Article summaries
During the semester you will find, read, and summarize articles about some
topic relevant to this course. The purpose of this assignment is to allow
you to find sources of information on the changing nature of computing.
The practice in writing is always useful and is important in everything
you do.
This assignment has some
very specific rules. Be sure to read these carefully. If there is anything
you do not understand, ask well before the due date for the assignment.
These rules apply to each of the article summaries:
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Each article that you select must be relevant to the course.
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Your summary will consist of the following parts:
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A cover sheet containing your name, the name of the article, the author's
name, the magazine where you found the article, the date of publication.
If you are in a multi section course, include your section number also.
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A one page summary (single space, one inch margin all around. It
is ok to be a little long, but not short) of the article in
your own words. Be specific about what the article says. For example, if
it is appropriate to review an article that compares Windows95 to WindowsNT,
do say something like this: "One important
difference between Windows95 and WindowsNT is security. WindowsNT implements
...". DO NOT say something like this:
"The article talks about security in Windows95 and WindowsNT. "
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At the end of your summary, include the following
specific items:
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What did you learn from reading this article
(one sentence)
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What question did you have after reading the
article? The question may be something you did not understand about the
article or something peripheral that occurred to you while you were reading
the article. Be very specific in your question. I will answer as many of
them as I can.
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What credentials does the author have to present
this material? Is this likely to be reliable and current information? Was
this article biased? Did it try to convince you of the merit of a product?
Was it written for the benefit of a company trying to sell something or
was it an impartial presentation? In short, evaluate the reliability of
the source of this article and note any agenda that may be motivating this
publication.
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The quality of the article selected will also be considered. If your
article is of greater length than required and comes from an especially
appropriate source, your score will be higher than if the article is of
minimal length and is very light on content. If you have any doubt
about the suitability of your choice, be sure to have it checked well before
the due date.