Research Project
The major assignment for this class is an analytical research report of approximately 15 pages (not counting illustrations and bibliography). The report can be on any topic which can be adequately covered in 15 pages, but the purpose of the report should be analytical: a survey of data, followed by evaluations and recommendations. You may write the report as a solution to a problem, as an evaluation of several proposed solutions, a survey of the literature followed by a statement of best practices, or anything which synthesizes the research and makes concrete suggestions for future action.
To begin the research, you should consider current issues in your field of study: what are the open or pressing questions in your discipline? Some broad possibilities include
- P2P systems
- Traffic control systems (air or ground)
- Flood control systems
- Outsourcing
- Environmental issues
- Open- vs Closed-Source software
- Computer security
These topics would need to further defined by identifying a problem and an audience: the issue of outsourcing, for example, may have an audience of college students contemplating a field of study, or of business managers considering how to increase profits and productivity.
The final report should contain the following sections:
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures
- Introduction
- Body (may have several subsections)
- Conclusion or Recommendations
- Citations
The introduction, body, and conclusion should total 15 pages.
There will be a peer review of a substantially complete draft on Dec 1.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
