Assignment 4: Scientifically Justifying What We Know and Don't Know

Goal

The goal of this assignment is to start using the readings and other academic materials you identify to start justifying, using scientific writing, why your team's best idea is an important, transformative idea, and to take the very first step towards your final paper.

Team assignment

Write a one page (not including references) paper with abstract that very briefly states the problem you will solve and why, in doing so, your solution will contribute to the scientific body of knowledge. To do this, you will need to explain why the technology you propose to build will allow you to make the case for an idea that is important (see Kahn), novel, and expanding the boundary between what we know and do not know right now. You will need to start thinking not only about what you propose to build, but how it will be evaluated.

• Based on the feedback you have received so far on the ideas your team has presented (individually and as a team), pick the idea you think will have the greatest impact. Refine the idea based on feedback you've received. Alternatively, generate a new idea that is better than those you've presented so far.
• Write a 1-page paper with abstract and references. Start with this template, which is in the SIGCHI format.
• The main body is just one page, but you will have one or more additional pages of references and one page with your title, authors, and abstract. The paper should clearly describe the problem your technology will solve for improving health or healthcare using personal health informatics. You must:
  • Clearly state the problem you are solving.
  • Clearly (but very succinctly) state the nature of your solution to the problem. The solution will involve creating some type of technology. You do not, and should not, describe that solution in detail. Rather, provide just enough detail so that the scientific contribution of what you propose can be understood.
  • Spend the remainder of the paper clearly describing where the boundary of knowledge around this problem is. That is, what is known and not known, citing prior work, appropriately. The paper will be evaluated on how well the idea proposal shows evidence that ideas from the readings are being considered, and that a thorough background literature review has been done for the particular idea.
  • It should be clear to the reader why the technology you propose to build could be used to add to the scientific knowledge base. If it is not self-evident why that new scientific knowledge will transform health in some way, eventually, that should be explained.
• The paper should should show evidence of careful thought, a careful literature review, and strong writing in terms of clarity, grammar, spelling, and overall organization.
• Someone who reads your paper should feel like they fully understand...
  • The problem you propose to solve
  • Why the problem has not been solved
  • Why new opportunities created by the innovative technology being used (e.g., Google Glass, smartwatch, Echo, etc.) will allow you to solve the problem
  • The idea you are actually proposing (at a conceptual level) and why it will contribute to expanding scientific knowledge about the problem
• Please use Endnote with your team's shared Endnote library. Attach PDFs into the library whenever possible.

Hand in the following:

• A copy of your paper as a Word document.
• A link to your Bitbucket wiki page, where the document should be posted as well.

Send an email with your paper to ...@neu.edu. Name the file in this format: Team[team number].assignment4.pdf.