uses gasoline from a one-liter container. He tests each muffler 8 times, carefully recording the number of miles he can go in his Jeep Wagoneer on one liter of gas. After analyzing his data, he reports that the F-ratio is 2.35 with a P-value of 0.1199.
a) What are the null and alternative hypotheses?
b) How many degrees of freedom does the treatment sum of squares have? How about the error sum of squares?
c) What would you conclude?
d) What else about the data would you like to see in order to check the assumptions and conditions?
e) If your conclusion in part c is wrong, what type of error have you made?
Skating A figure skater tried various approaches to her Salchow jump in a designed experiment using 5 different places for her focus (arms, free leg, midsection, takeoff leg, and free). She tried each jump 6 times in random order, using two of her skating partners to judge the jumps on a scale from 0 to 6. After collecting the data and analyzing the results, she reports that the F-ratio is 7.43.
a) What are the null and alternative hypotheses?
b) How many degrees of freedom does the treatment sum of squares have? How about the error sum of squares?
c) Assuming that the conditions are satisfied, what is the P-value? What would you conclude?
d) What else about the data would you like to see in order to check the assumptions and conditions?
Popcorn A student runs an experiment to test four different popcorn brands, recording the number of kernels left unpopped. She pops measured batches of each brand 4 times, using the same popcorn popper and randomizing the order of the brands. After collecting her data and analyzing the results, she reports that the F-ratio is 13.56.
a) What are the null and alternative hypotheses?
b) How many degrees of freedom does the treatment sum of squares have? How about the error sum of squares?
c) Assuming that the conditions required for ANOVA are satisfied, what is the P-value? What would you conclude?
d) What else about the data would you like to see in order to check the assumptions and conditions?
Infliximab In an article appearing in the journal The Lancet, medical researchers reported on the experimental use of the arthritis drug infliximab in treating Crohn’s disease. In a trial, 573 patients were given initial 5-mg injections of the drug. Two weeks later, 335 had responded positively. These patients were then randomly assigned to three groups. Group I received continued injections of a placebo, Group II continued with 5 mg of infliximab, and Group III received 10 mg of the drug. After 30 weeks, 23 of 110 Group I patients were in remission, compared with 44 of 113 Group II and 50 of 112 Group III patients. Do these data indicate that continued treatment with infliximab is of value for Crohn’s disease patients who exhibit a positive initial response to the drug?