CVEN40860 Research Skills for Engineers

Academic Year 2022/2023

This module introduces research students to the essential skills to appropriate prepare their research. These are transferable skills such as research design, dissemination of findings, project management and data management, ethics and integrity are required in any research project (e.g. master's and PhD thesis). The aim of this module is to support the exploration and development of research proposals that will be the basis for effectively conducting their respective individual research in the context of civil engineering. This module is designed to introduce students to research aspects such as the evaluation appropriate selection of tools, resources and techniques for the design and management of a coherent and effective research proposal. The module requires significant independent reading, thinking, analysis, writing, as well as the projection of both the management and the dissemination of the research. The student will be supported through workshops, seminars and research proposal development with a specific focus on methods. A series of research design tasks, including presentation of selected research works conducted by doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers of the School in form of research seminar series will support the development of the research proposal.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successfully completing this module, you will be:

1. Constructing an appropriate research framework to conduct the research in a timeframe and that incorporates novelty and originality.
2. Developing a critical thinking, critical reading, critical analysis, writing, presentation skill, as well as the research design and management skill for the research projects.
3. Using tools, resources, techniques, and approaches of research as appropriate for a specific research project and have the confidence to apply them.
4. Identifying the relevance of an available information source and developing a coherent overview of the state-of-the-art (SoTA) that supports your research in the context of Civil Engineering.
5. Constructing robust and appropriate main objective and major tasks that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound (SMART guidelines).
6. Conceiving and developing a research topic and the most appropriate methodology for its execution.
7. Developing and communicating a coherent research proposal.
8. Advancing in the understanding of research themes in a specialist area of Civil Engineering.
9. Engaging of the demands and requirements of autonomous learning.

Indicative Module Content:


1. Introduction to Engineering Research
2. State-of-the-art (SoTA). Literature reviews: Search process (topics, keywords, bibliographies – relevance)
- Introduction to information resources (examples include journals, library resources, digital archives); online academic tools (Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, Scopus).
- Systematic reviews (e.g. Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis – PRISMA method).
3. Research approaches
- Quantitative research
- Qualitative research
4. Critical thinking and reading
5. Critical analysis, critical writing and writing strategies (e.g. literature map)
6. Research design: i) Research questions: Identification, hypotheses; ii) objectives, major tasks, and effectiveness; and iii) impacts.
7. Elements of a research proposal
8. Academic writing
9. Research Methods
10. Project management, Data management, Ethics & integrity.
11. Research Proposal presentations

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

30
Tutorial

4
Autonomous Student Learning

120
Total

154
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
active/task-based learning;
peer and group work;
lectures;
critical writing; 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Presentation: Short presentation of proposed idea Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

10
Assignment: Preliminary State-of the-art Report Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

30
Assignment: Research proposal Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

50
Continuous Assessment: A series of research design tasks, class participation Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

10

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

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