Due date. The term paper proposal is due during the sixth week of the semester.
To prepare a well-structured outline for your term paper, begin by closely examining the organizational structure of two papers closely related to your chosen topic. Set a high standard for your selection, opting for papers from esteemed publications such as IEEE Computer, IEEE Software, CACM, IEEE Security & Privacy, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (for more advanced content). Analyze and summarize the organizational framework employed by the authors of these two papers. This exercise will provide valuable insights into how to structure your own term paper and the types of content it should encompass. Include the output of this step with your outline.
Next, aim to create a reasonably comprehensive outline for
your term paper. This task assumes that you have immersed
yourself in relevant materials related to your topic and have
dedicated time to contemplate the paper's organization. Your
outline should encompass major sections, subsections, and
possibly sub-subsections, each with a succinct description
of its objective and its relationship to the preceding and
subsequent sections. Additionally, tentatively decide on the
placement of figures and tables within your paper's structure.
It's imperative to re-emphasize the importance
of references. Ensure that you have gathered a substantial
number of research papers—ideally 10 to 15—as definitive
references for your term paper. These should include papers
you have already thoroughly examined, briefly reviewed, or
intend to study in greater detail, all of which you plan to
cite in your paper. Incorporate these references into your
outline. Additionally, provide a brief description of how each
paper has influenced the development of your paper's outline
and organization, or detail the ways in which each paper will
contribute to your term paper writing process.
Finally, adhere to the APA or Harvard citation and
bibliography style
for the necessary formatting requirements to ensure your term
paper not only maintains strong content but also adheres to
proper formatting standards.
Software engineering analogies. Drawing parallels between software engineering and the process of crafting your term paper outline can offer valuable insights. Just as the earlier milestone of your term paper journey represented the requirements engineering phase, your outline now signifies the architectural engineering phase. In software development, a solid, stable, cohesive, and conceptually consistent architecture leads to a successful product – one that's easy to implement, adaptable, and reusable. Conversely, an inadequate architecture results in chaotic and highly unstable software. The same principle applies to crafting your term paper outline: investing time and effort into creating a well-thought-out outline is the key to a smoother writing process. The quality of your outline is paramount. A detailed outline, reflecting substantial thought, enables me to provide you with constructive feedback. Conversely, a superficial, overly concise, or overly general outline limits the usefulness of the feedback I can offer. Therefore, for a more efficient and effective term paper development process, prioritize the depth and detail of your outline.
If your outline is detailed and shows considerable thinking, it will allow me to provide you with feedback. If it is shallow, very brief, too general, I wont be able to provide useful feedback
Professor Hossein Saiedian
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Eaton Hall 3012
University of Kansas
1520 W 15th St
Lawrence, KS 66045-7621
+1 785 864-8812
saiedian at eecs.ku.edu