BSB113 - Research Essay - From An Economics Perspective - Economics Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Scope of research essay

Contact tracing apps were presented to the public as an important tool in fighting the spread of COVID19 (University of Oxford, 2020). In Australia, the COVIDSafe app (Department of Health, 2020) was launched by the Australian Federal Government and Chief Medical Officer (Prime Minister of Australia, 2020). The public were encouraged to download and use the app. However, the target of 40% download target was not achieved (Meixner, 2020).

A search of the media and academic literature presents many theories/hypothesises as to why this is the case. These range from a lack of understanding of the data that was being collected, how collected data was to be stored, data protection issues, concerns about privacy breaches, along with more day to day pragmatic issues including concerns that the app would drain phone batteries quickly and to up-take (or not) reflecting political allegiances. For example, see Lee et al. (2020) and Thomas et al. (2020).

In the absence of a vaccine, given the economic impact of border controls and lock downs, the current Chief Health Minister for Queensland is interested in understanding if the COVIDSafe app (or equivalent) could be successfully resurrected as part of a range of tools for managing [controlling/mitigating/supressing] community transmission.

From an economics perspective it is no surprise that the app failed to achieve its targets. The purpose of this research essay is to explore the economics behind the uptake of the COVIDSafe app and potential policy solutions (Hawkins and Freyens (2020), Holden (2020) and Volk, (2020)).

The current Chief Health Minister for Queensland has asked you to summarise the economics perceptive in an essay format which includes the following:

1. An overview of the rationale behind the COVIDSafe app and data on its uptake. (International comparisons are encouraged).

2. Presentation of (inclusive of a supporting explanation) an economic model that identifies the optimal uptake of the COVIDSafe app and the actual (suboptimal) uptake of the COVIDSafe app.

3. Investigation of the following TWO economic policies and a critical analysis of how they could potentially increase up take of the relaunch of COVIDSafe app (or equivalent):

a. Monetary incentive

b. Behavioural economics approach (non-monetary incentive)

You are required to support your economic analysis with appropriate data and economic models (partial equilibrium analysis) which you use to examine how the policy achieves the desired outcome. A brief summary of the potential economic effects (costs and benefits) of each of the above policies is required. However, it is appreciated that a full analysis of effects of these policy solutions is beyond the scope of this work.

General guidance notes

You are required to present your response to the current Chief Health Minister for Queensland in an essay format.

t is recommended that you approach the problem as follows:

The context (Task 1 relates to CRA 1) In economics we generally start by framing the problem. We also refer to this as setting the context. In this part of your essay (Task 1), you need to articulate what the issue is. This is not simply a case of stating “I think it is a problem because ...”. You need to present an informed context which is supported by peer reviewed published research (not the Courier Mail). In setting the context, you should also include details of the social costs associated with the problem (in dollar values). Data should be from reputable sources. The case that you make in this section provides the basis for economic policy solutions you will present in part 3. 
Economic theory (Task 2 relates to CRA 2) You will need to present the correct theoretical economic model and explain it using appropriate economic terminology (Task 2). It is no secret that this is about the theory of externalities. You will need to present a robust diagrammatic exposition of the correct economic theory of externalities, identifying the theoretical market and efficient equilibrium and deadweight loss aligned to the problem you have identified in part 1. 
The critical analysis (Task 3 relates to CRA 3) In Task 3, potential policy solutions are critically analysed from an economic perspective. Your analysis should be framed with reference to the economic theory presented in Task 2. You have been presented with two policy options and need to examine both of these. The objective of the policy is to improve the outcome. The trick, for you and what you are being assessed on is how. You need to work out how each policy you are considering shifts from the current equilibrium to a new equilibrium (in normal - speak improves up take of the app). 
The key to this part of the essay is to keep it simple. Give an overview of each policy, detail how it will work to address the issue under consideration (yes this does mean potentially more diagrams) and give a brief summary of the potential strengths and limitations of that policy approach based on what you find from the research literature. In a policy context, the benefits should be greater than the costs (note this refers to economic cost not financial costs). Note, you are not required to say that one policy is better than another. 
A key feature of economic analysis is that it is objective. Whilst this work has been commissioned by a particular stakeholder, it should be an unbiased and informed critical economic analysis and not a political document. No particular policy solution should be given a greater or lesser weight because you think this may have more sway with the audience you are writing for. 
In summary: 
• Clearly frame the “problem” by setting the context 
• Use an appropriate economic theory to show how economists view this problem 
• Write an unbiased and informed critical economic analysis and not a political document. Do not get drawn into reporting emotive arguments (interesting as they are). 
• Be academically rigorous, ensuring that your analysis is underpinned by references to peer reviewed academic literature 
Your audience’s background knowledge in economics Assume that your audience has an understanding of economic theory and terminology, up to the level of BSB113. Assume that they are regularly exposed to documents drafted by economists and follow contemporary economic analysis in the media. For example, they read The Economist, and take a keen interest in economic articles published by economists for a wider audience in The Conversation (online) and Australian Policy Online. 
Researching for your research essay (relates to CRA 4) Your research (or reading) of this literature informs your analysis, arguments, critique, conclusions etc. Therefore, the quality of your research will directly influence the quality of your work. In academia “appropriate literature” means that you should be principally researching scholarly sources. To begin your research, start with the recommended reading provided in this document. This is not an exhaustive list of references. You are also expected to research the literature yourself (refer to the Criterion Reference Assessment (CRA) table at the end of this document). 
All sources cited in your essay must be referenced using APA style. For further information refer to Cite|Write http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/ 
If in doubt about how to cite and reference a source, please seek help from the subject librarian. 
Examples of scholarly sources include: 
• Academic journals 
• University working papers/publications 
• Government and related departments/organisations reports (e.g. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)) 
• International economic organisation’s articles and reports (e.g. OECD, United Nations and World Bank) 
• Central Bank articles and reports (e.g. Reserve Bank of Australia) 
Examples of high-quality sources of relevant data would include ABS, OECD, World Bank, Government reports etc. 
A common theme of all of the above published literature is that it is peer reviewed. Peer review is a process that is used to ensure that published work represents the best scholarship currently available (and is also technically correct, not misleading etc.). In contrast, non-peer reviewed literature represents the opinion of the authors with only their guarantee that it is the best work possible. 
Reliance on non-scholarly sources as part of your research is to be avoided. Examples of non-scholarly sources include: 
• Newspaper reports 
• Magazines articles 
• Non-peer reviewed articles and reports (be careful of private consultation reports, political papers etc.) 
• Subject-based dictionaries and/or glossaries (including Wikipedia) 
• Personal blogs/websites 
Non-scholarly sources do have a role. As a matter of course you should be informing yourself about contemporary issues by reading a range of non-scholarly sources (e.g. by reading the newspaper). Within non- scholarly sources there is a hierarchy of more acceptable publications that you should engage with. These include good quality newspapers (e.g. The Australian and The Financial Review) and specialist magazines (e.g. The Economist)). 
Similarly, Wikipedia is a great starting point for looking up definitions or getting an overview of a subject. However, using Wikipedia as a key source in your work simply demonstrates that you have failed to engage in the challenging, but rewarding, academic exercise of researching high-quality scholarly resources. 
Reading hints and tips Is there a “trick” for working your way through the reading list. Fortunately, there is. 
• Scanning the documents and locating specific words or phrases that are of interest. Focus on headings and subheadings, the contents page itself and the index for specific words (Top tip: it is easy to search PDF documents for keywords). 
• When reading, be strategic. Some papers may be useful to support your arguments, other may not.  
• Get some help on how to read research papers. Studywell (http://www.studywell.library.qut.edu.au/) has some excellent advice on how to read (fast) and digest research papers. 
Maximum word length Your research essay has a MAXIMUM WORD limit of 1400 words (excluding your reference list – but inclusive of in-text citations). 
Your word count for each section will be specific to your individual essay (informed by the weighting in the criteria reference assessment table at the end of this document). Note that your essay should include both an introduction and conclusion (but do not overdo the introduction or conclusion as that means fewer words for the important bits). 
Presentation You are advised of the following stylistic requirements: 
• Use font type Arial, font size 10 (minimum) 
• Line spacing should be single or no greater than1.25 
• Margins should be set at 2.3cm 
• All diagrams should be reproduced either by hand or imbedded in your document using a draw tool. For example, Paint or the draw tool in Word,1 or Excel. If you draw the diagrams by hand you will need to scan them so they can be incorporated in your SafeAssign submission. Cutting and pasting of diagrams from other documents is not acceptable and will be marked as copying (refer to CRA). 
• All pages should be numbered (bottom footer right hand side) and include your student number (top header, right hand side) 
• Include a title page. This should include your name, student number and tutor’s name. 
Late submission Assessment submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked and will receive a grade of 1 or 0%. If special circumstances prevent you from meeting the assessment due date, you can apply for an extension. If you do not have an approved extension you should submit the work you have completed by the due date and it will be marked against the assessment criteria. 
Helpful advice on writing your research essay (relates to CRA 5) Your writing style needs to be clear and efficient (after all you only have 1400 words). Some key advice would be: 
• Remember structure in writing - introduce, discuss and conclude. 
• Use short sentences - long sentences lose the reader. 
• One argument/idea per paragraph. 
This assessment is a formal academic piece of writing. The words and language style you use will convey this. Language used should be appropriate. Things to avoid include informal language, shorthand or colloquialisms. A short check list of advice would include: 
• Use “do not” instead “don’t” 
• Use “cannot” instead of “can’t” 
• Write in the third person – avoid using personal pronouns. For example: “Research shows that ....” rather than “I think that ...”. 
Descriptions should be quantified and/or relative to a comparable benchmark. For example: 
1. There are also many good instructions on the internet (including YouTube) on how to construct diagrams using the Draw tool in Word. 
• Instead of saying “there was a massive increase in China’s economic growth” you would phrase it as “China’s economic growth, as measured by GDP, increased by X% over the period (include citation of where your evidence came from)”. 
• Instead of saying “GDP in China was better than everyone else’s” you would phrase it “GDP in China increased by X%. In comparison it fell by X% in USA and X% in the UK (include citation of where your evidence came from).” 
Tables and figures in themselves do nothing to enhance an argument unless they are clear AND explained AND interpreted by you for the reader. 
When inserting a table or figure into your work it is good practice to give each a number (e.g. Figure 1, Table 1) and title it (the title should describe what the table or figure is presenting) and refer to the table or figure number explicitly in the text. Place the table or figure as near to the paragraph that you are going to discuss it in (either directly above or below). An example is given below in Figure 1. 
If you have hand drawn your tables and figures attach them to the end of your document. 

In your reading, you will come across tables and figures that may be useful in explaining or supporting a point that you want to make in your own work. Try to avoid cutting and pasting from articles and the text book. Relevant tables and figures should be adapted to support your work and referenced. Figures (especially those relating to theory) can be redrawn in Paint or Word (using the draw tool). Similarly, tables of data can be created in Excel and imported into Word (or created in Word using the table tool) to reflect the information that is relevant to your analysis. 
Further support for Assessment 2 Support for this assessment item includes: 
• Lecture 7/ tutorial 7 
• Consultations with tutors 
• Supporting documentation (including this document) 
Please note tutors will be prepared to discuss your approach but will not read drafts. 
In addition to the above, generic skills support and help can be sought from a range of sources: 

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