• Students will acquire the ability to proficiently use the statistical software R for conducting empirical research with survey data.
• Students will be able to assess the strengths and limitations of various data types, including survey data and tax data, for research  (especially on the economics of distribution).
• Students will achieve a comprehensive understanding of major empirical trends of income and wealth inequality and theories aimed at explaining these trends.
• Students will develop a solid understanding of current debates in the field of economics of distribution and inequality.
• Students will improve their ability to comprehend research articles and critically evaluate research designs.
• Students will enhance their academic writing and presentation skills.

The course mixes lectures, weekly readings, practical sessions where students work with data and statistical software packages, as well as student presentations during the final workshop at the end of the semester.

Lectures:

• We introduce major themes and topics in a series of lectures.
• Students are required to read and prepare one academic article for each lecture.
• Occasional quizzes on these articles to assess the understanding of the content.

Practical Sessions (Tutorials):

• Practical sessions focus on using data from the Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for empirical reserach on wage and income inequality and poverty.
• Students will gain hands-on experience with the software R, as used in the tutorials.

Student Research Projects:

• Students explore their own interests and work in groups of up to three students on a small research project.
• While SILC data and R software are recommended, students are free to propose the use of other micro-datasets for their projects. The topic of the project has to relate to the content of the lectures.
• We offer additional voluntary tutoring to support students in their project work.
• In a short presentation, students introduce their research idea and proposed methodology.
• A final workshop at the end of the term  provides a platform for students to present and discuss their projects and findings,
• The course includes a structured timeline for project reports, with a draft due one week before the final workshop and the final report due one week after the workshop.

Enrollment is based on the WU's ‘first come – first serve’.  If you are registered but not able to participate, de-register via LPIS during the registration period so your place is available to students on the waiting list.