Introductory description

Research Methods and Professional Skills

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Research Methods:
Matlab and quantitative methods
Experimental and computational research methods
Qualitative research methods

Professional Skills:
regulatory requirements including IPR and codes of practice, industry/sector standards; risk (including health and safety, environmental and commercial); industry/commercial constraints; sustainability; ethics, diversity, cultural, societal considerations
team roles and personal responsibility
ethics
project management
communication methods
Careers guidance

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• 1. Apply appropriate criteria and techniques to critically evaluate current and emerging research/technology in a chosen field and develop a masters level research proposal for an individual project.
• 2. Evaluate: regulatory requirements including IPR and codes of practice, industry/sector standards; risk (including health and safety, environmental and commercial); industry/commercial constraints; sustainability; ethics, diversity, cultural, societal considerations; in order to manage their contribution and impact on an individual research proposal.
• 3. Appraise a range of research methods and justify the most appropriate to solve an individual research problem.
• 4. Assess roles and responsibilities required within an engineering team and hence evaluate own skills and contribution to a team, with consideration of the effectiveness of own and team performance including initiative, personal responsibility and team culture.
• 5. Critically evaluate different approaches to project management, and identify and justify a suitable approach for a given scenario.
• 6. Communicate using a range of techniques on complex engineering matters, with technical and non-technical audiences, and evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used.

Research element

Contributes to the module ES97N through the understanding of research methods and development of a project proposal.

Subject specific skills

1. Ability to seek to achieve sustainable solutions to problems and have strategies for being creative and innovative
2. Ability to be risk, cost and value-conscious, and aware of their ethical, social, cultural, environmental, health and safety, and wider professional engineering responsibilities
3. Knowledge and understanding of the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering and the use of technical literature, other information sources including appropriate codes of practice and industry standards
4. Knowledge and understanding of risk issues, including health & safety, environmental and commercial risk, risk assessment and risk management techniques and an ability to evaluate commercial risk

Transferable skills

1. Apply problem solving skills, information retrieval, and the effective use of general IT facilities
2. Communicate (written and oral; to technical and non-technical audiences) and work with others
3. Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD
4. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including time management, which may be as a team member or leader
5. Awareness of the nature of business and enterprise in the creation of economic and social value
6. Overcome difficulties by employing skills, knowledge and understanding in a flexible manner
7. Appreciation of the global dimensions of engineering, commerce and communication
8. Be professional in their outlook, be capable of team working, be effective communicators, and be able to exercise responsibility and sound management approaches.