Reference no: EM132233615 , Length: 2800 Words
Social Impact Analysis - Capstone Term Paper
The best professional ethic is a proactive, preventative one. The ideal is to anticipate and solve problems before they occur. This kind of forward looking problem solving can be complex. It requires a thorough understanding of the situation or technology under consideration as well as a sophisticated view of the potential positive and negative consequences of the situation/technology. All technology, even the most beneficially intended, has negative consequences.
In the Social Impact Analysis (SIA) capstone paper assignment, you are given the opportunity to develop some of these forward looking skills as you analyze a leading edge design, product or concept (DPC) related to your field of study. You will be given latitude in your choice of topic (it will need to be approved). You are required to conduct the relevant, literature research necessary to understand the positive and negative implications of the design/product/concept. You are expected to consider the most credible arguments for and against your chosen topic. Finally, you will need to develop a well-reasoned position on the topic. You will need to explain why we should or should not deploy the design/product/concept you are analyzing. In developing your position, you will need to anticipate and respond to the most forceful objections to it. Keep in mind that any given technology can and often does have psychological, financial, and social impacts over and above its immediate physical impacts.
While the Social Impact Analysis term paper expresses opinions on an ethical issue, invoking the phrase "in my opinion" as a preface to a statement is not sufficient to express a valid opinion. Valid opinions are supported by literature research, well-reasoned logic and provable facts. Otherwise these statements of opinion are just expressions of your beliefs. An opinion is "valid" if and only if it is supported by relevant facts and well-reasoned logic. The problem with unsupported opinions is that many are based on misconceptions. The fact that many others may hold the same opinion does not make it a valid opinion.
You are asked to synthesize the insights you have been developing throughout this course. Specifically, you will be asked to apply one or more of the ethical theories we have discussed in this course. Additionally, you may choose to apply, in detail, the relevant canons from your discipline's code of ethics. and insights developed from examining contemporary ethical challenges. The SIA Term Paper is the capstone assignment in this course.
You are free to use any of these for your paper topic if you choose to do so.
- 3D Printing Technology Applied to Building Construction
- Academic Fraud in Engineering and Scientific Publications
- Artificial Intelligence for Supply Chain Management
- Autonomous (Self-Driving) Vehicles
- Backdoor Government Access to Encrypted Communications and Devices
- Bioengineered Tissue and Organs
- Carbon Sequestration for Coal Fired Electrical Power Plants
- Choosing the Best Technologies to Cheat
- Customer Owner Solar Technology Attached to Electrical Grids
- Deep Ocean Drilling
- Designer Drug Technology
- Digital Currencies: Bit Coins
- Earth Quake Resistant Buildings
- Electric Vehicle Technology
- Ethical Hacking
- Ethics of a Manned Mars Expedition
- Ethics of Alternative Energy
- Ethics of Armed Autonomous Military Robots and Drones
- Ethics of Automating Highly Skilled, High Paying Jobs
- Ethics of Face Recognition Technology
- Ethics of the Dark Internet
- Genetically Engineered Crops
- Google's World Wide Internet Access
- Green Concrete High Tech Farming
- Hydraulic Fracking Using Fluids Other Than Water
- Legal Liability of Self-Driving Vehicles
- Low Energy Salt Water Desalination
- Nanotechnology Health Care
- Self-Healing Concrete
- Self-Healing Materials for Aircraft Construction
- Small Footprint Nuclear Power Plants
- Smart Electrical Grids
- Solar Highway Technology
- Wearable Technology: Google Glass
Capstone Paper Proposal
In your Social Impact Analysis (SIA) Capstone Paper, you are asked to analyze a contemporary or leading-edge design, product, or concept (DPC). The best approach is to choose a DPC that has not yet been fully deployed and analyze its potential positive and negative social impacts. These include not only physical impacts (e.g. human health) but psychological, social, cultural, environmental, and financial impacts as well. The analysis entails looking forward and trying to make a well-reasoned case for or against the DPC in question.
You are allowed a fair amount of flexibility with respect to the topic you choose. It should be relevant to your discipline and feature a contemporary DPC which can include novel applications of well-established technologies.
Your topic proposal should be 300-500 words long and include a brief description of the DPC you have chosen along with a statement about why this topic is important and relevant to engineering ethics. It is not necessary to include references.
Instructions:
Submit your 300-500 word proposal using the SIA Capstone Paper Proposal link below as either a Word document or PDF file.
Social Impact Analysis Capstone Paper
Identify a contemporary or leading edge design, product or concept (DPC) that has the potential for significant societal impacts if widely deployed. Your Social Impact Analysis Capstone Paper must provide formal research references to support the paper's content and conclusions on your chosen topic. Your literature resources might be scientific and engineering journal articles, popular publications, patents, copyrights, etc. You must use one of these standard citation styles (APA, MLA, Turabian, or Chicago) to cite your sources. Using Microsoft Word makes it very easy to create appropriate citations using one of these standards. You may use the Internet to do your research, but if you do, you must cite the source including a hyper link.
Your SIA Capstone Paper will require you to demonstrate originality and critical thinking about the ethical implications of your chosen topic.
The required outline for the SIA Term Capstone paper is provided in the link to the PDF file below.
Details:
1. Your topic proposal must be approved before submitting the final version of your paper.
2. The paper must be a minimum of 2500 words in length including references.
3. It must be submitted as a Word or PDF document using the Turnitin link below. Turnitin will return an originality report originality percentage the more original your paper. Quoting another author's words significantly increases your originality percentage and reduces your term paper score. A 0% originality score is as good as it gets. An excellent originality score is less than 10%. Scores in the range of 10% to 20% are acceptable. Scores greater than 20% will receive a zero for originality in the grading rubric.
4. Anything you quote and/or paraphrase must be cited. Please use the citation style above you are most comfortable with. Papers that lack appropriate citation will be heavily penalized.
5. Your references must include both 1) In-text citation and 2) works cited references at the end of your paper.
6. You may use the Internet to do your research, but if you do, be sure to cite the source including a hyper link.
7. You may submit revised papers multiple times until the due date; however, you will only receive feedback on your final submission.