Course Name:
Advanced Computer Architecture
Course Code:
CSC 5202
Credit Hours:
3/3/0 Credit hours/class hours(per week)/lab hours(per week)
Course Prerequisites:
-
Quarter/Year:
2014-2015 (Spring Semester)
Instructor:
Syed Mehmood Naqvi, Ph.D.
Contact No:
056-628-0360
Consultation Hours:
Friday 13:00 – 13:30
E-mail:
dr.naqvi@gmail.com
SECTION 1: GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 COURSE OBJECTIVE
The objective of this course is to develop an in-depth understanding of high-performance, energy-efficient,
and cost effective computer systems, especially parallel architectures, as a foundation for further study and
research in computer architecture and compiler design.
1.2 COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course thoroughly examines the modern computer architectures, particularly parallelism, in all forms.
Starting with fundamentals of computer architecture, the course will progress through the topics such as
instruction set architecture, memory addressing, role of compilers, memory hierarchy design, storage
systems, and various forms of parallelism. To enable a better understanding of the concepts, students will
required to complete a research project to address issues in current and future architectural designs.
Students will have options in exploring their own interests in custom projects and assignments.
1.3 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the advanced concepts of computer architecture.
2. Analyze different instruction set architectures and their relationships to the computer design.
3. Analyze various internal and external storage systems to retrieve, process, and store data efficiently.
4. Discuss how compiler technology can support in optimizing computer programs.
5. Compare different forms of parallelism to address core issues in modern computer architectures.
1 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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1.4 RELEVANT POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS
All students must read and be familiar with Student Handbook and SZABIST policies on student code of
conduct and other relevant issues.
1.5 TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODOLOGY
Active learning strategies are employed in this course to encourage students’ participation in class and to
foster their abilities to discuss a solution to a problem in group. Students will have to work on assignments,
presentations, and group projects.
1.6 MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
Power point slides plus white board will be used during lectures. Lecture notes and other research related
material will be provided.
1.7 LEARNING RESOURCES
Prescribed Textbooks
1. Hennessy, J. L. & Patterson, D. A. (2012). Computer Architecture: A quantitative approach (5th ed.).
Waltham, MA: Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN-13: 978-0123838728
2. Patterson, D. A. & Hennessy, J. L. (2013). Computer Organization and Design (5th ed.). Waltham, MA:
Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN-13: 978-0124077263
3. Stallings, W. (2012). Computer Organization and Architecture (9th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson. ISBN-13:
978-0132936330
Recommended Reading
1. Clements, A. (2014). Computer Organization & Architecture: Themes and variations (1st ed.). Stamford,
CT: Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1111987046
2. Tanenbaum, A. S. & Austin. T. (2012). Structured Computer Organization (6th ed.). Essex, England:
Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0132916523
3. Irvine, K. R. (2014). Assembly Language for x86 Processors (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
ISBN-13: 978-0133769401
4. Brey, Barry B. (2008). The Intel Microprocessors (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. ISBN-13: 9780135026458
Organizations, Labs, and Research Groups
5. IBM Research has been involved in research and development for more than sixty years and is the
innovation engine of the IBM Corporation. From helping the Apollo space missions to the discovery of
fractals; from the technology behind laser eye surgery to a question answering computer applied to
health care, IBM continues to define the future of technology. Visit http://www.research.ibm.com/
6. IBM Research - Austin is one of 12 IBM research laboratories worldwide. The lab focuses on the
hardware development of high-speed microprocessors; high-performance/low-power VLSI design and
tools; system-level power analysis; and new system architectures. Other projects include flood
prediction modeling, 3D microprocessor transistor design, and main memory power, performance, and
reliability research. http://www.research.ibm.com/labs/austin/index.shtml
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7. Automated Relational Knowledgebase (ARK) is an Intel’s facility that provides automated access to the
relational database that drives Intel’s corporate product catalog. It delivers on-demand product
characteristics, features, relationships and product comparisons. For most products, the ARK
specification page contains a link to "Datasheet." The datasheet typically contains very detailed technical
specifications for a product. Please explore Intel’s ARK: http://ark.intel.com/
8. AMD Research performs leading-edge research and provides technology direction critical to AMD’s
future. The diverse research activities at AMD range from circuit design and computer architecture to
system software and application engineering. Their goal is to influence both industry and academia
through exploration of important research directions and future technologies in an environment
conducive to collaborations with groups within and outside AMD. Visit http://www.amd.com/engb/who-we-are/corporate-information/research
9. Microsoft Research is the research division of Microsoft Corporation. It was created to advance high-tech
computing and help solve global challenges through technological innovations. The Microsoft Research
team has more than 1,000 scientists and engineers working across multiple research areas in research
labs worldwide, making significant product contributions in technology. Please explore
http://research.microsoft.com/
10. IEEE Computer Architecture Letters (CAL) is a semi-annual forum for fast publication of new, high-quality
ideas in the form of short, critically refereed, technical papers. You can submit papers on any topic in
computer architecture. Please visit: http://www.computer.org/portal/web/cal/home
11. The Asynchronous VLSI and Architecture Group at Cornell University is a research group that conducts
research on semantics, design methodologies, and architectures for asynchronous systems. The group
has designed and fabricated microprocessors, FPGAs, 2D and 3D integrated circuits, neuromorphic chips,
as well as developed the necessary software tools to support the hardware. Please explore the research
activities of the group using the following link: http://vlsi.cornell.edu/
12. The Computer Systems Architecture (CSA) is a research group at the University of Amsterdam attacking
significant problems spanning compilers, computer architecture and implementations as systems on a
chip. The scope includes embedded systems, where they are involved in early design space exploration,
as well as general purpose computing platforms. Please explore further: http://csa.science.uva.nl/
13. Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional association in optics and
photonics, home to accomplished science, engineering, and business leaders from all over the world.
Through world-renowned publications, meetings, and membership programs, OSA provides quality
information and inspiring interactions that power achievements in the science of light.
http://www.osa.org/en-us/home/
14. High Performance Computing Architectures and Technologies (HPCAT) is a research group at the
University of Arizona, which undertakes research in high performance computing. Please visit the group
and explore further: http://www2.engr.arizona.edu/~hpcat/
15. Computer Architecture and Automated Design Lab (CAAD) is a research group in Boston University's
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The research at CAAD has a particular focus on
applications that are likely to benefit from hardware solutions other than commodity systems. Please
visit: http://www.bu.edu/caadlab/
16. The Computer Architecture Lab at Carnegie Mellon (CALCM) brings together all faculty, staff, and
students interested in computer architecture research and education at Carnegie Mellon. Please explore
the site at: http://www.ece.cmu.edu/CALCM/doku.php
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17. The Computer Architecture Research Laboratory at UC Davis undertakes research into various aspects of
computer design and performance. The laboratory facilities are used to support many different research
projects, including the use of photonic interconnects for both on and off-chip communication,
mechanisms to increase the functionality and useability of a processor design, ways to increase
information content of data streams, studies of how best to use billions of transistors, work on reducing
the memory access penalty, and an investigation of optimal multiprocessor cache configurations. Please
visit: http://arch.cs.ucdavis.edu/
18. The Advanced Computer Architecture Group (ACAG) at UC Irvine has developed several processors over
the past several years based on VLIW, superscalar, multithreaded, and reconfigurable architecture.
Currently, their main focus of research is on the development of a multi core processor based on the
notion of Networks-on-Chip. Please explore further: http://gram.eng.uci.edu/comp.arch/
19. The Micro Architecture at Santa Cruz (MASC) group at UC Santa Cruz is carrying out research in
computer architecture. Please visit: http://masc.soe.ucsc.edu/
20. The Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the first academic
establishment to specialize in comprehensive research on computer science and technology in China.
The ICT has successfully built China’s first general-purpose digital computer and now has turned itself
into an R&D base for high-performance computer technology. It is also the place where China’s first
general-purpose CPU chip was born. Please visit: http://english.ict.cas.cn/
21. The Compiler and Architecture Design Group at the University of Edinburgh is conducting research on
compiler and architecture technology that can lead to better performance in parallel, high-performance,
and application-specific computer systems. The group is working on the development of autoparallelising compilers and program transformation theory for high performance systems. Please visit:
http://www.icsa.inf.ed.ac.uk/compilers/
22. The Computer Engineering Research Group at Delft University of Technology performs research in a
broad range of topics ranging from computer arithmetic and computer architecture to compiler
construction and focusing both on embedded systems as well as high performance computing. Please
visit: http://www.ce.ewi.tudelft.nl/
23. The Advanced Computer Architecture Laboratory (ACAL) at the University of Michigan is a research unit
that serves as the focal point for interdisciplinary research into the theory, design, programming, and
applications of advanced computer systems. Over the past two decades, ACAL researchers have made
pioneering contributions to the design of high-performance computer systems such as, for example,
Intel's Pentium chip and Compaq's Alpha chip, spearheading technical advances in pipelining, branch
prediction, parallel processing, timing analysis and optimization, and automatic test generation. Please
visit and explore further ACAL at the following: http://wwweb.eecs.umich.edu/acal/index.html
24. ARCTiC Labs is the Laboratory for Advanced Research in Computing Technology and Compilers in the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota. The research in
ARCTiC Labs focuses on computer architecture, high-performance parallel computing, computing with
emerging technologies, approximate computing, computer systems performance analysis, and storage
systems. The people at ARCTiC Labs have a particular emphasis on the interaction of software and
compilers with computer architecture, and the interaction of computer architecture and circuits. Visit:
http://www.arctic.umn.edu/
25. The Parallel Systems Group at the University of Toronto comprises researchers working in all aspects of
parallel systems, including computer architecture, operating systems, compilers, performance evaluation
and applications. Previous projects include the Hector shared memory multiprocessor, and the Hurricane
multiprocessor operating system. Please explore: http://www.eecg.toronto.edu/parallel/
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26. The Computer Architecture and Nano-VLSI Systems Research Group at the Department of Computer
Science Engineering, University of South Florida conducts research specifically in architecture, VLSI
systems design, VLSI design automation, computer-aided verification, high Level synthesis, physical
design automation, VLSI algorithms and architectures, multi-core systems, nano-circuits and systems.
Please visit: http://vcapp.csee.usf.edu/
27. The Concurrent VLSI Architecture (CVA) group at Stanford University is involved in investigating methods
for applying VLSI technology to information processing problems. Ongoing projects address issues in
parallel computer architecture, parallel computer software, interconnection networks, special purpose
processor design, high speed electrical signalling, etc. Please explore: http://cva.stanford.edu/cva
Benchmarks
28. BenchWeb is a starting point for finding information about computer system performance benchmarks,
benchmark results, and benchmark code. The site is maintained at the University of Tennessee
Computer Science Department. Please explore further: http://www.netlib.org/benchweb/
29. The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) is a non-profit corporation formed to establish,
maintain and endorse a standardized set of relevant benchmarks that can be applied to the newest
generation of high-performance computers. SPEC develops benchmark suites and also reviews and
publishes submitted results from our member organizations and other benchmark licensees. Please visit:
https://www.spec.org/
Tools and Tutorials
30. Professor Koren developed a webpage to help students visualize and simulate different concepts of
computer architecture easily. These educational tools and other resources can be found at
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/koren/architecture/
31. MIPS Assembler and Runtime Simulator (MARS) is an IDE for MIPS assembly language programming.
MARS is a lightweight interactive development environment (IDE) for programming in MIPS assembly
language, intended for educational-level use. You can go to MARS through the following link:
http://courses.missouristate.edu/KenVollmar/MARS/
32. RaVi is a set of interactive training components for the teaching of the computer architecture. Each
component visualizes an aspect of the dynamic behaviour that is found in computer architectures, for
example, the behaviour of a micro-coded MISP-processor. The RaVi components have been used in
lectures on computer architecture at the University of Dortmund, Germany. Please visit: http://ls12www.cs.tu-dortmund.de/daes/en/lehre/downloads/ravi.html
33. This tutorial provides supplementary knowledge for students taking a course on computer architecture.
The concepts explained include some aspects of computer performance, cache design, and pipelining.
The tutorial contains examples, interactive applets, and some problems with solutions to illustrate basic
ideas simply. Please see http://www.cs.iastate.edu/~prabhu/Tutorial/title.html
34. This tutorial aims to provide an introduction to the various parts of the microprocessor, and to teach the
basics of the architecture and workings of the CPU across three specific sections: CPU structure;
instruction execution; further features. See http://www.eastaughs.fsnet.co.uk/cpu/
35. This microprocessor simulator is the winner of IEEE Computer Society Student Competition 2010 where
the undergraduate students were asked to design a CPU architecture and build a simulator for it. A video
about the simulator can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4xzGzCrxRY. The simulator
can be downloaded from:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/vnuaj2zml4a/Azhar+Microprocessor+Simulator+V+1.1++Setup.exe
5 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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1.8 COURSE SCHEDULE
Week
Assessment
Due
Lecture Topic(s)
Related Text Chapter(s)
Learning Activities
1.
Introduction to Computer
Architecture
Chapter 1 and 2 (Text 3)
Lecture; discussion;
brainstorming
2.
Fundamentals of Quantitative
Design
Chapter 1 (Text 1)
Lecture; discussion;
brainstorming
3.
Instruction Set Principles: ISA;
Addressing modes
Chapter 12 and 13 (Text 3)
Lecture; discussion;
brainstorming
4.
Memory Hierarchy Design I: Cache
memory; Internal memory
Chapter 4 and 5 (Text 3)
Lecture; discussion;
brainstorming
5.
Memory Hierarchy Design II:
Optimization; Virtual memory
Appendix B and Chapter 2 (Text 1);
Chapter 5 (Text 2)
Lecture; discussion;
case
6.
Memory Hierarchy Design III:
Storage systems
Appendix D (Text 1);
Chapter 6 and 7 (Text 3)
Lecture; discussion;
case; presentation
Presentation
7.
Instruction-Level Parallelism I:
Pipelining
Chapter 4 (text 2); Chapter 14 and 15
(Text 3); Appendix C (Text 1);
Lecture; discussion;
case
Assignment 1
8.
Instruction-Level Parallelism II: RISC
machines; Superscalar processors
Chapter 4 (text 2);
Chapter 16 (Text 3)
Lecture
Midterm Exam
9.
Instruction-Level Parallelism III:
Parallel processing; ILP exploitation
Chapter 17 (Text 3);
Chapter 3 (Text 1)
Lecture; discussion;
case; presentation
Presentation
10.
Compiler Technology: Hardware &
Software Support
Appendix H (Text 1)
Lecture; discussion;
presentation
Presentation
11.
Data-Level Parallelism in Vector,
SIMD, and GPU architecture
Chapter 4 (Text 1);
Chapter 7 (Text 2)
Lecture; discussion;
case; presentation
Presentation
12.
Thread-Level Parallelism
Chapter 5 (Text 1)
Lecture; discussion;
presentation
Presentation
13.
Large-Scale Multiprocessors and
Scientific Applications
Appendix I (Text 1)
Lecture; case; group
discussion
Presentation
14.
Request-Level Parallelism
Chapter 6 (Text 1)
Lecture; case; group
discussion
Assignment 2;
Presentation
15.
Group Project Presentation
Group project
presentation
Group
Presentation
16.
Final Exams Week
Final Exam
*This schedule is subject to change without notice.
6 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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SECTION 2: ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
2.1 ASSESSMENT TASKS
Assessment Task
Weighting
Group/Individual
Due Date
Learning Outcome
Presentation
05%
Individual
Week 6-12
1
Assignment 1
05%
Individual
Week 7
2, 3
Assignment 2
05%
Individual
Week 14
4, 5
Project
15%
Group
Week 15
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Midterm Exam
30%
Week 8
1, 2, 3
Final Exam
 TOTAL
40%
Week 16
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
100%
2.2 GRADING
Please refer to SZABIST grading schemes.
2.3 ATTENDANCE POLICY
Prompt arrival and regular attendance are extremely important. Refer to Student Handbook for policies on
late entry, maximum absences allowed, leave application etc.
2.4 EXPECTED CLASS CONDUCT
Maturity is expected from the class regarding behavior, eating / using mobile phones, class disturbance, late
arrivals etc.
2.5 STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL OR EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES
Students with educational and/or physical challenges are entitled to extra attention and time from the
instructor. Therefore students are advised to notify the course instructor at the beginning of the course.
Special arrangement may also be made on prior request based on specific challenges.
2.6 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
This course seeks to empower students for independent learning, resourcefulness, clear thinking, and
perception. All submitted work and activities should be genuine reflections of individual achievement from
which the student should derive personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. Plagiarism and
cheating subvert these goals and will be treated according to the policy stated in the Student Handbook. The
instructor reserves the right to utilize electronic means to help prevent plagiarism.
2.7 COMMENTS AND/OR SUGGESTIONS
Students and Instructors may contact the Institutional Research Department if there is a need to make
suggestions or comments that can help further improve the course. A link is also provided on your ZABDESK
account for frequent and trouble-free feedback. The Institutional Research Department would like to hear
your feedback about the following:
7 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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Students





Course Content/ thoroughness
Lecture Delivery/Supplementary Material
Facilities/Labs/Software/Hardware Support
Course alignment with learning outcomes
Any other comments/feedback
Instructors





Availability of teaching material
Facilities/Internet/Administrative Support
Labs: Software/Hardware/Technical support
Availability and quality of Teaching Instruments
Any other comments/feedback
2.8 SATISFACTORY COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS
The composite mark will comprise three elements: midterm exam marks, final exam marks, and the marks
earned during the semester (including assignment, presentation, and project). To pass the course you have
to pass all the components with at least 75%. Students must ‘reasonably’ complete all assessment tasks in
order to pass the course. ‘Reasonable’ completion of an assessment task will be determined based on the
instructions given to the student.
2.9 LATE PENALTIES
Assessments handed in after the due date will be penalized by the deduction (from the mark given to the
assessed work) of 10 percentage points for every day the assessment is late. This penalty will not apply if an
extension is granted to the student by the instructor.
2.10 SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS
All assessments must be submitted both in hard copy and soft copy to the instructor through email. Students
are advised to keep a full copy of every assignment they submit.
2.11 SPECIAL CONSIDERATION (EXCLUDING FINAL EXAM)
Special consideration for in-semester assessments is granted by the instructor for serious illness or
circumstances beyond the student’s control. "Pressure of work", either from employment or from other
subjects, is not an acceptable reason for seeking an extension of time.
2.12 SPECIAL CONSIDERATION (FINAL EXAMS)
Students seeking special consideration for final exams must contact the Program Manager (Undergraduate
and Graduate).
8 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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SECTION 3: ASSESSMENT TASKS
Assessment Task:
Assignment 1
Type:
Individual
Total Marks:
50
Weighting:
5%
Learning outcomes
2 and 3
Submission required by:
Week 7 (Friday by 4:30 pm]
Description and Requirements
Your will be required to analyze different instruction set architectures and their relationships to the
computer design. In addition you will also be required to analyze various internal and external storage
systems to retrieve, process, and store data efficiently. The analysis may also require performing some
calculations such as calculating relative access times in cache memories.
Deliverables and Marking Criteria


Problems are evaluated thoroughly with reference to theory and practice expressed with clarity.
(30 / 50)
Charts, tables, diagrams, and figures are used for the illustration purposes (20 / 50).
Assessment Task:
Assignment 2
Type:
Individual
Total Marks:
50
Weighting:
5%
Learning outcomes
4 and 5
Submission required by:
Week 14 (Friday by 4:30 pm]
Description and Requirements
This assignment will require you to discuss how various compilers can support in optimizing computer
programs. You will also be required to compare and contrast different forms of parallelism to address core
issues in modern computer architectures. The analysis may also require performing some calculations.
Deliverables and Marking Criteria


Problems are evaluated thoroughly with reference to theory and practice expressed with clarity.
(30 / 50)
Charts, tables, diagrams, and figures are used for the illustration purposes (20 / 50).
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Assessment Task:
Presentations
Type:
Individual
Total Marks:
50
Weighting:
5%
Learning outcomes
1
Presentation required by:
Week 6-12 (Every Friday by 4:30 pm]
Description and Requirements
The purpose of presentations is to help you investigate problems independently and present your work in
a group of audience. Each student will be encouraged to choose a topic of his interest that addresses any
of the contemporary issues in computer architecture or any other relevant areas and present his sole work
in the class. The presentations will start in Week 6 and will continue until Week 12. Every week two
students will present their work.
Deliverables and Marking Criteria



Contents (20 / 50)
Organization (15 / 50)
Presentation (15 / 50)
Details about rubric and evaluation criteria will be provided to students in due course of time.
Assessment Task:
Project
Type:
Group
Total Marks:
150
Weighting:
15%
Learning outcomes
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Submission required by:
Week 15 (Friday by 4:30 pm]
Description and Requirements
The purpose of the group project is to let students demonstrate their advanced knowledge about current
issues in computer architecture and other relevant areas. The group project will show that students can
generate ideas and have enough observations and knowledge to support or prove those ideas. It will also
help them apply and integrate source material and develop and organize their ideas in the form of a paper.
A formal presentation of the completed project is required. Students will have to submit their project
report to the course instructor before presentation.
Deliverables and Marking Criteria






Problem statement (25 / 150)
Literature review (25 / 150)
Research design (25 / 150)
Results (25 / 150)
Conclusion (25 /150)
Report writing (25 /150)
Details about rubric and evaluation criteria will be provided to students in due course of time.
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Assessment Task:
Midterm Exam
Type:
Individual
Total Marks:
100
Weighting:
30%
Learning outcomes
1, 2, and 3
Exam required by:
Week 8 (Scheduled by the Registrar)
Description and Requirements
The purpose of the midterm exam is to assist the instructor in measuring the student’s in-depth
understanding of the advanced concepts of computer architecture. The exam will also measure student’s
analytical skills in differentiating instruction set architectures and various internal and external storage
systems.
Format
The exam will have multiple choice questions, short essays, case studies, and numerical problems. Exact
format of the exam will be provided one week before the exam.
Deliverables and Marking Criteria
Details about rubric and evaluation criteria will be provided to students one week before the exam.
Assessment Task:
Final Exam
Type:
Individual
Total Marks:
100
Weighting:
40%
Learning outcomes
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Submission required by:
Week 16 (Scheduled by the Registrar)
Description and Requirements
The purpose of the final exam is to assist the instructor in measuring the student’s performance in
understanding the advanced concepts in computer architecture. The final exam is comprehensive, but on
its own, is not the only measuring tool to determine the student’s achievement; however, the student is
required to fulfill all the requirements to pass the course.
Format
The exam will have multiple choice questions, short essays, case studies, and numerical problems. Details
about exact format of the final exam will be provided to students one week before the exam.
Deliverables and Marking Criteria
Details about rubric and evaluation criteria will be provided to students one week before the exam.
11 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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SECTION 4: REFERENCING AND CITATION
WHAT IS REFERENCING?
Referencing is an important part of academic writing. It is a way of referring to the work of others to provide
evidence and support for what you are saying. It shows that your work has been researched and that your
ideas have a sound base. By referring to reputable evidence and respected authors you add weight to your
argument and show that you are knowledgeable in a particular field.
WHY REFERENCE?
Following the conventions of a referencing style is important to comply with international copyright laws and
to avoid plagiarism. Fujairah College, like all academic institutions, takes the issue of plagiarism seriously and
penalties for students who plagiarize the work of others are severe. All sources used must be cited in the
text and a full list of sources cited must be included in the reference list at the end of the work. This needs
to be done so that the reader can find the source and read it for himself or herself, if they so wish.
Therefore, accuracy and consistency are very important when you are referencing. At Fujairah College most
instructors require the Harvard style of referencing.
IN-TEXT CITATION
When you use other people’s ideas or opinions to support your points you can either use a direct citation or
an indirect citation.
Direct citation means that you use the exact words from the text and place them in quotation marks –
“There are not enough examples in this essay”, (Brown, 1998: 4).
Note that the name of the author (Brown), the year of publication (1998) and the page number (4) are
placed after the quotation and are in parentheses. In some cases the author’s name can be placed in the
text, but the date and page number are always in parentheses.
Indirect citation means that you use the idea or the opinion of the author but you write it in your own words
as a paraphrase or a summary –
Brown felt that a particular piece of writing was lacking in examples (1998: 4).
Note that quotation marks are not used, but the author (not in parentheses in this instance), year and page
number are still given.
REFERENCE LISTS
You should always provide a reference list at the end of your assignments, which should include all the
material, which you have referred to in the assignment.
Note: A bibliography is a list of all the sources you have used, even if you have not cited them. Therefore, it
includes your reference list plus any other material you have read. You will need to ask your instructors if
they require a bibliography in addition to a reference list.
12 CSC 5202 Advanced Computer Architecture
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GENERAL RULES




Sources are listed alphabetically by the surname of the author.
The author’s surname comes first and then the author’s initial, separated by a comma and a full stop.
All parts of the reference are separated by a comma, except the author’s initial and the year.
The citation should finish with a full stop.
There are many variations on the rules and the format, and you will see many different styles of referencing.
The main thing to remember is to be consistent. The guidelines, which follow, are meant to help you in
writing your reference list, but you will need to check with individual instructor about their style
preferences.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The minimum information needed to reference a journal article is –
 Author’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of article (in quotation marks)
 Title of journal (in italics)
 Volume number or month of publication
Example:
Brown, G. (1998) “Some things are better left unsaid: An introduction to the art of minding your own
business”, Journal of Self Improvement, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp 4-15.
ELECTRONIC JOURNAL ARTICLE
The minimum information needed to reference an electronic (online) journal article is –
 Author’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of article (in quotation marks)
 Title of journal (in italics)
 Medium (online, CD-ROM) [in square brackets]
 Volume number or month of publication
 URL (Available:)
 The date you accessed the article [in square brackets]
Example:
Brown, G. (1998) “Some things are better left unsaid: An introduction to the art of minding your own
business”, Journal of Self Improvement [online], Vol. 3, No. 2. Available: www.proquest.com, [Accessed 7
June, 2003].
Note: the full URL is not necessary when a database is used, only the name of the database needs to be
given.
NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE ARTICLE
The minimum information needed to reference a newspaper or magazine article is –
 Author’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of article (in single quotation marks)
 Title of newspaper (in italics)
 Month/day of publication
 Page numbers
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Spring 2015
Example:
Greenwood, J. (2004) “When time runs out”, Gulf News, 23rd June, p 4.
ELECTRONIC ARTICLE
The minimum information needed to reference an electronic (online) article is –
 Author’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of article (in single quotation marks)
 Title of website (in italics)
 URL (Available:)
 The date you accessed the article [in square brackets]
Example:
Brown, G. (1998) “Some things are better left unsaid: An introduction to the art of minding your own
business”, Self Improvement [online], Available: www.selfimprovment.com/brown.html, [Accessed 23 June,
2001].
BOOK
The minimum information needed to reference a book is –
 Author’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of book (in italics)
 Edition of book if it is a reprint
 Publisher’s name
 Place of publication
Example:
Brown, J. (1998) Essay Writing for University Students, Sage, London.
For more than one author the names are listed as they appear on the book cover (or journal reference etc.)
and are separated by commas and an ampersand between the final two.
Example:
Brown, J., Smith, L., & Jones, P. (1998) How to Write Good Essays, Sage, London.
AN EDITED BOOK
The minimum information needed to reference an edited book is –
 Editor’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of book (in italics)
 Edition of book if it is a reprint
 Publisher’s name
 Place of publication
Example:
Brown, J. & Smith, C./eds (1998) Essay Writing for University Students, Sage, London.
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CHAPTER OR SECTION OF A BOOK
The minimum information needed to reference a chapter in a book is –
 Author’s name and initial
 Year of publication
 Title of chapter or section (in quotation marks)
 Title of book (in italics)
 Editor of the book
 Edition of book if it is a reprint
 Publisher’s name
 Place of publication
 Page numbers of the chapter or section
Example:
Jones, P. (1997) “Some students simply cannot write good essays”, in Brown, J. (ed) Essay Writing for
University Students, Sage, London, pp 12-32.
EXAMPLES OF REFERENCES FOR OTHER TYPES OF TEXTS
Publication from a government body or organization
Example:
United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network (1999) Report on Crime Rates in Developing
Countries, 1997 – 1998 [online], Available: www.uncjin.org/reports/1999/html, [Accessed 5 June, 2000].
WORK WITH NO APPARENT AUTHOR
If an organization rather than individual authors publishes the work, cite as in the example above. If the work
is anonymous, begin with the name of the publication if it is well recognized or the title of the article if it is
available.
Example:
Economist (1999) “Do economic sanctions work?” [online], 23 February. Available: www.theeconomist.uk,
[Accessed 25 March, 1999].
Example:
‘Some things are better left unsaid: An introduction to the art of minding your own business’ (1998)
[online], Available: Proquest 5000, [Accessed 7 June, 2003].
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Spring 2015