SE-381 Research Paper

Fall quarter 2002-2003

Dr. Mark J. Sebern

Introduction

As discussed in the textbook (chapter 2), poorly specified software systems have significant risks of harm (physical, economic, or other) to users and society.

Assignment

Prepare a research paper documenting an example of a software system that appears to have failed because of poor or incomplete specification or verification. You may wish to consult some of the references given in the textbook (pp. 27-28) or other print or electronic resources.

Prepare your report using LaTeX. (You'll need LaTeX throughout the course, and LaTeX is still commonly used to prepare papers for technical journals and conferences, so this assignment will help you gain familiarity and expertise in using it.)

Your paper should conform to the style of typical IEEE Computer Society publications. Use the IEEE CS Transactions on Software Engineering style guide and IEEE Computer Society LaTeX style files (available in Windows and Linux format).

Your paper should include:

• A description of the software system and its environment (e.g., hardware it controls)
• How the system failed
• The harm caused to individuals or society by the failure
• Why it appears that poor or incomplete specification or verification was a cause of the failure, and how better specification or verification might have avoided or mitigated the risks
• An analysis of the professional responsibilities of those involved in the specification and verification of the system
• Complete citations of the resources on which you based your analysis; these resources must be of sufficient quantity and quality to support your paper. At least one of your citations must be from a professional journal (preferably refereed); secondary sources (especially those found only on the web or in textbooks) are less desirable. (Yes, you probably have to do library research! If you start early enough, MSOE library personnel may be able to assist you; be sure to ask about on-line search tools, some of which may be newly available.)

Grading

The quality of the paper is more important than its length, but your discussion must be complete and well supported. Please be sure all the requested content is included, that all references are complete, and that all your conclusions are supported by the evidence you present.. Be especially careful about making unsupported statements regarding the actions of the professionals who were involved with the system you are describing. In addition to its specific technical content, your paper should demonstrate your ability to learn independently and to communicate in writing.

Warning: Papers that are incomplete or fail to meet the requirements of the assignment will not be accepted. An acceptable research paper is a requirement for a passing grade in the course. If you have any questions about the content or format of the paper, please consult the instructor WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE.

Paper topics from previous classes

In previous offerings of this course, some of the paper topics were:

• Ariane 5 booster attitude control system failure
• AT&T phone service crash 1990
• Denver airport baggage handling system
• F-16 engine control failure
• Flight minimum-safe-altitude warning failure - Korean Air crash in Guam
• Flight management computer failure - Cali, Columbia crash
• London ambulance service dispatch system failure
• Mars Polar Lander and Climate Observer failures
• New York City EMS dispatch system
• Northumbria Police (UK) GIS system
• Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crash
• Patriot missile battery failure - Saudi Arabia
• Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) Additional Decryption Key (ADK) defect
• Social Security Administration software upgrade that incorrectly reduced payments
• Therac-25 radiation therapy machine failure
• Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle failure
• United Kingdom flight data processing system
• U.S. Navy "Smart Ship" project
• U.S.S. Vincennes shoot-down of Iranian airliner
• Web exposure of customer data (CD Universe and Verizon in USA, Sunrise in Switzerland)
• X-31 jet fly-by-wire system failure

Grading note: You will receive a 10-point bonus on your paper if your unadjusted grade is 85 or higher and your topic is not on the above list.

Submission

Your research paper has two schedule submission dates, for the first draft and final versions respectively. Each submission is due one hour before the start of class on the day specified in the class schedule. If your first draft is acceptable as a final paper, you may optionally choose not to submit a separate final version. This is an incentive to complete the paper early, giving yourself more time later in the quarter.

Each paper submission should consist of the following:

• The LaTeX (".tex") source file; name it NamePaperDraft.tex or NamePaperFinal.tex, where Name is your last name (NOT username).
• The PDF document you created from it; name it NamePaperDraft.pdf or NamePaperFinal.pdf.

If you have questions about the assignment, please consult the instructor (in person or by email) as soon as possible.

Make your submission via WebCT upload (the files can be separate), since this makes it easier to return it. If you just can't get this to work, use email. Be sure to keep your own copy for safekeeping.

This page was last updated on Monday, 06-Oct-2003 16:30:59 CDT.

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