Focus of the Essay:

The field of information technology and its effects on individuals, institutions, organizations and/or communities.  Must become actively involved in the investigation of the chosen issue.

 

Graded on ability to show the following:

Explain information technology issues requiring ethical considerations, presenting this issue right away.

Analysis of the social significance of the question regarding individuals and society as a whole.

Solutions to the problems presented.

 

Choosing the topic:

Be careful that the essay focuses on the ethical impacts of information technology on society rather than from a business or economical perspective.

 

Sources:

Balance primary and secondary sources.

Primary Source: personal data collection on the topic

Secondary Source: studies done in other journals, magazines, etc.

Question the validity of all sources, using online sources sparingly.

 

Treatment of the Topic:

Not for the demonstration of IT skills but rather emphasizes the research and analysis.

Details of how different IT systems work should not be the focus of the essay, but rather the research and ethical considerations.

 

Problems in the Past:

There must be personal involvement shown, which is normally a weak spot.  This focuses on the ethical points of technology but must also be backed up by real sources and facts.  Essays are often unorganized, subheadings would make it more organized.  Many essays did not precisely state the research question.  Comparisons must be made for two solutions for the same problem, not different problems.