Mosaic II (Fall 2009) - Paper #1

Mosaic II - Paper #1

Write a paper on one of the topics below.

Topic #1

Would an institutional review board (IRB) operating under the advice of the Belmont Report have allowed Jenner to conduct his experiments (especially case XVII)? Why or why not? In order to answer this question you will have to explain what Jenner was planning to do and why. You will also have to briefly explain the Belmont report. Of course, we don't know all the details of Jenner's case studies. Perhaps the the IRB's decision will hinge on some of these unknown details.

Topic #2

Write a dialogue between Jenner and the parents of the eight year old boy in case XVII. I want you to explain Jenner's work and to consider how he might persuade the parents. Clearly, Jenner thinks that his experiments will be of benefit. How could he convince the parents that they should allow him to use their son? Could Jenner have gained informed consent? Knowing the risk would any parent allow their child to participate? In order to convince the parents, Jenner will have to explain his experiment--what it will involve, and the possible benefits and risks. This is not a creative writing assignment, but it should be in dialogue form.

Due Date

Tuesday 10/06/2009

Length

The paper should be no more than 1,000 words. This is approximately 3 pages double-spaced with Arial 12 point font.

Format

The paper must be typed. It should be double spaced. It should have one inch margins. You should use a 12 point font. I prefer Arial, since it is easy to read. Please follow the general paper and exam instructions under the "course documents / writing" section on Blackboard.

Procedure

You are required to hand in a paper copy at the start of class on the due date. In addition you must submit the paper through Safe Assign via Blackboard by 11:59 pm on the due date. Safe Assign is a plagiarism detection tool. It will compare your paper against others available online, in journals, submitted in this class, Temple, and from all other universities that use the software.

Note: Plagiarism will result in a failing grade in the class, not just on this assignment. The paper must be the product of your own work. This is not a group exercise.

Grading:

Your paper should be clearly written, well-structured, and free of grammatical and spelling errors. It is practically impossible to get higher than a C if you start writing the night before the paper is due. The grading scale is as follows:

A = excellent

B = good

C = meets minimal expectations

D = bad

F = awful