PHASE 1 Determine the subject area for your research. You are able

PHASE 1

Determine the subject area for your research. You are able to choose from a wide variety of different types of technology.  Once you decide, you must present your recommendation to the instructor for approval.  You should consider an area of technology that can be compared and contrasted. 

First, do some broad research on the subject. Explain what it is (definition) and its’ benefits or advantages over another type of technology.  Or, list how within its particular class it has strengths and weaknesses over another product or service.

 

Second, develop a list of factors that you will use to evaluate the technology. These factors should be technical and non-technical. 

Cite sources – URLs are sufficient

 

PHASE 2

 

First, based on the criteria or rating factors you used in Phase 1 of your Research Project, decide what weight or importance each criterion should have, given your particular needs and purposes. Enter the criteria and their weights into an Excel workbook. The only requirement is that all the criteria weights must add up to 100%, and the weights should reflect the importance or ranking criteria you are assigning to each specific criterion.

                                       

 

 

Report Produced by: put your name here

 

 

 

Criteria

Weight

Criteria 1

 

Criteria 2

 

Criteria 3

 

Criteria 4

 

Criteria 5

 

Criteria 6

 

Criteria 7

 

Criteria 8

 

 

 

Overall Ratings

100%

 

PHASE 3

 

First, using the criteria or rating factors you used in Phases 1 and 2 of your Research Project, collect specific information on related technologies.  Visit several different web sites where you can gather specific information about each of your choices. 

 

For example, if you were researching digital cameras, and deciding on the criteria listed in column 1 then your data might resemble –

Criteria

Weight

 

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

 

Canon EOS 5D Mark iii

 

Nikon D3S

 

Sensor

15%

 

18.0mp CMOS

 

22.3 megapizel CMOS

 

12.1mp FX-format CMOS

 

Cost

10%

 

$599.00

 

 $  3,399.00

 

 $  6,499.99

 

LCD Monitor

9%

 

3.2 inch

 

3.0 inch

 

3.0 inch

 

Pixel

15%

 

18 megapixels

22.3 megapixels

12.1 megapixels

User Interface

11%

 

User friendly

 

Slightly difficult

 

User friendly

 

ISO Range

15%

 

100- 6400

 

200-12800

 

100-25600

 

Weight

10%

 

1.1 pounds

1.9 pounds

 

2.7 pounds

 

Video Capability

15%

 

25 fps

 

30 fps

 

24 fps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cite sources – URLs are sufficient

PHASE 4

In an Excel Worksheet, evaluate the technologies based upon the specifications used in the criteria.  You will create a weighted total matrix.  A sample is provided here if you were researching digital cameras:

 

 

 

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

 

Canon EOS 5D Mark iii

 

Nikon D3S

Criteria

Weight

 

Rate

Weighed total

 

 

Rate

Weighed total

 

 

Rate

Weighed total

Sensor

15%

 

8

1.2

 

 

10

1.5

 

 

7

1.05

Cost

10%

 

9

0.9

 

 

7

0.7

 

 

3

0.3

LCD Monitor

9%

 

10

0.9

 

 

6

0.54

 

 

6

0.54

Pixel

15%

 

8

1.2

 

 

10

1.5

 

 

6

0.9

User Interface

11%

 

5

0.55

 

 

9

0.99

 

 

5

0.55

ISO Range

15%

 

7

1.05

 

 

8

1.2

 

 

10

1.5

Weight

10%

 

8

0.8

 

 

6

0.6

 

 

3

0.3

Video Capability

15%

 

7

1.05

 

 

10

1.5

 

 

6

0.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

100%

 

 

7.65

 

 

 

8.53

 

 

 

6.04

 

 In a Word document (minimum 1500 words), present detailed explanations for technology(ies) you chose to research and a detailed evaluation of which product/service was best and why. The ratings you assigned each technology should reflect your final decision. For example, I would not expect you to choose the technology with the lowest rating!  In the “Final Phase” you should discuss the choice you selected, the rating criteria selected and the rational for the ranking of the selected technology. Much of the material should already be in your document. You are presenting your final decision here and explaining all of the background for arriving at that decision. At the end of your project, include a Bibliography.

Phase 4 requires to submit a Word Document with Bibliography and an Excel Worksheet

 Cite sources

 

Grading Rubric: – You only have to submit phase IV.

 

– Paper (phase 4) – 70%

APA format – 10%

Content – 60%

– Excel Matrix – 20%

– Presentation – 10%

 

Ideas for Research Paper:

       Comparison of state of the art processors

       Comparison of cloud computing technologies

       Comparison on content management systems

       Comparison on learning management systems

       Comparison of operating systems

       Comparison of network operating systems

       Comparison of virtual machines       

       Comparison of open source to commercial software