UMUC-EUROPE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

INSS890 Syllabus

Course Title Professional Seminar
Term TERM 1, 2006/2007
Education Center DIST-ED_EUROPE_GRAD
Faculty Member Susan Dean - sdean@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Faculty Contact Information:

Prior to the start of the course, contact is via email, at the address shown above.

I encourage you to contact me in advance of the start of the course to discuss possibilities for your research topic - there is plenty of benefit in whatever head start you can get, as those weeks just fly by once the course actually begins!


Phone number and snail-mail address will be provided in the WebTycho classroom.

Consultation:

The primary means of consultation will be via WebTycho.
Dr. Dean is also available via email and telephone.

Required Texts and Readings:

Leedy, P. and Ormrod, J.  (2005).  Practical Research:  Planning and Design (8th edition).  Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Primarily articles from current journals and periodicals - other materials as appropriate.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC:  Author

Citing Electronic Resources: APA Style. Retrieved July 14, 2003 from http://www.umuc.edu/library/guides/apa.html 

Online Guide to Writing and Research. Retrieved July 14, 2003 from
http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/writinggde/welcome.shtml

Procedures for Completing the Research Project Notification and Human Subjects Protection Form. Retrieved June 16, 2003 from http://www.ed.umuc.edu/staff/faculty/detech/pedagogy/proceduresform.html

University Of Maryland University College Policy Manual Policy 130.25: Conducting Research Involving Human Subjects. Retrieved June 16, 2003 from http://www.ed.umuc.edu/staff/faculty/detech/pedagogy/policy%20manual.html

Supplementary Readings:

All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library to obtain the various resources necessary to develop a Professional Paper.

Recommended Journals:

Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended.  In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that MIS professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line.

Course Description:

(3 semester hours) Prerequisites: Advancement to candidacy in the MIS program and successful completion of the graduate MIS comprehensive examination. A capstone course designed to expose the student to the various areas of information systems in the organization where concepts from other core courses can be utilized. The focus is on information science research, policy formation and issues. Students produce a professional paper within their chosen area of interest. This course is graded Pass (P) or Fail (F).

Course Goals:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should understand and be able to apply knowledge concerning:

  1. Integration and communication of major concepts in information technology.
  2. Critical evaluation of publications regarding information technology.
  3. Research methods as applied to specific issues in information technology.
  4. Current and emerging issues and trends in information technology.

    Course Objectives:

    Students successfully completing this course should be able to:
    1. Distinguish a "research study" from a report or white paper
    2. Evaluate the credibility of a research study
    3. Identify and apply the techniques of Scientific Methodology, including
      1. Develop an original question which needs to be answered,
      2. Perform a thorough literature review of previous studies and writings in this area,
      3. Create the hypothesis,
      4. Develop the criteria for evaluating the results of the study,
      5. Conduct the research, and
      6. Summarize and report the results
    4. Develop techniques for conducting a thorough literature search in the field
    5. Identify, describe and model procedures for data gathering
    6. Develop data reporting and analysis techniques
    7. Develop technical writing skills
    8. Understand the importance of research to the MIS professional

    Grading Information:

    Final grades will be calculated as follows:

    Research proposal: 10%
    Literature review and documentation of research assumptions: 15%
    Draft of the final paper: 20%
    Final draft of the paper: 30%
    Discussion topics: 15%
    Participation in the review of other proposals and final papers: 10%


    This course is graded on a Pass or Fail basis only. Students who successfully complete the work in this course receive a Pass, which indicates a minimum grade of B. Students who do not successfully complete the requirements receive a grade of Fail.

    The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the online UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center.

    Course Requirements:

    Bowie State University requires all graduate students to complete an advanced research paper. In Europe, this requirement serves as a capstone to the students' programs of study. As such, it is designed to assist students in all degree programs to move beyond the classroom by consulting with experts from their chosen professions and engaging in professional activities. Students are encouraged to participate in the professional associations most likely to either disseminate or publish the results of their advanced research projects. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs faculty and staff refer to these projects as Professional Papers.

    Professional Paper: A Professional Paper is based on research conducted solely by the author. Examples include, but are not limited to:

    1. Academic, professional, or trade journal articles,
    2. Case studies,
    3. Policy analyses, policy proposals, project management reviews, and program evaluations,
    4. Pre-procurement or pre-implementation analyses of new technologies or best practices,
    5. Grant proposals. 

  5. The length, style, and format of the final draft of any Professional Paper are defined largely by the nature of the audience and the standards employed in that particular segment of the profession. Audiences and venues for publication and dissemination of final drafts may include but are not limited to:

    1. The readership of academic, professional, or trade journals, including online journals,
    2. Conferences conducted and organized by professional associations,
    3. Political institutions (Congress, state legislatures, regulatory boards, etc.),
    4. Management teams (government and non-profit agency directors, boards of directors, CEOs and CIOs, etc.), and
    5. Funding organizations (National Science Foundation, National Institutes for Health, etc.).

  6. Any Professional Paper written for UMUC Europe Graduate Programs, regardless of audience, length, style, or format, uses the APA citation style and reference style.
      Class Participation:
      The essence of a seminar is the exchange of information among peers. Thus, members of the group will be expected to interact on each other's research areas via the Internet. That interaction should involve positive comments and recommendations on how research topics can be strengthened.

      The instructor will also post weekly questions for research and discussion. These may relate to student research issues, or other topics of interest.

        • Description of Course Requirements:

        A research paper that defines the problem or research area tutorially, clearly explains current issues, elaborates on the relevance of the topic in relation to current affairs, and provides some indications of what will happen in the future. Evaluations will be based on content, presentation, and quality of expression. Papers are expected to meet or exceed accepted graduate-level English and scholarship standards. Papers must conform to the APA documentation style with minor modifications. To aid the student in succeeding, the course provides the student with multiple checkpoints and opportunities to receive feedback from the instructor and other students.

        Research Proposal:
        The one to two page Research Proposal will contain a clear statement of:
        the purpose of the research, research questions, and preliminary thesis;
        the boundaries of the research area;
        an outline of the research sub-topics;
        the methodology used, i.e. literature or field research;
        a preliminary reading list.

        Making major enhancements to a project begun in a previous course can be the basis for an acceptable paper for this course. Students wishing to do so must clearly demonstrate in the initial paper proposal what work has been accomplished in the previous course, and what is proposed to be done for INSS 690 credit. Submission of a previous course's project or paper without substantial additional work is not acceptable.


        Literature review and research assumptions:
        A 5 – 6 page paper summarizing the academic and professional literature most relevant to the student’s topic and making explicit the student’s theoretical and conceptual assumptions.

        First Draft:
        Students are expected to discuss their interim results with the group and accept/provide constructive criticism from/for other group members in the course of paper preparation.
        The literature review and first draft should culminate in the student being able to discuss a variety of possible venues for publication or dissemination of his or her research findings.

        Final Draft and Presentation of Research:
        Participants will present their research findings and conclusions to the class using appropriate presentation media, in addition to providing the written document.

        Class Participation:
        The essence of a seminar is the exchange of information among peers. Thus, members of the group will be expected to interact on each other's research areas and weekly discussion questions via regular postings in the WebTycho classroom. That interaction should also involve positive comments and recommendations on how research topics can be strengthened.

        Critical tasks in developing a professional paper include:
        Identify a relevant research question and developing a strategy to answer
        that question. Visit http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~meinkej/inss690/i690home.htm to see
        examples of previously completed Professional Papers.
        1. Identify the audience most interested in the question.
        2. Identify literature and other sources of expert information on the
        question.
        3. Present the research question, the research design, the target audience,
        and a broad outline of the final paper (called The Proposal) to peers
        the instructor.
        4. Obtain permission from UMUC officials to use human subjects if the
        research design warrants
        5. Obtain written permission from the management of the organization(s)
        involved with the research. Examples include, but are not limited to,
        military units, government contractors, DODDs schools, and restricted
        websites.
        6. Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the proposal as
        appropriate.
        7. Execute the research design.
        8. Write the Professional Paper that clearly and accurately reports the
        research findings in a format that meets the needs of the audience.
        9. Present a draft of the Professional Paper to peers and the instructor.
        10.Evaluate feedback received and make changes to the final draft as
        appropriate.
        11. Submit the final draft to the target audience.

        The student will receive 3 semester hours of credit toward the Master of
        Science in Management Information Systems upon successful completion of the
        course. The role of the student is to:
        1. Initiate and complete each of the critical tasks in a timely manner,
        2. Be the sole executor of the research design and author of the Professional
        Paper,
        3. Cite all sources of expert information according to the APA style guide,
        4. Present and defend the proposal, progress reports, working drafts, and the
        final draft in a timely manner,
        5. Engage in discussions with the the classroom instructor and graduate
        student peers in a professional manner,
        6. Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the proposal,
        the research design, the literature review, the report of findings, the
        discussion, and the recommendations,
        7. Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the length,
        style, and format of the Professional Paper, and
        8. Provide Graduate Programs with an electronic copy of the final draft of
        the Professional Paper.

        Course Schedule:

        Throughout the course, there will be weekly discussion questions.

        You are also expected to post a progress report in each week that has no major project deliverable due, and to participate regularly in providing constructive feedback regarding the research projects of your classmates.

        Projected due dates for major deliverables:
        During 2nd week (not later than 17 Sept) -- Research Proposals.
        End of 4th week (not later than 1 Oct) -- Revised Proposal, and Literature Review Chapter.
        During 10th week (not later than 19 Nov Nov) -- First draft of Research Paper.
        End of 12th week (not later than 3 Dec) -- Final version of Research paper.

        The course break is 15-23 October.
        The course ends 3 December.

        Academic Policies:

        Note: Any written assignment in this course may be submitted to TurnItIn.Com. This statement constitutes prior notice.

        The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."

        Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:

        Academic Integrity
        Course Load
        Exception to Policy
        Grade Appeal Process
        Make-up Examinations
        Nondiscrimination
        Students with Disabilities
        Code of Civility

        Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.

        Faculty Bio:

        Dr. Dean earned the BA in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University, and the MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has worked at various times as a programmer, programmer/analyst, systems analyst, and project manager in the areas of medical information systems, small business support, and life insurance. Since 1975, she has been involved in teaching and curriculum development in computing, most recently at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, prior to joining UMUC - Europe. She has served for several years on the Board of Directors, and will serve as President (as of 1 August, 2006), of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC). She serves on the Regional Board of the CCSC Southeastern Conference, and as Associate Editor of the Journal for Computing Sciences in Colleges. Her areas of interest include curriculum development, database management systems, programming languages, and information security.


        Last updated by Susan Dean: July 21, 2006, 9:05 am
        Find this syllabus linked from the schedule at: http://www.ed.umuc.edu/schedule