Go to the following Website and complete the entire self-guided Library tutorial:

The site estimates that this assignment will take approximately 40 minutes to complete. Pay close attention to it because you will need to be familiar with the library in order to properly do the research for the unit assignment.

In class on Monday, November 16, 1998. You will need to bring me a printout of the completion certificate with your name on it that you will receive upon completion of the tutorial. You will need to get at least 80 percent of the questions on the self-examination correct to receive credit for this feeder.

Doing research before you start writing a paper is an absolutely essential part of effective academic writing. In fact, the bibliography is in many ways the first thing you should produce when you are writing an academic paper. The reasons for this are simple: (1) You need to know what has already been said about a particular topic so that you don’t simply repeat it; (2) You need to know what arguments you can support with authoritative detail before you waste a great deal of time speculating about a position for which there is no proof.

Thus, in preparation for the final assignment, you will be producing another annotated bibliography, similar to the one you produced for the technology assignment at the beginning of this unit (except that you will be doing the research this time and the sources will be from media other than strictly the Internet).

Look ahead to the final unit assignment and decide what aspect of the topic you want to write on and then go to the library and begin doing some preliminary research. The sources you find here do not need to be your only sources for your final paper, but you do need to critically evaluate the information that you have available to you before you choose how you are going to address the issue.

Produce an annotated bibliography (complete with MLA style "Works Cited" entries appropriate to the medium in which the source was found) in which each entry has at least 100 words (about five lines of text in 12-point type) in which you discuss the usefulness of the source to your possible paper. In other words, don’t just summarize the content but evaluate it in terms of reliability, accuracy and possible applicability to your paper.

You should evaluate at least seven (7) sources, the majority of which (i.e. at least 4) should not be Internet sources. Furthermore, you should concentrate on authoritative sources for information (preferably "refereed" journals or at least non mass-market publications that contain a greater degree of specificity). DO NOT bring me a bibliography composed of six Websites and an article from the DTH! This assignment is due in class on Monday, November 23.

For the final paper, you will be writing a paper that discusses the so-called Year 2000 Problem (a.k.a. Y2K problem, Y2K bug, etc.) from the perspective of some professional or academic discipline. This will require familiarizing yourself with the particular aspects of the subject that are important to the discipline you choose (for example, computer scientists have a different perspective on the topic than bankers do, philosophers see it differently than economists). If you wish, you can approach the problem from the perspective of whatever major you have chosen or think you will choose, although be warned, there may be considerably less information on the subject in some disciplines.

The paper you write should be a general overview of the professional discussion that has recently taken place regarding the Y2K problem, meaning that you will have to look further than the newspaper or Time, Newsweek, etc. to find reliable information. You will need to consult sources that are produced by and for the particular professional or academic group you will be discussing. You will need to cite at least five (5) sources in your paper, of which only two may be Internet sources.

An effective paper will do all of the following: 

• Give a clear introductory statement that states specifically which discipline you are writing about and introduces some of the main points about the Y2K problem that are of importance to this discipline. Do not spend a great deal of time in the introduction discussing the background of the issue (unless it is indispensable to your particular topic), as you can assume that your entire audience has some general knowledge of the larger issue (since they are all writing papers on it).
• Provide a summary of several (at least three) relevant articles written about the subject that pertain to the professional/academic group you have chosen to discuss.
• Provide some critical evaluation of any biases or flaws in the arguments put forth in the source material you have chosen—for example, if you believe that Microsoft has intentionally distorted the scope of the problem in order to increase the sales of their Y2K-proof computer systems, then state so, although you will have to provide proof for your contention.
• Maintain an objective tone throughout—this is not a persuasive paper, other than that it is intended to persuade the reader that you know what you are talking about. Do not include unsubstantiated personal opinion or hearsay. The paper should be based on verifiable
• Make a concluding statement in which you state which of the sources you have cited you agree with most, using logical argumentation—not ethical arguments of right/wrong, good/bad—to make your point. Explain to the audience which of the perspectives within the discipline you have chosen is the most reasonable and why you believe this. Do not explain which you find most "necessary" or "pleasing".

Bring one (1) copy of your draft to class for workshop on Wednesday, December 2. The final draft is due on the last day of classes, Monday, December 7.

NOTE: Do not wait until the last minute to talk to me if you are having difficulty with this assignment. Time is critical for this paper and you cannot do a good job of it if you start on December 6. Come to my office hour, schedule an appointment with me, e-mail me, get help at the Writing Center, but DO NOT PUT THIS OFF UNTIL THE END.