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The Research Division

Our Essay Competition is now live!
The Research Division focuses on producing undergraduate researchers, which we then publish in our annual economic research journal, Rationale.

The Essay Competition 2023
Our Essay Competition is live! Please use the hyperlink above to find more information!
Our Research Division – the only undergraduate economic research team in the nation – recruits between four and six teams at the start of Michaelmas Term to conduct econometric analysis on important topics and publish their submissions in our annual peer-reviewed student economic research journal, Rationale.
We attempt to spread awareness of economics to a diverse audience by coordinating the Economics Essay Competition for pre-tertiary students and the Research Incubator Programme for undergraduates without prior experience in econometrics. We are also partnering with the University of Chicago’s Oeconomica undergraduate research group to deliver the inaugural Economic Research Summit for our students to exchange ideas about research and methodology and jointly run their Econometrics Games competition.

Econometrics Starter Pack

Are you an incoming fresher or sixth-form student who wants to get a taste of university-level econometrics? A second year hoping to complement your lessons with hands-on practice? Or a third year and above who wants to refresh your memory? Our Econometrics Starter Pack provides a short list of resources for statistical software, data analytics and econometric methods you will find useful both for lessons and in conducting independent research. Enjoy!

Introduction to Econometrics with R

  • This free online textbook provides a thorough, comprehensive and highly accessible introduction to basic econometric methods and concepts used in empirical research. Some of the content is based on a well-known Econometrics textbook.
  • Hands-on tutorials on applying these econometric methods by using R

StataCorp: Resources for Learning Stata

Stata Tutorial by Germán Rodríguez (from introductory to intermediate levels)

Introduction to Stata by Alexander C. Lembcke, LSE

  • This covers most of the commands/techniques that you will find useful in the daily use of Stata for a data-intensive project

Advanced Stata Topics by Alexander C. Lembcke, LSE

  • This note covers more advanced parts of using Stata, and we recommend those with some formal backgrounds to consider using it.

Stata Video Tutorials by the LSE Methodology Department

Evaluating Social Programs by MITx on Edx

  • This course teaches applied conventional econometrics methods used in evaluating social programs in modern societies with a particular focus on Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs).
  • The applied econometrics methods are taught with R and give great hands-on experience. 

Data Science: R Basics by Harvardx on Edx

  • A basic introduction to concepts and commands in R used for cleaning and visualising data

Data Science: Linear Regressions by Harvardx on Edx

  • This course combines R and linear regressions to walk you through the fundamental concepts related to understanding regressions and interpreting results

Statistics and R by Harvardx on Edx

  • This course focuses more on statistical inference, by focusing on hypothesis tests, parametric and non-parametric tests, and teach you how to apply them using R

Using Python for Research by Harvardx on Edx

  • An introduction to Python and how it can be used for basic data science research

If you are a current LSE student, you can enroll yourself on any course in Moodle to audit it. If you are an incoming LSE student, you can ask seniors for resources.

Some courses we recommend you audit are:

  • ST102, if you don’t have a formal background in statistics
  • EC220/EC221, if you have some background in statistics and want to learn econometrics (We suggest that you mainly focus on the Michaelmas Term material)
  • ST310, if you have some background in statistics. The first four weeks provide a good explanation of linear regression. Lectures and classes (recordings available) are conducted in R, offering a holistic applied experience of econometrics.
  • EC307, if you have some background in statistics and econometrics, and want to know how these are used in an applied context. The course focuses on development economics, but is also very accessible.

You can also enroll in the LSE Digital Skills Lab on Moodle, which provides a wealth of resources.

Rationale

In each academic year, members of the Research Division work in teams to pursue independent research in a sub-field of economics. Our work now spans health economics, urban economics, labour economics, development economics, and political economy. It is unique in providing a structured opportunity for undergraduates and graduate students to conduct economic research. With research crossing four continents, and being related to highly topical policy and global issues, there is something relevant and insightful for everyone.

In a world without reason, turn to economics.

Rationale was established by the LSESU Economics Society in 2007 as an ‘Economist’ magazine-styled publication for £1 per issue. It came at a time when ‘economic theory, never an area of much consensus, has become more heatedly discussed and debated than at any time in recent memory’ according to Charles Hodgson, the Chief Editor in 2009. It aimed to capture the spirit of current debates through a selection of articles ranging from news and opinion to economic modelling. Over time, it gained popularity on campus, and grew a reputation for insightful economic analysis and comment.

In 2019, the Economics Society’s Research Division, under Christopher Dann, relaunched Rationale as a first-of-its-kind working paper series featuring student-led economic research. In 2020, it became a peer-reviewed student economic research journal published with the LSE Houghton Street Press. The relaunched Rationale aims to encourage independent research in economics, its sub-fields, and social science to a greater degree.

More information about each paper is available at rationale.lse.ac.uk.