During
the semester you must write one essay. The essay will be graded, and
returned with suggestions for revision. You may revise and resubmit it
three times to get the grade you want.
Your
essay should be three to five single-sided pages, double spaced, 12
point Serif font (such as Times New Roman), with one inch margins. You
should have your name, page number, and number of pages (for example
"Ziman 2/5") right-aligned in the footer of each page. Please be sure
to check your paper for spelling and grammar before submitting
it. As with all of your work, the GMU Honor Code applies, so
be
sure to cite your references (if you are unsure about how to do
citations, try using
MLA
format ). The essay is due in hard copy in
class .
For this essay you will find at least two recent scholarly papers on
a software engineering topic of your choosing. Both papers should be on
a similar topic. Your paper should explain the topic,
summarize the views of the papers and then
ADD YOUR OWN VIEWS! Do
you agree with the papers? Disagree? Why? How would you verify/refute
the papers' arguments? Do you have experiences in the area you can use
to add support for your position (not required, but good if you do)?
How would you use the information from the papers, in what way?
etc...
Remember: This is not a book report! I want you to add your own
thoughts, not just tell me what the references said.
I prefer you find a topic that interests you, but some sample topics are:
- Two papers where each describe a different testing methodology in
software engineering
- Two papers on one software engineering model (possibly each paper
taking a different view on which is better)
- Two papers on benefits of UML (or disadvantages)
- Differences between creating web applications versus non-web
applications
- Why projects fail
- What makes project succeed
- What is the future of software engineering
- etc...
Step 1: Find at least two papers you plan to reference
Step 2: Send me an email with the papers' titles/author/where published
for approval. I will usually approve.
Step 3: Write your paper (you can use other sources beyond the two
papers)
Step 4: Turn in your paper for grading
Step 5: Get paper back with suggestions for changes and a grade. If
you're happy with the grade proceed to step 8
Step 6: Make changes
Step 7: Go back to step 4
Step 8: Enjoy the satisfaction of being done with your paper!
The final revision of your paper is due
November 25, 2008.
You will not have a chance to revise the paper after this date.
The final date to turn in the paper and get it back for revision is
November 14, 2008.
Start early.. the paper is 10% of your grade, don't wait till the last
minute!
| Criteria | Points |
| The essay well-organized and free of spelling and grammatical errors. The essay flows well. | 10 |
| The essay includes appropriate references. The essay should include relevant information from scholarly sources. | 5 |
| Thesis
is clearly presented in the first paragraph. Including both the general
topic, and viewpoint of the student. The body of the document develops
and supports the thesis. | 10 |
| The body of the
document clearly presents the views of the reference papers. Not simply
quoting the papers, but explaining what they mean. | 30 |
| The
body of the document includes the student's viewpoint and their own
thoughts on the topic. The body demonstrates clear reasoning about the
topic beyond just echoing what was in the references. (This is not a
book report.) | 35 |
| The final paragraph concludes the paper by demonstrating how the thesis was supported by the essay as a whole. | 10 |
| Total: | 100 |
How do I find scholarly
papers? Search
http://scholar.google.com . Try searching for "software engineering",
"software testing", "software design", "software process", etc...
Many
papers can be found there, some are free some aren't. If you find one
that is not free, look at the publication name. Go to
http://library.gmu.edu and click on "E-journal finder" and put in the
name of the journal. You can get almost every non-free paper that way. If you
need help, ask me or your GTA for help.
What topic should I pick? I prefer you come up with your
own topic. When given freedom in a class find something that interests
you rather than letting your professor pick the topic for you. Much
more fun that way! Remember, you'll probably be talking about some of
this in an interview someday... make it interesting! However, if you
have no ideas come to my office hours and we'll figure something out.
Do grammar and spelling
count? YES! Learning to write professionally is an
important skill that George Mason emphasizes. It is likely your paper
will be returned at least once and possibly twice. That's OKAY... the
goal is not perfection the first time -- this is a learning experience!
Do I need a bibliography?
YES! You must cite all references you used to write the paper. Note how
it's done in the papers you read, that's the same way you should do it.
You can also use the
MLA
format.
Does an essay with a
coversheet, one page of text and a bibliography count as 3 pages?
No! That counts as one page of text.
I
f a software engineer
falls in the woods, but doesn't make a sound, did they really fall?
That's an invalid premise that wouldn't happen. Why go to the woods
when you can be doing software development?!? Unless you have a laptop
and wireless cell phone card... hmmm.... maybe it could happen.