Legal Informatics
Worksheets Project
 


The goal in this project is to design, implement, and deploy a digital worksheet that embodies governmental regulations or regulations from some non-governmental institution. The application area is up to you - you may focus on whatever institution and whatever regulations you like. However, you should choose an application with the following characteristics.

  1. The worksheet should be self-contained, i.e. it must contain all relevant data or it must be able to collect that data from its user without undue and unnecessary burden. (Obviously, it may be possible in general to get data from external sources; but in this project we want you to create a worksheet that does not rely on such sources.)

  2. The worksheet should correctly implement all regulations relevant to the application area of the worksheet. Ideally, the regulations should be numerous and/or non-trivial.

  3. Most importantly, the application should be one where having a digital worksheet makes things easier for the user. For example, it should perform a complicated calculation for the user or check the user's inputs to avoid errors. Try to find an example where it is worth the user's while to learn how to use the worksheet, i.e. where it would be significantly more problematic to do doing things with paper or using forms without embedded regulations.

In implementing your worksheet, you may use whatever technology you like. However, we strongly urge you to use Stanford's Worksheets website. Go to http://worksheets.stanford.edu, create an account, and use the facilities available there to create and deploy your worksheet.

Once you have created your worksheet, you should have a friend or colleague (who was not involved in the development) use the worksheet and give you feedback. If there are criticisms, you may decide to improve the worksheet and try again.

When you are done, submit (a) a link to your deployed worksheet, (b) a script that tells us how to complete the worksheet, (c) feedback from the person who tested your worksheet, (d) a brief description of what you would do differently if you had more time, money, or resources, and, if you used the Worksheets site, (e) any reasonable suggestions you might have on what would make the site easier to use for future students.

In doing this project, we encourage you to work in groups. This is not required, but it will make your life easier; and you will likely produce a better product. You have three weeks to do the job. You should submit the items mentioned above no later than the start of the final class of the course; and you should be prepared to describe and demonstrate your worksheet to the class during that session (in 15 minutes or less).


Comments and complaints to genesereth@stanford.edu.