CIS 492. Final Paper Assignment, Spring 2001.

For the FINAL PAPER, you are asked to defend some position on an ethical, legal
or social issue concerning computer technology (or biotechnology) and society.
Please submit a printout of your paper (no
electronic mail, handwritten sheets, or URLs, please!) at
the CIS front office by 2 P.M. on **Tuesday, May 8, 2001**.

1. Format: Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, about ten pages in length
and properly foot-noted (or end-noted). Please number your pages.

2. Structure:

Introductory paragraph: Tell your reader what you will try to accomplish
in your essay. Identify your "thesis", which is the position you want to
defend on the chosen issue.

Presentation of issue: Define clearly and precisely the issue you have
chosen. This is also a good location for presenting any technical or
empirical background information that is relevant to understanding the issue.

Presentation of your main argument: Present and justify your main reasons
for your position on the chosen issue.

Refutation of counter arguments: Anticipate and identify the "best"
objections that people could raise against your position.
You should then explain why these objections are flawed or not applicable.
(If they are valid, start all over again. ;-))

Conclusion: State what your paper has accomplished and possibly point to
some issues that emerged from your discussion.

3. Tips for writing good papers:

Be clear. State your points and positions explicitly. Make your paper as easy to read and understand as possible.

Ensure that you only say things that are relevant to the issue and your
position and make sure that the reader can see the relevance.

Support all your major claims with evidence or arguments. Avoid strong,
unsupported claims. Anticipate possible objections and preclude or answer
them.

Be concise and avoid repetition. Organize your paper
well. Say exactly what you mean (appropriate wording).

Write for a general audience (not for an online geek
magazine) and in a pleasant and clear style.

If you quote other claims or original sources, please refer to these
sources explicitly!

Watch out for proper use of indicators, such as "therefore", "for",
"because", "since", etc. That is to say, make sure that the logic of your
arguments is properly represented by the indicator words you choose.