The Political Economy of Conflict

Research Article Workshop

1 Details

Instructor: Bogdan Popescu
Program Duration: 12 Weeks (9 mentor meetings)
Structure: Nine one-on-one, remote weekly sessions for 1 hour

2 Course Description

This course is an intensive, hands-on introduction to writing a research article in the social sciences, with a focus on political science, sociology, or economics. By the end of the course, students will have developed and refined a complete research paper through a series of iterative assignments and structured feedback. The course integrates methodological training, substantive readings, and practical writing skills. Course content is divided into weekly units covering both technical skills and theoretical content. This course is demanding, but it’s designed to give you the tools to write your first publishable article. I am here to guide you every step of the way.

This course explores the causes, dynamics, and consequences of civil conflict through prominent research in political science and economics. It begins with foundational theories of ethnic insurgency and state weakness (Fearon & Laitin), then examines how foreign aid can both fuel and mitigate violence (Nunn & Qian; Crost et al.). Students also analyze how governance institutions and criminal networks shape political violence (Besley & Persson; Dell). The course incorporates hands-on empirical replication using difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity designs to understand causal inference in conflict studies. Finally, it investigates how natural resources and corruption affect conflict patterns, guiding students toward writing a full empirical research paper.

Assessment will be based on the progressive development of a research project, including submission of a research question, proposal, outline, draft, and final paper, as well as in-class presentations. No prior experience with coding or statistics is required, but students should be ready to engage with challenging material in a supportive, step-by-step environment.

3 Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the students will be able to:

  • Develop a research question and transform it into a publishable paper.
  • Master essential academic tools including reference managers (e.g., JabRef), markdown-based word processing, and professional presentation software.
  • Write each section of a paper: abstract, introduction, argument, methods, literature review, findings, discussion, and conclusion.
  • Conduct basic quantitative analysis in R, including data merging, regression modeling, and visualization.
  • Understand and apply core methods in social science research, including qualitative methods, difference-in-differences (DiD), and regression discontinuity design (RDD).
  • Create a personal academic website using GitHub Pages to showcase their work.

4 Weekly Presentations

Each student will deliver a 15-minute presentation on a topic assigned in advance. Presentations should include a clear introduction, main points, and conclusion. Use visual aids (e.g., slides) effectively, ensuring text is legible and visuals are relevant. Practice beforehand to stay within the time limit and maintain a confident, professional tone. Be prepared to answer 2-3 questions from peers or the instructor during and after the presentation. Remember to cite your sources and avoid reading verbatim from slides or notes.

In addition to summarizing the key arguments or findings, your presentation should include critical analysis of the material. Highlight what the author does not address, the limitations of their research, or potential problems in their analysis or methodology. Think about how the research could be improved, expanded, or connected to broader themes discussed in class, and incorporate these insights into your presentation.

Each week, you will give a short presentation on that week’s reading. You can download the template for the paper presentation at this link.

5 Research Paper

The research paper should provide an extensive background on the topic and a clear contribution to the literature. The analysis should include some quantitative analysis to test hypotheses. The statistical part of the research project involves using data (collect and prepare the data to run quantitative analyses and produce graphs) and specialized software (R).

5.1 Research Paper Template

Use the following as a starting point for writing your own research paper:

5.2 Research Paper Examples

This section provides two complete examples of finished research papers and presentations. These are not templates to copy, but illustrations of different research designs. Use them to see how arguments, methods, and findings can be structured and communicated in practice.

Week 1

  • Intro to the Course - 07-24-2025

Homework 1: Research Design and Presentation: Go over:

Homework: Statistics and R Programming: Go over:

Week 2

Causes and Onsets of Civil War - 08-20-2025

  • Fearon, James D., and David D. Laitin. (2003). Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War. American Political Science Review, 97(1), 75–90.

Homework 1: Research Design and Presentation: Go over:

Homework 2: Statistics and R Programming: Go over:

Deadline: Research Question – 08-22-2025

Week 3

Foreign Aid and Conflict - 08-27-2025

  • Nunn, Nathan, and Nancy Qian. (2014). US Food Aid and Civil Conflict. American Economic Review, 104(6), 1630–1666.

Homework 1: Research Design and Presentation: Go over:

Homework 2: Statistics and R Programming: Go over:

Deadline: Research Proposal - 08-29-2025

Week 4

Institutions, Governance, and Conflict - 09-03-2025

  • Besley, Timothy, and Torsten Persson. (2011). The Logic of Political Violence. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 126(3), 1411–1445.

Homework 2: Statistics and R Programming: Go over:

Deadline: Research Paper Outline - 09-05-2025

Week 5

Replication: Difference-in-Differences - 09-10-2025

Homework 1: Research Design and Presentation: Go over:

Homework 2: Statistics and R Programming: Go over:

Week 6

Replication: Regression Discontinuity Design - 09-17-2025

Homework 1: Research Design and Presentation: Go over:

Deadline: Milestone - 09-19-2025

Week 7

Natural Resources and Conflict - 09-24-2025

  • Dube, Oeindrila, and Juan F. Vargas. (2013). Commodity Price Shocks and Civil Conflict: Evidence from Colombia. Review of Economic Studies, 80(4), 1384–1421.

Homework: Write:

  • Work on Research Design, Data, Research Methodology

Week 8

Paper Development - 10-01-2025

Homework: Write:

  • Work on Research Design, Data, Research Methodology
  • Finish First Draft

Deadline: Final Paper - 10-03-2025

Week 9

Paper Feedback - 10-08-2025

  • Writing an academic CV and publishing on your personal website
  • CV template:
    • tex file (open the tex file in quarto and compile after updating it with personal details)
    • pdf file

Homework: Write:

  • Revise Paper: Methods
  • Write academic CV and post on website

Week 10

Paper Development - 10-15-2025

Deadline: Revised Final Paper - 10-17-2025