CS 4235 - Summer 2007
Introduction to Information Security

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Article Critiques

Overview

You are required to research a class topic and/or issue from the class schedule. You will identify and read three articles that concern the topic. You will supply:

  • A full citation for each article; the citation can be in any commonly used format. Please include a link to an electronic version of the article, if available.

  • A summary of the articles' content. What is happening currently within this topic area? Why is it important, and to whom? What are people doing about it? Try to select articles that let you answer those questions in a comprehensive fashion; in other words, try to find articles that give different perspectives on the topic.

  • An analysis of the articles' balance. Are the writers addressing all sides of the issue? Is there bias and, if so, in which direction? What evidence can you give from the articles to show bias? How do the articles disagree with each other?

  • An analysis of the articles' quality. Did the writers do sufficient research? Are the articles technically correct? Are there elements of the arguments that be enhanced with more detail or more argumentation?

  • Your own opinions of this topic area. Did this article support or change your opinion? If not, then why? What might a follow-up article on this topic contain that would be useful?

Deliverable

You should submit a clearly written paper of 3-5 pages (not counting quotations and references) discussing the points above. The paper should be submitted in hard copy at the beginning of class on the due date.

Suggested Sources

  • Academic / Professional reviewed journals and conference proceedings (accessible from the Georgia Tech library)

  • Respected newspapers - New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, etc. Note that their web-based analogs may not have the same depth of coverage as the print format.

  • Respected news and professional magazines (print and on-line) - Time, Newsweek, Wired, and Information Security, Signal, CIO, etc

  • National Public Radio archives - www.npr.org

  • Web Sources. The quality of these sources will vary quite a bit; if you're not sure of the quality of the source, check with the instructor or TA first! Be wary of articles or resources put up by companies, consulting firms, and private organizations. As an example, trusting an article about Microsoft's business practices when it comes from the Microsoft web site may be a bit naive.

Grading Criteria

  • 20% - quality of articles chosen
  • 20% - abstract and summary
  • 40% - article analysis
  • 20% - quality of writing