From: Brian Junker [brian@stat.cmu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 12:17 PM
To: bj20@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: 726: ASSIGNMENT


Dear [copy for BJ],

Sorry I am late getting this email out...  

There are no class meetings of Stat Practice this week.  However, I
want to make an assignment for you, due next Monday [so we will meet
in class next Monday].  The assignment has two parts:

1. In http://www.stat.cmu.edu/~brian/726/handouts/, you will find a
   file "nda.pdf".  Please download it and read it for discussion next
   Monday.  It is the nondisclosure agreement that Yi and Zhanwu had
   to sign, to obtain data for their stat practice project.  Some
   things to think about:

      (a) Is this a fair agreement?  Do you think you would be able to
      do what you need to do as a statistician under this agreement?

      (b) Does it restrict whether Zhanwu and Yi can publish their
      work if they so choose, or share their work or progress with us
      in this class?  If so, how?  If not, why not?  What will they,
      and won't they, be able to share with us?

      (c) Would you sign such an agreement?  Would you have trouble
      obeying such an agreement [it is legally binding once signed]?

      Etc.

2. I will separately email each of you the rough draft paper that
   another team turned in before spring break.  I want each of you to
   print out the draft paper, read it, and make constructive comments
   and suggestions for improvement, keeping in mind especially the
   suggestions in the papers by Gopen & Swan (what makes clear, easy
   to follow, sentences and paragraphs) and by Bem (clear document
   structure and many other style and mechanics matters), that we
   read.

   Please turn in your comments (either in a separate document, or
   marked in the margins of the report you are reading), to my
   mailbox, BEFORE class Monday.  In this case, paper preferred.

   My goal is to share your comments, as well as the comments I have
   made on the papers, with the group that wrote the report.

Thanks; looking forward to seeing you in our group meetings.

Best,

-BJ