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MEEN40560

Academic Year 2025/2026

Research Skills and Techniques (MEEN40560)

Subject:
Mechanical Engineering
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Mechanical & Materials Eng
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Professor Lizbeth Goodman
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed to equip Masters students with skills, techniques and knowledge to underpin their research projects in Engineering. The module differs significantly from most offerings in the Masters of Engineering (ME) programmes in that there is no end-of-trimester exam; instead student progress is continuously assessed. Engagement is via mix of class lectures and open discussions, workshops, group activities, and specific assignments designed to increase student experience in research-focused activities. Postgraduate student research projects, such as those on the ME programmes, should generate new knowledge and take the subject matter of interest beyond the state-of-the-art. The sources and quality of scientific and technical literature will be studied, and structured literature searches and horizon scans will be carried out. Skills for Design of Experiment, Communicating Research, Inclusive Design of Engineering Projects. Preparing and writing academic papers – for both journals and conferences – will be considered, along with how to present a paper at a conference. Careful design of experiments is important in engineering research, and optimisation of experimental studies will be covered. Following such experiments, the resulting data may have statistical scatter, and correct interpretation of these is vital. Finally, the potential commercial value of the results of research projects will be considered along with important topics in Engineering Research such as Safety, Risk, Ethics and the dynamics of group projects. Topics covered include the important areas of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), in Professional Practice, Dignity and Respect, Inclusive Design, Fair use of Ai and Data Science, Creative Technology Innovation, Analytics and the ethical usage of technology and data, Teamwork and Communication.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module the students should be able to:
- Search for peer-reviwed academic papers relevant to their research projects, and determine their quality
- Conduct a Horizon Scan of relevant industry and non-academic research of relevance to their projects
- Critically analyse the published literature in a field of interest or particular relevance
- Determine what gap in knowledge needs to be addressed in an original way
- Write technical reviews in a clear and concise style, using recognised citation formats
- Present and communicate about their research to peers
- Identify potential outlets for publishing the results of their research
- Present the findings of a project to peers at a conference-style meeting or symposium
- Identify and address ethical problems in R&D
- Understand the importance of risk and safety issues in Engineering research
- Design a series of experiments for optimum return on effort and cost
- Analyse and report experimental data in a professional manner
- Conduct a review of patented technology in their area of interest
- Be able to review and reflect on a wide range of diverse users' feedback for any engineering innovation.
with regard to best practices in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Identify aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals relevant to your project in terms of the potention for real world impact

Indicative Module Content:

This module entails 12 weekly sessions of roughly two hours each, with each session involving lecture-style instruction and information sharing, combined with some 'flipped classroom' reflection on materials shared on Brightspace in advance, and some hands-on or group work activity on the relevant subjects per week.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

65
Autonomous Student Learning

35
Lectures

12
Studio

12
Total

124

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This course is evaluated on the basis of continuous assessment. Learning activities include: active/task-based learning; peer and group work; lectures; critical writing; reflective learning; enquiry & problem-based learning; case-based learning; student presentations, etc.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Research Skills and Techniques (EEME40420)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Assignment 2: Group Hackathon: user experience hack for diverse users (forming a group with diverse skills, asking questions from diverse perspectives, radical inclusion of diverse solutions) Week 5, Week 6 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Assignment 1. Technical Communications Assignment (20%) Week 2, Week 3 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Assignment 3: Experimental Design and Analysis - (20%) Week 8, Week 9 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Assignment 4: Presentation- Project as supported by Literature Search, Horizon Scan, Inclusive Design, Fair use of AI, Risk, Safety, Ethics and Intended Real World Impact of your project Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Mr Barry Brophy Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Pezhman Ghadimi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Lizbeth Goodman Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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