I guess my dilemma is that there really isn't any real point to prove according to the projects guidlines. The guidlines are pretty much "Tell me how power supplies work and what they do". I mean linear supplies do have positives, though a good switcher has very few downfalls.
So I was thinking pros and cons, but it's hard not to sound biased.
I think there are pros and cons to each. There are always trade-offs in design, that is what engineering is about. The trade-offs include factors like: Design time (which is really design cost, ie: If you are making a million you can spend more time optimizing design, than if you are making 10.), Component Cost (If you are making 10 you care less about individual component cost, than if you are making millions.)
Switcher:
Pros: Efficiency, Size, Weight. Cons: Complexity (More difficult design), Noise (Both Radiated & Conducted)
Linear:
Pros: Simplicity (Ease of design), Noise (Both Radiated & Conducted). Cons: Efficiency, Size, Weight.
Now the above attributes are typical. For example, if the power levels are low, efficiency of a switcher can become a "don't care", and the size becomes almost fixed. For the linear, the simplicity at very low power levels can mean cheaper and simpler. This makes for some interesting topics in your paper. For example, at high power levels the losses in a linear become very important, and overweigh the complexity of design of a switcher, as the linear becomes difficult to design well at such high power levels. Looking at the various points at which these swap places could be interesting.
It might be interesting to examine a typical power supply scenario, For example a charger for a cell phone, and look at a solution that uses a linear supply, and another that uses a switching supply. If they both are designed by professionals they will both be good examples of what can be done. This also guarantees that you aren't putting in your own bias by overdesigning one or the other, to fit your bias.
If you wish to do something like the above, I might suggest a trip to a hotel. Tell them what you are doing, and ask if business travelers have left chargers that are unclaimed. They'll probably give you a box of them to take home for free! Pick one that gives you 5V out, probably at 500mA, as it will likely be a linear design, tear it apart to make sure it is a linear, and test it for efficiency. I would then suggest an Apple supply, as all that I've seen are switchers with good efficiency. Comparing those will give you something to talk about.