The module aims to develop a critical appreciation of the various principles underlying research that will enable you to discuss, evaluate and apply a variety of research approaches, methods and techniques to an engineering problem. It will also prepare you to consider, evaluate and apply the key knowledge and skills that underpin the professional practice of project management in an engineering context. In addition the broader key skills of knowledge and awareness of other none discipline areas are developed. The curriculum is delivered using two main thematic areas, which are delivered concurrently - Research and Professional Engineering business practice. In the Research theme the nature and practice of research are developed, you will use the university Library facilities to access information and make critical judgement of the information in the context of the subject specialism. The Professional Engineering Business practice theme introduces you to the practice of approaching all projects / research professionally being aware of planning, management and costs.
A detailed breakdown of the themes are:
Research:
- Generic research skills, information literacy. Appropriate literature search strategies, evaluation, reviewing and analysis methods.
- Specifying objectives which are specific, realistic, measurable under the SMART acronym, Endnote software
Professional Engineering business practice:
- Project Management, planning, time estimation and workloads, Gantt charts, CPM and PERT. Managing change, Managing budgets and realistic costing, MS project
- Legal, ethical or social issues in research and business, Risk analysis, classification and risk handling strategies
- Propose a professional business plan for research funding or any other funding
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