Midterm Paper
Due: Friday, Feb 20, 2009
Description: Midterm papers allow you to explore some area within Computer Science that interests you but within the set of topics defined below. These papers do not have to include original thoughts; they can provide summaries of what others have written about the topic area. You may, of course, explore a particular thesis and argue for or against that theses.
Topic: Midterm papers must be on one of the topics below using the exact title. If you would like to do a topic that is not on this list, you must get it approved by me (ricanekk@uncw.edu).
Citations: You must use a minimum of 5 external sources for your paper. All of your external sources must be works that have been published in magazines, journals, conference proceedings, newspapers, or books. Web pages do not count as sources. No Wikipedia, for instance. It is quite likely that many of your sources can be accessed through the internet, particularly if you use UNCW's excellent online databases.
Plagiarism: Always cite any thought or quotation that is not your own. As it is unnecessary for you to put forth original ideas, it is quite possible that just about everything you put in your paper should receive an attribution. Do not use direct quotations longer than 100 words. You should summarize and use quotations to reinforce certain points. Use MLA style citations and bibliography format. This bibliography must be included with the paper.
Format: Papers must be a minimum of 5 pages, double-spaced using 1-inch margins, and a standard 12 point font. Figures, should you choose to include them, do not count towards the page length.
Possible topics
| General Area | Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Outsourcing of Computer Science Jobs Is Beneficial To All Countries Involved | |
| Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Outsourcing of Computer Science Jobs Threatens the Economy of the United States | |
| Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Does Computer Automation Threaten Jobs? Some Case Studies | |
| Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Electronic Voting Systems: Will It Work? | |
| Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Copyright Laws and the Internet: How to Resolve the Sharing of Music and Videos Over the Internet | |
| History of Computer Science, Computer Hardware | Moore's Law: How much longer can it continue to hold? | Moore's Law states that the number of transistors than can fit on a fixed size chip doubles every eighteen months. This trend has held true since the beginning of modern computing. |
| Scientific Computing | Weather Prediction: Why is Ensemble Forecasting Necessary and What Are Its Limits? | Because of chaos theory, it is impossible to have completely accurate medium and long-range weather forecasting. Ensemble forecasting is one approach to dealing with this issue. |
| Bioinformatics | BLAST: How Has This Tool Changed Biology? | |
| Operating Systems | Why is Linux better than Windows? (or vice versa) | |
| Computer Science Education, Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Increasing the Number of Women in Computer Science: The Problem and Possible Solutions | |
| Robotics, Computer Vision | The DARPA Grand Challenge: How Do Those Vehicles Do It?!? | |
| Image Processing, Professional and Ethical Issues In Computer Science | Face Recognition for National Security: The Technology, Its Limits and Legal Ramifications | |
| Graphics | Movie Animation: The Process from Start to Finish | How do Dreamworks and others do what they do? |
| Computer Hardware | Nanotechnology: How Will It Revolutionize Computer Hardware | |
| Computer Hardware | Quantum Computing: Promise and Pitfalls | |
| Networks, Databases | The Semantic Web: Hype or Revolution? | |
| Networks, Databases | Google Search: How Can You Game the System and Get a High Ranking | |
| Networks, Ubiquitous Computing | Computers in Your Walls, Doors, Clothes, Carpets: What is Ubiquitous Computing and How Will It Change Your Life | |
| Databases | Data Mining for Business Intelligence |