COMP11001 Ethics for the IT Professional

Topic: There is a direct link between violence in computer games and violence in society.

The Structured Abstract (In the Coursework Outline Form and the final essay).

Your structured abstract should outline the aims and objectives of the research, the methods used to carry out the investigation, the findings of the research and, in conclusion, any implications and recommendations. Structured abstracts allow readers to gain a quick impression of the whole paper and help authors summarise their ideas clearly in an organized way.  (You may find it useful to start your research using Google Scholar).

A structured abstract may include the following sections:

·Introduction to and background of the debate or question or problem

·Brief review of the important literature

·Methodology, Data collection and Analysis

·Conclusions and recommendations

Keywords (a few words or short phrases that capture key aspects of the article) can be listed below the abstract.

Write a succinct executive abstract or summary of the main points and ideas in your essay. Outline the topic, the objectives and the research findings in a structured and organised way so that a reader can obtain a quick overview of the whole paper. (This may be different to the abstract submitted and assessed earlier in the trimester).

Provide a general introduction to the topic and, in particular, explain the key aspects of the topic that you are going to be discussing. Assume that the reader knows almost nothing about the topic. Explain any terminology and use the introduction to make it clear to the reader what your report will focus on.

Literature Review supporting the “Case For” the statement about the chosen topic

Research the case for the stated topic viewpoint and present a summary of your findings from the literature, taking care to properly reference your sources.

Literature Review supporting the “Case Against” the statement about the chosen topic

Research the case against the stated topic viewpoint and present a summary of your findings from the literature, taking care to properly reference your sources.

A one-page diagram or model that captures and reviews the topic’s main issues and points – see for example Rich Pictures and Mind Maps.

Arguments on Balance, Conclusions and Recommendations

Critically analyse your research findings and present your own “informed” opinion(s) of the arguments on balance. Discuss implications and put forward any conclusions and/or recommendations that you feel are relevant to the topic at hand.

The word count, title and contents of the report are clearly stated.

The standard of English used is appropriate for communication with the audience.

The report contains a minimum of 10 credible references and the use of references within the report conforms to the UWS guidelines for References and Bibliographies.

The report includes a useful and well-constructed Abstract that captures the main points of the purpose, discussion and the research findings.

The report contains an “Introduction” that provides a general overview of the topic under discussion & explains the key aspects of the topic that the report will address.

The “Case For” section is well written and contains evidence of relevant academic research.

The “Case Against” section is well written and contains evidence of relevant academic research.

The “Arguments on Balance” section critically analyses the research findings from the “Case For” and “Case Against” sections and includes the student’s own comment and opinion.

The report contains a section that summarises the debate/argument, discusses implications that have become apparent and clearly presents any conclusions and/or recommendations that the student wishes to offer.

The Report contains a diagram that captures and reviews the main points and context of the topic.

The entire report flows smoothly as a debate from start to finish and the student has demonstrated a thorough & consistent understanding of the complexity of the subject area and has not been drawn to simple arguments and conclusions.

You may like to make use of software to help you organise and list your references.

Zotero allows you to create a personal research and reference library.

Zotero collects all your research in a single, searchable interface. You can add journal papers, books, PDFs, images, audio and video files, and snapshots of web pages.

Zotero automatically indexes the full-text content of your library, enabling you to find what you're looking for with just a few keystrokes and helps to automate the creation of the list of references.

Quotations (whether inserted as short phrases in inverted commas or longer indented paragraphs) may be written in italics to highlight the fact that they are quoted directly from another author or source.