New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
College of Computing Sciences (CCS)
CIS485-451/CIS
786-851: World Wide Web Standards, Fall 2001
Professor: Michael
Bieber
Class Quick Links: [Home] [Schedule] [WebBoard] [Standards] [Definitions/Links] [Homeworks]
(Version 2.2 - 11/20/01)
The goal of this project is to step back and fit together several of the things you have learned this semester.
The project will have two parts. The first will be discussed below.
The second part is to make up 10 potential exam questions. 5 should be of the short answer type, where a student would answer in 2-3 sentences or a short paragraph. 5 would be longer essay questions which students would use between 2-4 paragraphs (or more) to answer. You only have to provide the questions, not the answers.
Your report should be at least 12 pages long, using Times New Roman font size 12 single spaced, 1 inch margins and without large gaps between sections. (It doesn't have to be in Microsoft Word, however.)
This page amount does not include your title page, illustrations, long or numerous tables, reference list and appendices.
The Project Report Format page on the course Web site contains detailed formatting and grading information.
You should choose one of the following projects.
Write a survey of a family or other set of related standards concerning the World Wide Web. Devote a large part of your analysis on how the standards are interrelated. Beyond a very short summary, do not repeat information that is on the course Web site for each of the standards individually. If you pick standards that we won't cover in class, include a short summary in your main text, and more details in an appendix.
Write an overview of the topic of Web standards in general. Your report's main text should not include a list of standards or a set of definitions (though this would make a useful appendix) but rather a comprehensive discussion of the purpose, roles, use and influence of standards on the Web, Web developers and Web users.
Discuss 1 (or 2 related) issues concerning Web standards in depth. If we discuss these issues as one of the weekly discussion topics, ensure that what you write does not repeat what is on WebBoard, except for a short summary.
Pick a technology artifact (e.g., a browser, wireless device, household appliance, an e-book). Discuss how Web standards (and other standards if appropriate) apply to it and impact the artifact's design and use.
You can propose a different topic. But I will not accept implementations of standards as a project topic.
Your report should not be overly technical. Technical aspects could be quite important to your topic, but most technical details and technical examples belong in a technical appendix, not in your report's main text.
Focus instead on how individuals, organizations and society uses what you are reporting on. Be sure to discuss the impact and ramifications on individuals, organizations and society.
Consider talking about how your topic relates to the topics discussed in the class presentations.
Be creative and include an entire section of speculations. Give your thoughts on the future of the topic: ideas, forecasts, issues, etc. In other words, go beyond the data and beyond the facts. What do you think is really going on with this topic underneath and behind the scenes?
Plan on taking at least 1 full page to discuss your speculations.
Describe at least 2 significant and practical recommendations concerning your topic. Include:
Plan on taking at least 2 pages to discuss your recommendations, and quite possibly more.
Please include several sources for your work. You should be doing some library/on-line search/research for articles. These can be in academic journals or in newspapers and magazines, or on Web sites. Be sure to provide full references/citations in your report's reference section.
Please feel free to ask questions about the project in the Questions and Answers Conference.
Please read the plagiarism note on the course home page. You may use material you find on the Web and other places, BUT:
- you must cite that work fully, i.e., provide a reference to ALL materials you use in the text of your report at the position where you use it
- do not copy information directly without putting it in quotation marks
- don't quote long passages and do not include many quotes. Instead use your own words to explain/interpret what you find, and provide a reference to the source(s) of ALL materials you use in the text of your report at the position where you use it.