CSC300H1S: Computers and Society

Assignment: Term Paper 1

Spring, 2014

Proposal Due: Tuesday, January 28 at 22:00
Full Paper Due: Tuesday, February 11 at 22:00

No late assignments are accepted.

Option 1

Write an essay on any topic at the intersection of computers and society. Use at least one of the analytic lenses that we have covered. The paper must not be simply a technology review or chronology.

Option 2

Write a critique of an existing system for its ethics and usability. Propose an alternative design. Justify your decisions.

Paper Requirements

The paper should be approximately 1500-2000 words in length, excluding the References section.

The paper should have a thesis, i.e. a argument or claim. The first appearance of the thesis must be underlined. It should have an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Using the UofT Library and its online resources, you should find at least five published sources that relate to the topic and cite them in the body of your paper using the ACM style (or another major style). At least three of these sources should be peer-reviewed scholarly articles, books, or book chapters. You are encouraged also to reference any readings that have been assigned for this course that are appropriate to the topic you choose; however, there must be at least five references that are not part of the course readings.

Formatting

Use standard formatting – Times Roman font size 12 or Arial/Tahoma font size 10, 8.5x11" paper, 1” margins, double spaced.

Attribution

At the top of your paper, state your name, student number, teaching assistant, assignment name, and due date.

Submission

The assignment is to be submitted as a pdf using Blackboard.

Proposal

The purpose of the proposal is let us know what you plan to write about and for us to provide you with guidance. The proposal has three parts and should be approximately 300-500 words in length. The parts are:

  1. Topic- What are you going to write about and what makes it interesting?
  2. Approach- Outline of paper
  3. Bibliography- Demonstrate that there is sufficient source material to support a well-considered paper

Rubric

Element Description % of Grade
Writing 30%
Clarity Are the points understandable? 15%
Organization Does the paper present a coherent set of reflections? Does the order of the points and use of transitions allow the paper to be read smoothly? 10%
Grammar and Spelling Are the grammar and spelling correct so that the paper is understandable? 5%
Argument 40%
Thesis Does the thesis make a reasonable, specific claim, within the topic for this paper? (Be sure to underline the thesis!) 10%
Relevance Does the paper present an argument for the thesis? Are the points offered relevant to the thesis? 10%
Effectiveness Has the argument been made effectively? Are there enough points and counterpoints? Is the argument's claim supported by relevant examples or references? 20%
References Does the paper include an appropriate number and types of references? Are they cited properly? Are the references integrated into the paper? 25%
Discretionary Reader's discretion: how well does the paper fulfill the goals of the course and the assignment? 5%

If you receive a grade of B+ or higher on this paper, you will be permitted to create something other than a paper for your second project, such as a youtube video or implementation of a software system.