As a reminder, the broad questions in this course are
- What are the primary challenges to Internet regulation - beginning with defining, justifying such regulation, e.g., because of the risks of pornography - or, more foundationally, the use of social media, e.g., by ISIS to recruit and sponsor terrorism, etc.?
- What might be possible paths to / resolutions of one of the most significant of these challenges?
Instructions for the term paper assignment
For your paper, you will develop your own hypotheses and/or research questions as these draw on, relate to, and/or help illustrate either the large patterns and/or the primary questions of the course.
In your discussion, please choose a primary example or case from among those we have read and discussed in class that seems to you an interesting and important example or case for illustrating your hypotheses and/or research questions.
Your paper should help your reader better understand both your chosen specific example or case and how it illustrates and responds to the two defining questions of the course.
To do so, your paper should follow this structure:
Introduction –
in which you briefly but clearly identify your chosen case or example, how it responds to or illustrates both “A)” and “B)”, and the structure of your paper. (ca. 1 page)
Body –
Case / example – identify and carefully represent for your reader the case/example you have chosen to explore. Be careful to provide all the relevant details – along with very careful documentation of all references to the relevant sources – needed to help your reader understand the case, especially in connection with – (ca. 4-5 pages)
Connection to the larger patterns and questions defining the course. Here you will provide your own version of the background sketched out above – one that includes more details and perhaps examples from the literature we have read and discussed.
You will then use this background to further make clear and explicit how your chosen case / example illustrates and responds to the two defining questions of the course. (ca. 3-4 pages, depending on the length of the case/example section, above)
Conclusion –
summarizing your most important claims and insights. (ca. 1 page)
References –
It will further help your paper if you supplement your use of the readings and resources we have read and discussed in class with some independent research – e.g., perhaps with regard to relevant laws, policies, examples, and/or other related developments within your home country. These, of course, must also be carefully documented.