Term paper: CMPT 320, Implications of a Computerized Society

CMPT 320
Simon Fraser University
Oliver Schulte

Adapted from the textbook website

Term Paper Assignment: Topic Suggestions and Writing Guidelines

Contents of this page

Guidelines/specifications for the paper
Reminders and warnings

Grading criteria
References on writing

Guidelines/specifications for the paper

Investigate the topic. Use articles and/or books, etc., for background. Your paper may be based on a project, for example, it can include some background research and some activity, e.g., an interview or a physical site visit.
Go beyond reporting. Discuss pros and cons. Evaluate. Use your own words. Quote where appropriate. Give citations for facts and quotes. In news paper language, an a paper is an opinion piece, not a report.
Ideas of your own can be a new argument for the issue you are considering, or a criticism of an argument in the readings. In the paper you should also consider objections to your argument.
Discuss how your topic relates to material covered in the text and/or in class discussions.

Things we look for include: background or history, presentation of issues and various points of view, quality of argument and analysis (principles, examples, counterexamples), structure/organization, clarity of writing, sufficient references, sufficient length, and originality.

Suggested Outline for the paper

Cover page with title and your name
Introduction/overview of topic and issues to be discussed
Background, description, and/or history of the issue
Issues, challenges, various points of view
Your comments, ideas, evaluation
Summary
List of References

The project is to be done during this course. Do not turn in a paper done earlier for another course or for your job.

Problems to avoid

One of the most common problems with papers is poor organization. Write an outline. Organize your thoughts. You may use section headings to indicate the topic or purpose of sections of the paper.
A few students have waited until late in the semester to get started, then discovered that they didn't like their topic, or information on their topic was unavailable or their activity was infeasible. Start early in case you have to change topics or find a new activity.
If you use articles from the Web, give the URL and the organization sponsoring the site. There's a lot of junk and unsupported opinion on the Web.
Now and then, a student hands in a paper he or she did not write at all or in which large segments are copied from other sources. Please don't do this. It is dishonest, unfair to your fellow students, and unpleasant for both you and the instructor. Plagiarism will lead to a mark of 0 on the term paper and a report to the department. Write in your own words. Start early; talk to the instructor if you have problems.

Grading Criteria

See also the syllabus (syllabus wins in case of contradiction with webpage).

Correct Description of Course Material (30%)
Writing (Grammar, style, clarity, etc.) (20%)
Quality of Argument, Originality (50%)

You should define terms where necessary. Be sure to read and edit your final copy before handing it in. Watch out for these common grammatical mistakes . The following evaluation sheet lists further criteria to keep in mind for writing your essay.

References on writing and research