First Writing Assignment

Report Topic To Instructor: 8:00 am Thursday, October 5

Due: Tuesday, October 10

Two elements of the reading and class discussion for the first part of the course have focused upon some general themes and approaches of ethical decision making and of e-voting. This assignment asks you to investigate a specific case example of one of these themes in more detail. More specifically, you should follow these steps.

1. Explore sources in the library to find information on an example involving the need to make an ethical decision involving computing or on a case study related to the use of electronic voting technology. For example, you might focus on an application, such as
   • professional responsibilities of computer professionals,
   • ethical issues related to spam,
   • ethcial considerations regarding an instructor's posting of assignment answers on the World Wide Web (after the assignment has been collected),
   • ethical issues related to privacy and e-commerce,
   • irregularities from e-voting in Iowa during a recent election,
   • risks and safeguards for a specific direct recording electronic system
   • a specific use of Internet voting, or
   • the specific mechanism used to certify electronic voting systems in the United States.

2. Write a 2-3 page paper that describes your specific example or case study. Your discussion should include:

   • a description of the specific example or the circumstances of the case study,
   • an identification of the ethical issue faced or the specific issues raised by the case study, and
   • lessons (postive or negative) that may be drawn from your example..

In order to encourage an early start on this paper, you should report your topic to the instructor by 8:00 am on Thursday, October 5. This report should indicate both the example or case study that you will discuss and the source(s) you have found that describes it. (If, despite considerable effort, you have been unable to identify a topic by this deadline, you should report what work you have done, and you should make an appointment to see the instructor on Wednesday, October 4.)

You should write this paper at a level appropriate for others in the class. Thus, you can assume your reader has understood material discussed in class and in readings, but you should not assume any ideas specific to your selected program.

As in all papers, the paper's introduction should indicate how your material is organized, as well as identify the main topic of the paper. Also, following normal practice, you must cite other people's ideas, and you must include a bibliography.

You must use word processing software to prepare your paper, you must turn in 3 copies of your paper, and your paper must be printed on a laser-quality printer.

http://www.walker.cs.grinnell.edu/courses/tutorial.fa06/writing/paper1.shtml

created 23 August 1997 last revised 28 September 2006
For more information, please contact Henry M. Walker at walker@cs.grinnell.edu.