§0.1 Background & Organisation

For this class, the pre-requisite class is given as

• 52 231 Programming Techniques
  which in turn relies on
• 52 141 Programming in Java

Unusually, you do not need for "Professional Issues" to be thoroughly conversant with the material of those classes ... but you do need to have some idea of the technical issues concerned with creating computer software (and, indeed, hardware) systems. You need to know something of the context against which we are working.

It is preferable, but not essential, that you are familar also with the material of

• 52 132 Applications and Implications of Computers

The teaching pattern has the usual two lectures a week, which this year are on M & F at 2 p.m (on Mondays in K3.14 (John Anderson Building) and on Fridays in M4.20 (Weir Building) - unless anything simpler can be negotiated!), and for each of you there is a weekly tutorial which you are required to attend.

Allocations to the different tutorial groups will be made by the Third Year CS Director; the tutorials themselves nominally start in the third week, but in practice in the fourth week (it matters that we have covered relevant material in lectures).

Assessment will be based:

• 100% on a written examination (two hours, do three questions from four) held in January

• Unusually, there is no assessed coursework, but participation in tutorial small group discussions will be required.

Examinations are held in the exam diet immediately following your initial study of the class (presently, in January), with the possibility of a resit in the August diet. Copies of examination papers from previous exam diets can normally be obtained from the University Library; first check that you know the relevant class code (here, CS 302, though you should omit the space when using the search index) then consult the on-line exam paper link. For this particular class, you should also consult the very similar papers used in the past for the class 52 235. Copies of solutions are not issued (they form the basis of much of the tutorial material), though you are welcome to discuss your attempts at previous papers with the class lecturer (as well as with each other!).

Follow up material (of varying emphasis) is contained in a variety of the later classes in Computer Science.

§0.2 Aim & Learning Outcomes

To help you to awareness of the
	legal
		social
			ethical
				professional
					issues
in the practice of information systems engineering.

To achieve this aim, the objectives of the class are for each of you to be able

• to appreciate the characteristics of professionalism

• to recognise professional aspects in other classes, and how they influence technical standards and technical practices

• to form a sound basis for future practice as information systems engineers.

For the avoidance of doubt, "information systems engineering" runs much more widely than simply the construction of computer systems ... it includes the proper use and deployment of those systems.

The full text of the aim, objectives and syllabus can be found here.

§0.3 Books

A number of books will be recommended as we move through the class material, to give wider exposure to specific kinds of material. The essence of the class as a whole is best captured in

• F Bott, "Professional Issues in Information Technology", British Computer Society (2005), ISBN 978-1-902505-65-7

although a better overview of the business material is obtained (at the price of some out-datedness in the legal section) from that athor's earlier work

• F Bott, A Coleman, J Eaton & D Rowland, "Professional Issues in Software Engineering", UCL Press (3rd edition: 2000), ISBN 0-7484-0951-3

but whatever book you buy you should note that you will also need to refer to various other sources, including in particular

• The BCS Code of Conduct

• The BCS Code of Good Practice

The two codes can both be downloaded from the web, either from the local links given or by going to the BCS Website, though you should be aware that it is a breach of copyright to download them other than for your personal use.