25 Sep Paper IS451 on : Distributional Economics

tips on writing DPs are given below.

(1) Introduction. Write a paragraph raising a paradox or central question about the topic

of the readings. You must then provide an outline of what you are going to do in the rest

of your mini-essay. Having an explicit agenda, outline or roadmap, however brief, is a

crucial element in social-science writing. You will be assessed in part on the extent to

which you fulfil your promises in the outline (60-70 words).

(2) Synthesis. Provide a brief synthesis of what the author is saying. Ask whether the

book has a clear and significant thesis and methodology. Identify the central questions,

main points, concepts, and/or core arguments. Rather than analyzing all the ideas that the

author presents, you should focus in depth on the most significant aspects of the text,

always defining the key concepts used by the author, including the citation of a specific

page number or providing the author’s most synthetic rendering of the concept(s) by

using a textual quotation. A synthesis is not the same as a summary. The latter is an

attempt to provide an inventory of the entire text. A synthesis is not as easy because it

presupposes that the text has been understood, and focuses on the core, most central

parts. A good synthesis of a text requires an awareness and knowledge of the author’s

style of thinking, not just the particular facts that are presented to support an argument.

Focus on interrogating the texts about their theory and/or methodology, whichever seems

most relevant in a given text, as well as the core argument. DPs with no or few citations

and quotations will get a very low mark, although having lots of cites and quotes does not

guarantee a high mark. Crucially, each and all quotations must be properly linked with

your own wording to make them comprehensible. (250-350 words.)

(3) Assessment. Write a brief assessment of the strengths and/or weaknesses of the

authors’ central arguments or concepts. What is the quality of the author’s research and

sources? Do the authors’ evidence or analysis really support what they set out to do and

their conclusions? How does their viewpoint color the interpretations they make? How

well does the theory and method serve the author(s)? It is important to assess the book

you have read and not the one you would have liked the author to have written. Rather

than merely giving your opinions, your judgements should be constructive, highlighting

the text’s strengths and limitations. I encourage you to be contentious and take a risk by

taking a strong stand that will get debate going in class, and be ready to defend your

stance with relevant evidence and/or analysis. (100-130 words.)

(4) Questions. Finally, provide two discussion questions – and no more than two –

related to the readings. One should be a lingering question whose answer would further

clarify the readings for you, with a focus on theory. The other may be a question on

methods or one that will promote class discussion on some central substantive issue.

AVOID making questions that lead to opinion. What we want is analysis and further

disentangling of concepts. The main overall task of discussion papers is to help us

understand the text, a precondition to assess and discuss its applicability in our seminar.

(30-40 words.)