Date open: Mon 2014 Mar 31
Topics approved by: Mon 2014 Mar 31
Draft references due: Mon 2014 Apr 7
Final papers and presentations due: Mon 2014 Apr 14

Learning Objectives

• “Use appropriate standards of ethics and etiquette for information and information systems.”
• “Discuss and critically evaluate legal and social issues involving information technology.”
• Demonstrate aspects of basic computer and information “literacy”: finding and evaluating information, text processing, presentationware.

Instructions

Students may work individually or with a partner. Those working together should turn in one copy of their work, and both partners will receive the same grade. Partners may choose to deliver their presentation in the form of a debate.

1. With your instructor’s approval, choose a topic in the area of ethical, legal, and social aspects of informatics. The textbook covers some such topics in chapters 11–12 (crowdsourcing, netiquette, security, scams, intellectual property, and privacy); if you choose one of these, you must go into greater depth than the textbook chapters, and you should probably narrow the topic. Of course, there are other relevant topics, and you are not limited to those covered in the textbook.

2. Research the topic, consulting at least 3 credible sources of information (beyond the textbook).

3. Write a paper in any reasonable style of 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced, or half of that length, single-spaced.

   1. Include a “References” section. List each reference completely so that a reader can find it: include author name or names (“Anonymous” if not determinable), publication date (“n.d.” if no date can be found), title of the work, and publication data (including complete URL and date retrieved, in the case of a web page).
   2. In the text, cite the references using author-date notation, e.g., “(Jones, 2012)” or “Jones (2012)”; or bracketed numbers, e.g., “[3]”, if the references are correspondingly numbered in the “References” section.

4. Make a presentation to the class of 3 to 5 minutes, using suitable presentation software (such as Microsoft Powerpoint, or web-based alternatives such as Google Drive Presentations, Prezzi, etc.)

Grading

50 points total, of which:

• 6 points are for the references list, with at least three complete references. These points are earned initially by the draft references list, provided the final paper maintains at least equal quality of references.
• 30 points for the content, which should demonstrate understanding of the subject and use of appropriate information sources.
  • In matters of controversy, try to understand and present all reasonable points of view; make your own conclusions, based on critical evaluation of arguments on all sides.
• 8 points for the use of correct English (grammar, spelling, etc.), writing style, citations in the text to the references
• 6 points for a clear presentation with appropriate “slides”

• Version 1.0, 2014 March 25