- Please read all of the instructions and review the linked documents at the end of the assignment. You will need to use the paper template for your paper.
- Assignment purpose:
- As technical professionals, we are often called to research and report on topics associated with our projects. We must always be ready to analyze and evaluate a given problem, gain an understanding of the impact locally, nationally and internationally as well as analyze the potential ethical implications of our decisions. As part of this assignment, you will be able to practice your analysis skills as well as apply the knowledge we have gained throughout the semester.
- In professional writing, we do not use personal pronouns like “I” when presenting a conclusion based on our research. The thesis is the reasoned conclusion based on the research. The conclusions you reach should be supported by citations from your research and should be based on what you found. In this type of writing, we never want to say things such as “I believe”. We want to make statements that synthesize our research and present well reasoned conclusions supported by our research sources.
- For this assignment you will create a 5 to 8 page research paper to explore a technology topic in depth. The topic must involve an ethical issue that is directly caused by or significantly exacerbated by technology.
- The discussion assignments throughout the semester have prepared you for this assignment. You can use the research and lessons learned during these assignments as a starting place for the paper.
- The audience for the paper is someone who holds at least a bachelors degree and has a strong background in information technology.
- The assignment is designed to ensure that you have practice in creating research papers in preparation for post baccalaureate work.
- The genre for this assignment is an analytical research paper.
- In this approach, the author is not taking a stand or expressing an opinion about the topic. Neither is it a book report, essay or summary of the resources used in researching the paper.
- This paper should be used to explore the use of a technology and evaluate the ethical and global implications.
- Part of a good evaluation is to present both sides of an issue. As you discuss the technology and evaluate the ethical and global implications, but sure to examine the issue(s) from both sides of the arguments. For example, we might want to strive to understand the positive as well as the negative impacts of a technology.
- Your goal is to inform the reader about the topic, give him/her an in-depth understanding, and then present your conclusions. The paper should have minimal "what is" or "how to", because this paper's audience is technology savvy and knowledgeable of ethical theory,
and the paper's goal is to do an ethical and global analysis of your issue. - You can read more about the tone and approach as well as find an example of a thesis statement at the Purdue OWL site (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/research_papers/genre_and_the_research_paper.html)
- Use a topic from the list of possible topics linked below at the end of this page. If you wish to propose a new topic, please email me within Canvas mail. New topics MUST be approved by the instructor. If you previously took this course, you must select a new topic. Submitting work that was previously submitted in a prior version of this course or for another course may result in an academic charge for self-plagiarism under the FIU student code of conduct
- Use the principles and analysis methods you have learned to explore the topic in-depth, showing clearly the global ethical issue(s) involved, any fallacies practiced to justify actions, what aspects of any recognized code of standards are violated or which could be applied. Include an ethical analysis using an ethical theory found in the Topic 3 material.
- Be sure to explain how technology has played a key role in causing or exacerbating the global ethical dilemma. You must discuss the issues for at least two geographical areas.
- Support your statements and analysis using in-text citations. A reference page is not sufficient. All works cited on the reference page must be cited using in-text citations within the paper.
Goals for the paper:
9. Identify the global issue or concern from the list provided or propose a new topic for your professor’s approval and succinctly summarize the global impact in your own words.
10. Analyze the global ethical issue(s) involved in your own words using the ethical theories discussed over the course of the semester. See Topic 3 for the ethical frameworks.
11. The paper should discuss at least two different countries (or regions) by name and give specific, concrete examples of the technology or technologies involved as well as the ethical concerned raise by the use of these technologies. The ethical analysis may be a separate section, or it may be woven into the analysis as the various aspects of the issue are presented.
12. Discuss any fallacies used to justify actions, what aspects of any recognized code of standards are violated or which could be applied.
13. Provide sufficient context and use common language to communicate your ideas to a reader who has a strong background in technology with at least a bachelors level of education.
14. Give examples that make abstract concepts concrete.
15. Organize content in a way that effectively reaches, engages, and communicates to the reader.
16. The paper is formatted in traditional IEEE format. The template provided within Canvas should be used for the structure and format of the paper. It also provides additional suggestions and assistance with the structure and tone of the paper.
Learning Outcomes:
This assignment will fulfill one or more of the following learning outcomes:
17. Describe the legal, ethical, and social impacts of technology as related to individual privacy, security, and anonymity in societies across the globe and in the global Internet society. (Global Awareness)
18. Describe the legal, ethical, and social impacts of technology as related to intellectual property rights, and how the global reach of the Internet affects these issues. (Global Perspective)
19. Identify a computing professional’s roles and responsibilities as related to intellectual property, privacy, anonymity, legal, social, and ethical issues. (Global Engagement)
Evaluation criteria:
REMINDER: Everything you need to know about the structure and format of the paper is in the template document. Use a copy of that file as your starting document and your formatting will already be set for you.
Key Content:
- Ethical analysis included, using theory or codes of conduct
- Global issue and analysis included
- Counterarguments presented and ethically analyzed
Structure:
- You should have an introduction that indicates the structure
- The paper should be structured in appropriate sections and subsections
- You should have a conclusion that summarizes
- You have started new paragraphs where appropriate (not one big giant section with only 1 paragraph)
- You gave a number to your last section (not N)
Formatting:
- Follow the template’s formatting EXACTLY for all parts of the paper
- Pagination (abstract, start of body, refs page should all start on a new page)
- Check that page header has correct page numbering
- No excess space between paragraphs or sections
Grammar/Spelling:
- Run a grammar check in Word and correct issues: run-on sentences, incorrect verb tenses, incorrect noun-verb agreement
- Run a spell check in Word
- Avoid useless, fluff, space-filling leading phrases (e.g., to begin with, in other words, furthermore, in addition, etc.). If you can remove that phrase and the meaning of the sentence does not change, it is useless and should be removed.
Inline citations:
- All works in the reference page should have at least one inline citation within the paper.
- Using citations is important to identify where that information originated.
- Remember, citations both identify the source of where the ideas or thoughts originated as well as provide support for our assertions. In addition, it provides the reader with sources to explore if they wish to further explore the concept.
- You followed the IEEE format (not APA, Chicago, etc.)
References:
- You followed the IEEE format (not APA, Chicago, etc.) and refs are complete (not just URLs)
- Refs are listed in the order encountered in the paper
- Refs must include the URL you used to access the articles and they must be properly formatted.
Things that should NOT be in your paper:
- Use of 1st (I, me, my, mine, we, us our, ours) or 2nd person (you, yours)
- Use of contractions (e.g., doesn’t should be does not)
- Use of questions (this is not a conversation – it is a research paper)
- Personal opinions (no I think/I feel) – statements must be supported by your citations
