| Unit name | Research Project 4: Introduction to Research |
|---|---|
| Unit code | AENGM0067 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Tom Richardson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Students have not previously taken Research Project 3 (AENG30017) or equivalent. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Aerospace Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
The aim of this project is to provide students with the opportunity to scope, plan and execute original research of engineering relevance. This involves evaluation of academic literature to establish the state of the art in the relevant discipline, in order to address a novel and open-ended engineering question through analytical, numerical and/or experimental methods. The scope of project topics includes theoretical and applied academic research, as well as aspects of novel design, systems engineering and technical prototyping.
Integral to this research project are development of skills in the following: time and resource management; search, acquisition and critique of literature materials; reasoning and planning; originality and creativity in problem solving; written, verbal and visual communication.
Upon completion of this project, the student will have acquired skills to:
1. evaluate and critique academic and technical literature
2. apply engineering knowledge to solve novel and open-ended problems
3. independently develop technical depth (analytical, numerical, experimental) through application
4. critically analyse and evaluate technical results
5. effectively communicate in-depth technical knowledge in a technical report
6. effectively discuss and defend technical knowledge verbally
Students are supervised by an academic member of staff throughout the duration of the project, who will discuss technical aspects and advise on project direction in regular meetings. The individual research supervision meetings are complemented by a series of seminars, covering topics such as project planning, searching and evaluating literature, report writing, etc.
Formative assessments
- technical writing exercise (ILO 1, 5)
- technical communication panel (ILO 2, 6)
Summative assessments
- [80%] technical report, assessed by 2 independent assessors (ILO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- [20%] poster presentation (ILO 6)
As recommended by project advisor
