Be sure that your analysis addresses the following topics: • What statistical techniques were used • Why were they used • What was good and bad about how the statistical techniques were used • What you would have done differently if you were doing the study Do not just summarize the article. You will attach the article, so I can read it myself. Instead, your paper must analyze the article and demonstrate what you have learned in this course. I expect papers to be about two pages, typed, but it is OK if they are somewhat shorter or longer. The important thing is to communicate something, not to fill up a certain amount of space. It is the quality that counts, not the length. Your paper will be graded on how well you explain how the concepts of the course apply to a real-world situation, your analysis, and also the clarity of your writing. We use lots of graphs in statistics and economics, but for some reason students are often afraid to use graphs in their papers, and very few include them. You should not be afraid to include some graphs and it will probably result in a better grade. You do not need to do the graphs on the computer (although it is fine if you do). It is perfectly appropriate to include a hand-drawn graph as part of your paper. Note that if you copy the graph from the textbook or another publication you need to provide a reference stating the source of the graph. Do not try to claim someone else's graph as your own work (see the paragraph on plagiarism below for more details). One short paper is optional and you can earn up to 5 additional percentage points towards your final course grade as extra credit. Find a recent article (published in 2024) from a newspaper, magazine or academic journal (either print or online) about economics, business or social science which makes use of some of the statistical concepts you have learned in this course. Then write a short analysis explaining how what you learned in this course applies to what is discussed in the article. Good sources for articles would be The Wall Street Journal, Business Week or The Economist, but you can also find applicable articles in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, or other general newspapers or news magazines.