Final Paper

The final research paper must be five to ten pages long. Because this is a research paper, you must use sources that go into more beyond what is covered in the book and in class. (A hint is to look up articles and books on Google scholar.)

The subject of the paper must relate to some aspect of acoustics, specifically the study of vibrations in the physical world or the simulation of vibrations by means of a computer. For example, this can include the study of a particular aspect of an acoustic instrument, how a computer produces a type of sound effect, how our brain processes some specific quality of sound, etc. It is important that the topic be specific enough that your topic is distinct from other students and so that you can go deep into the research of the topic in the confines of five to ten pages. For example, a paper that focuses on all the acoustics of the piano would have to include far more information than five to ten pages can accommodate.

Each student must submit three proposed topics, listed in order of preferences, at the end of class on Thursday, October 28. The assigned topics will be returned in class on Tuesday, November 2.

The final paper is due in class on December 2. Late papers will not be accepted.

Half of the paper's grade will be based upon the paper's style – in other words, that the paper consistently follows a standard research style (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, etc. The other half of the grade will based upon the content – does the writing make sense, is it well written and clear, etc.