RESEARCH METHODS - 2020/1
Module code: ENGD021
Module Overview
The course is presented in one week short course format. In the mornings, the lectures and tutorials provide students with overviews of the key elements and associated skills required by postgraduates undertaking their first major piece of independent research. In the afternoon sessions, the students work in small teams to undertake a practical metallurgical investigation. At the end of the week the teams give oral presentations on their project work.
Module provider
Mechanical Engineering Sciences
Module Leader
DOREY Robert (Mech Eng Sci)
Number of Credits: 0
ECTS Credits: 0
Framework: FHEQ Level 8
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 30
Lecture Hours: 10
Tutorial Hours: 10
Laboratory Hours: 10
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
N/A
Module content
Indicative content includes:
Lectures
• The Framework for Research
• Getting to Grips with the Literature
• Plagiarism and How to Avoid It
• Oral Presentations
• Posters
• Written Communications
• Project Management
• Errors and Uncertainties
• Commercialisation of Research Results
• Ethics for Engineers
Laboratory Work
Group work (typically involving 3-4 people per team) involving the metallographic investigation of a component or number of components from a small piece of equipment, such as a stapler.
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Short answer questions | 50 |
| Coursework | Long answer question involving calculation, analysis, discussion involving core aspects of the module. | 50 |
Alternative Assessment
N/A
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate all of the key competences associated with planning, performing and reporting on an individual piece of research work.
Thus, the summative assessment for this unit consists of:
• Q1 (Short answer questions) 50%
• Q2 (Essay question) 50%
Formative assessment
• Formative verbal feedback is given in lectures and tutorials.
Feedback
• Written feedback is given on the submitted coursework
Module aims
- an appreciation of the reasons for undertaking research, the principal stages involved in a research project and the framework in which research is conducted, including ethics
- a understanding of the ways in which research findings are reported, communicated, protected and exploited
- a knowledge of the methods used to present data, including the quantification of errors and uncertainties
- practical experience of the benefits and drawbacks of group work
- practical experience of basic metallography, scanning electron microscopy and hardness testing techniques
- an opportunity to present work in a variety of formats.
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Describe and explain the context of research, including issues associated with ethics and academic integrity. | CK |
| 002 | List the purposes of studying the literature and construct a scheme to enable a literature search to be undertaken effectively. | CK |
| 003 | Set SMART objectives and plan experiments using the scientific method. | CK |
| 004 | Undertake simple laboratory work in the context of the group project. | P |
| 005 | Present data appropriately and deal with errors (in a simple manner). | C |
| 006 | Select, use and adapt the appropriate format and style to convey information and ideas to an appropriate standard and in such a way as to enhance understanding. | |
| 007 | Appreciate the requirements and opportunities for protecting and exploiting research. | |
| 008 | Apply course subject matter for research and advanced academic enquiry. |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to introduce students to various concepts and ideas via lectures then give them the opportunity to put these into practice, initially under supervision in via tutorial work and in the group practical exercise. This is complemented by the opportunity to observe and reflect on the work of others via the viewing of posters and being part of the audience for the group presentations.
The learning and teaching methods include:
• 22 hours lectures
• 8 hours tutorial classes
• 30 hours coursework.
The teaching is delivered as a one-week intensive course.
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGD021
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro- and NanoMaterials and Technologies EngD | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.