Research Paper :
You are required to write a graduate-level research paper (20 pages, double spaced, not including front matter and bibliography). The paper will allow you to delve more deeply into the challenges inherent in modern cybersecurity. Outside research will be required, and you will be required to employ the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) as the paper’s style and citation guide.
You will deliver the paper in four phases: (1) a plan, (2) an annotated bibliography of sources, (3) a draft of the completed paper, and (4) the final version of the paper. This phased approach will allow the instructor to provide students with feedback along the way instead of only at the end of the project.
Plan: Generate a plan for the paper that refines the issue you will evaluate. State your thesis, explain and justify the flow of the paper, review the types of sources you anticipate using, and list the sites and databases to which you are signed up for doing research (e.g., DTIC, HSIN, etc.). The plan should be between one and two pages long.
Annotated bibliography: You are required during the process of researching and writing your paper to develop and submit an annotated bibliography of 12 sources. The bibliographic items should be on a par with the articles and studies you have used for homework in the first weeks of the course. Clearly you will have reviewed and possibly used many more items than are included in the annotated bibliographies; in fact, each research paper bibliography should be longer than 12 items. Review the following two links to understand what an annotated bibliography involves:
Note that you will be writing a “combination” entry in Chicago style (which will require you to review each of the sources above.) Each of your entries should be about a half page long (single spaced).
Draft: When submitting your draft paper, consider that a 20-page paper represents a substantial effort. The first page will likely be an intro and overview, and the last page will likely be a summary and conclusion. In between will be the well-reasoned exploration of your thesis. You will probably have two or three main points or supporting arguments per page with one to three sources referenced per point or argument.
Final paper: Your final submission will build on your draft and should include updates based on the feedback you received on your draft. Expect to spend a good deal of time reviewing and editing your draft.
Topics: The following list includes topic areas appropriate for this research paper. In each case, I expect you to contrast/compare/evaluate the key issues involved, the tradeoffs that can emerge during implementation, and what the future might offer to help tilt the tradeoffs in favor of the defender. You may also suggest a topic, although it must be approved prior to submitting your plan.
