A primary goal of this course is for students to become experts in the research literature in data-intensive development. This requires careful reading of papers, and critical and engaged discussion. Since it takes time to carefully read a research paper, there are only a few required readings each week, which are marked with a (***) in the syllabus below. Readings marked with a (*) are highly recommended, and students are expected to at least skim each of these articles. Students may be called upon during class to discuss any of these marked readings.
Grades will be based on the following components:
- Group Final Project (40%): Please see this page for details on the group final project.
- Responses and Participation (30%): Each week, by 7am on the day class meets, students must submit a 1-2 page critical response to the required readings (anything marked with an asterisk), and if you’re ambitious, one or more of the optional readings. This response should not summarize the readings, it should react and engage with the substance of the papers – as described in this note. What is interesting? What is contradictory? What is problematic? What have the authors really nailed? What connects to your own work? What warrants further investigation? Late submissions will not be accepted, but students get two “free passes.”
- Assignments (30%): Students will get their hands dirty by replicating recent results from recent papers in the field of international development. These assignments require extensive programming in Python. Complete details on the assignments will be provided on the second day of class.
All assignments should be submitted through bCourses