Privacy and the Law

The paper is to be between 10 and 12 pages long (excluding the title page, abstract, graphics and the bibliography). Font size is 12 point (Times New Roman or Ariel only), with standard one-inch margins, double spaced. The paper’s topic must deal with a particular area of Privacy and the Law. I will allow you to pick your own topic, however it must be approved in advance. Topic proposals are due February12. Your topic proposal is a one-page summary (using the same font and spacing requirements previously indicated) in which you layout what you intend your paper to entail. The purpose of the proposal is for me to review and approve your topic selection. Sample topics will be discussed during the class sessions prior to the initial deadline. The paper should adequately represent that you have an understanding of the topic and have given it a thorough analysis. General statements without research to support a position will not be considered favorably. Your work product should show that you did more than write a position paper, but rather show that you researched the topic, (I require a minimum of 7 sources, but expect many of you may use significantly more). These sources must be from a real book or journal. (Internet versions of journals and books are fine.) Sources from the Internet like Wikipedia and similar sites do not count as a source, nor do articles assigned in class. You may use articles and cases from class discussions, but you will need to still meet the minimum 7 required articles in addition to the ones you re-use from the course materials.

If you fail to have the minimum number of sources or pages you will be SERIOUSLY downgraded. Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation are expected as play a significant part in your grade. This is one of your culminating courses, and I expect this paper to be one of the best papers you have written in college, and my expectations are that at this point you are writing at the level of a graduate student, or law school student, not a college freshman. You MUST reference all of your sources. If you fail to do so and simply copy someone else’s work…including using an old term paper of yours, it is considered a violation of ethics. I will send my proposal for the paper so have an idea of what the paper should be about. I would like the focus on be on how these companies obtain the info and what they benefit from it, other than spreading their ads. And what do the people they get these information from get from releasing the information.