SUBMITTING THE ASSIGNMENT
Please submit the assignment to D2L as a Word document and a pdf document. As a WIP exercise, writing style,
grammar, appropriate terminology, and spelling accuracy will be considered as part of the points given for this
assignment.
THE EXERCISE
A TechTarget article titled “5 examples of ethical issues in software development,” dated December 22, 2020,(https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/tip/5-examples-of-ethical-issues-in-software-development)
addresses the impact of software-driven information systems on our society. The article can be accessed by searching
on the title or at the following link:
5 examples of ethical issues in software development.
The article begins with the following statement:
“Although software developers work primarily behind the scenes in businesses, their decisions in the course of a
project can have an outsized impact in the world — for better or worse. Everyone in the industry should be aware
of social and ethical issues in software development. Here are five examples of ethical issues and how developers
can address them:
• addictive design;
• corporate ownership of personal data;
• algorithmic bias;
• weak cyber security and personally identifiable information (PII) protection; and
• overemphasis on features.”
For this assignment, you are to do the following:
1. First, you must read the article (31 short paragraphs).
2. After reading the article, please write a 500-word, one-page, single-spaced position paper in which you describe
whether you agree that each of the five bullet-point examples is an ethical issue. To do this:
a. select the first issue (e.g., “addictive design”);
b. read the author’s description of the ethical issue;
c. describe whether you agree or disagree with the author’s perspective;
i. include examples that support your position to agree or disagree with the author’s perspective;
d. Close your observations about each ethical issue with a statement about what you recommend for each
ethical issue, for example, “I am in agreement with this issue, and to move forward, I recommend … to
do the following…” or in a similar way, “I disagree that this is an issue, and to move forward, I
recommend … to do the following…”
e. Return to letter “a” and proceed by addressing the next ethical issue (e.g., “corporate ownership of
personal data”). Continue until you have addressed all five issues.
3. After you have addressed all five ethical issues, write a concluding summary sentence or short paragraph that
reinforces what you wrote for item #2 above.
SPECIAL NOTE
Before submitting your paper, you must make an appointment with a Learning Success Center writing tutor to review
your “position paper.” At the end of this first version of your position paper, please include the tutor’s name and the date and
time you met with WIP tutor. Regardless of the quality of your opinion statements, failure to meet with the WIP tutor
will result in no credit for this assignment submission.
This assignment will be in two drafts. The first to be submitted on April 14. I will provide initial comments and a
grade for the first draft. I will then return the first draft back to you. You are to make any additional adjustments
and submit the second draft on or before April 28.
Click here for the Center for Academic Writing. Click here to make an appointment with a WIP tutor.
Fundamentals of Software Engineering, CS 319, WIP WRITING EXERCISE 1– Individual Submission, spring 2024/Sotak
SUPPORTING INFORMATION (posted on D2L, included here for reference)
1. Supporting information to write a position paper can be found online at: 5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper
2. Supporting information posted to D2L appears below.
The following format is to serve as the outline by which your position paper is to be arranged.
1. Introduce your topic with some basic background information. Build up to your thesis sentence, which asserts
your position.
Sample points:
“For decades, the FDA has required that warning labels should be placed on certain products that pose a threat to
public health.”
“Fast food restaurants are bad for our health.”
“Fast food packages should contain warning labels.”
2. Introduce possible objections to your position.
Sample points:
“Such labels would affect the profits of major corporations.”
“Many people would see this as overreaching government control.”
“Whose job is it to determine which restaurants are bad? Who draws the line?”
“The program would be costly.”
3. Support and acknowledge the opposing points. Just be sure you aren’t discrediting your own views.
Sample points:
“It would be difficult and expensive for any entity to determine which restaurants should adhere to the policy.”
“Nobody wants to see the government overstepping its boundaries.”
“Funding would fall on the shoulders of taxpayers.”
4. Explain that your position is still the best one, despite the strength of counter-arguments. This is where you can
work to discredit some of the counterarguments and support your own.
Sample points:
“The cost would be countered by the improvement of public health.”
“Restaurants might improve the standards of food if warning labels were put into place.”
“One role of the government is to keep citizens safe.”
“The government already does this with drugs and cigarettes.”
5. Summarize your argument and restate your position. End your paper focusing on your argument and avoid
the counterarguments. You want your audience to walk away with your view on the topic being one that
resonates with them.
FINAL CONSIDERATION
When you write a position paper, write with confidence and state your opinion with authority. After all, your goal is
to demonstrate that your position is the correct one
