Coursework Outline for Module Assessment

Structured Abstract Guidelines

Use this form to outline which topic you have selected, confirm that you are engaging with the coursework for this module and provide a basis for your tutor to give you feedback.  Every student should email the completed form to the module co-ordinator (Malcolm Bronte-Stewart) by the end of week 7. This Coursework Outline is the first part of the module assessment, it is worth 10% of the total.  You should add your name and Banner ID, the title of the topic that you have chosen, a brief Structured Abstract (that summarises your approach to, and initial analysis of this topic), and provide references to the academic literature and evidence that you intend to access, in the course of your literature review.  

The structured abstract may include the following sections:

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

• Brief review of the important literature

• (Intended) Methodology, Data collection and Analysis

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

The attached form (highlighted in blue above) should be used to confirm which topic you have selected and as confirmation that you are engaging with the coursework for this module. It is worth 10% of the module's total mark. You should add your own name and Banner ID, the title of the topic that you are basing your coursework on, a structured abstract, of around 250 words, that captures the essence of the debate and then provide evidence of academic literature that you have accessed, or intend to access, in the course of your literature review (Google Scholar provides a useful starting point).

You should demonstrate your appreciation of relevant literature and reference all important sources used in your report. This means that in the body of the essay report you identify the sources of the evidence, frameworks, opinions and quotations that you are using. To avoid the clutter of writing full references in the body of the essay an accepted convention for citing references is to reduce each one to a name and a year in the essay and then provide the full reference at the end.  There are several ways this can be done, for example:

The concept of ‘logical malleability’ conveys the idea of computers being modelled based on user interaction and resultant output (Moor, 1985).

References

Moor (1985) talks about the concept of ‘logical malleability’ that conveys the idea of computers being modelled based on user interaction and resultant output.

It was James Moor (1985) who asserted that computers are "logically malleable" in the sense that "they can be shaped and moulded to do any activity that can be characterised in terms of inputs, outputs, and connecting logical operations."

Listing References – At the end of the Report

You should have (a) separate page(s) at the end of your report, clearly headed as a reference section. It should list the evidence / work you referred to in alphabetical order according to author’s last names, for example:

You will see that there is a logical progression to this method of citing authors:

1.author(s) name(s)

2.year of publication

3.title of book / name of journal article

4.publisher & place of publication / name of journal (for journal articles) volume number of journal, issue number and page numbers

Many of the ethical and social problems that beset modern society are directly related to the man in the street’s increased access to, and use of, information and communication technology.

Using information and communication technology as a means of monitoring employees is a blatant violation of privacy.

Using microchip implants in humans is the only way to ensure that the potential for identity theft is removed. It is not an invasion of privacy; it is a protection of identity.

The World Wide Web has become the resource that many companies and individuals rely on to research a wide range of topics. However, there are few, if any, controls in place to ensure that information and "facts" sourced from the Internet is/are true and accurate.  Steps need to be taken to clearly define, in relation to the WWW, what is verifiable knowledge and what is not before serious harm befalls those who take action based upon misinformation sourced therefrom.

Modern society has become over-reliant on information and communication technology and is in great danger of losing control to robots and machines.

Information and communication technologies that are used in safety-critical systems should be subject to the same stringent regulations that exist for the release of new pharmaceutical products.

There are no situations under which one might argue that hacking is acceptable – all hacking is just plain wrong.

Forcing everyone to carry a National Identity card would be a step too far. All it is likely to lead to is a dramatic increase in both Government surveillance and identity theft.

It is wrong to use computer profiling as the sole basis for taking decisions or making judgements that can have an adverse effect on an individual’s autonomy.

Protecting children online should be a priority for all decent human beings. If the Internet cannot be made completely child-safe then steps should be taken to close parts of it down.

Cyber-communities are cited by some as highly beneficial aspect of the Internet, but the reality is that they actually discourage people from being involved in their own “real” communities.

The man in the street needs to stop blaming everyone else for viruses, phishing scams and the like. Anyone who is a victim of these “nasties” only has him or herself to blame.

All illegal music and movie downloaders should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law – there are no excuses.

Censorship of the Internet is a vital tool for preserving a decent society.

Information and communication technology resellers should be held fully accountable for any claims that they make about products and for any sales-related advice that they give to customers.