The Socio-Technical Analysis Project in Outline

The table below contains information about the various products your team will be required to complete during the term. You will note that the individual product grades only add to 90%. The final 10% of the project grade will come from a conversation I have with your client about your professionalism in interaction and the quality of your report. Individual team member grades will be adjusted plus or minus one letter grade of the total according to my judgment of your contribution to the team, and based on the evaluation (.doc) team members give to each other at the end of the term.

Here is the general rubric for my evaluation of presentations (.doc).

1. Informational Interview Plan (.doc)

This product is the plan you construct for your first, extensive, informational interview with your client. For the presentation, you will need to (1) describe the goals and (2) the STS and ethical issues you see from the perspective of your team. The center of your product is (3) the protocol for the interview: (3a) what specific questions will you ask (exact wording), (3b) in what order, (3c) under what conditions. See the handout of the assignment for more detailed information. For your presentation, you will need to have at least a handout of your proposed interview protocol. Design your handout so the sections of the interview are clear. Do not read the handout to us, use it as a tool to help us work together.

After your presentation, you have 24 hours to make revisions in 1, 2, & 3, before you hand in a revised copy to me. The combination of 1, 2, & 3 are the product I will grade, in addition to your interaction with the class based on them. Include a time and task accounting for each member of the team.

2. Data Collection Plan (.doc)

For the presentation, this product should provide the workgroup with a complete enough understanding of your data collection plan that they can give you feedback on it. Your presentation should be accompanied by handouts showing how each of your methods will be implemented, including the actual instruments.

You will have 1 week (128 hours) to revise your data collection plan based on class feedback. When you hand them in, all your data collection instruments (questionnaires, focus group plans, coding sheets, etc.) should be in close to final form, or should contain a draft and clearly specified procedure for the pretests and revision that will result in a final form. Include a time and task accounting for each member of the team. The handout should be in a format that, with minimal revision, can serve as an appendix in the final report, including a justification of the methods chosen, and copies of all the instruments.

3. Initial Results Report

Before this time you must have collected some items of data, analysed them, and written up a handout of the results. The handout should present your framing of the issues you want us to discuss with you, a short summary of the methods you used, reasonable detail of the actual results from those methods, and some initial conclusions about their implications for your final report. The presentation should be accompanied by whatever handouts will help listeners quickly grasp the results you present. Ideally, the handout should take the form of a report that, with minimal revision, could be included in your final report, along with the relevant appendixes.

During the month of data collection, you should bring to the class at least one interim report of what you are finding and what you think it means. The handout and slides for this along with your interaction with the class will constitute the project I will grade. Include a time and task accounting for each member of the team. This is due the day of your report.

4. Final Oral Report

This is your presentation of your conclusions to your client. Representatives from your client will be present, and they will have their own grading rubric to fill out in evaluation of your work.

Your presentation should be built around your description of the system and your recommendations. Use your results to support your recommendations.

5. Final Written Report (.doc)

This is the final report whose format is presented in detail in the text. It should consist of (see HFC Chap 2):

1. an executive summary (.doc). A one page summary of your report, including the recommendations.
2. a description of the project. A description of the goals of the project, the STS in non-academic jargon, and th eehtical issues you identify.
3. the analysis of the results. A report of what data you collected and what it means.
4. recommendations. Specific recommendations in the form of action items
5. a reader’s guide. A guide to additional reading in the area that your client might do.
6. a methodological appendix. Relevant appendices.

Each section of this report will be graded. The client's opinion of your project will be factored into your grade.

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