Why engineering research?

The disciplines of engineering are all described as the application of science to realistic systems which benefit humankind [1]. Engineering research is therefore based on the principles of scientific research which, in turn, are based on the scientific method, in which observations (experiments), theories, calculations and models are derived from the existing body of scientific knowledge and verified independently by others who are experts in the field [2–4]. This latter process is called ‘peer review’. While this formal review by peers is not foolproof, it constitutes the best method of validation and verification of research results. Engineering research is based on precisely the same scientific method; however, the research is directed toward the practical application of science to products, services and infrastructure.

Most research starts with a hypothesis; that is, a statement which can be either proved or disproved. In most cases it is easier to disprove a hypothesis because only one counter example is required to discredit the idea. To prove a hypothesis, it is necessary to exhaustively examine every possible case and make sure the hypothesis applies. Often this results in the creation of limiting conditions. The conclusion becomes slightly modified in that the hypothesis is valid providing certain conditions are met. A full evaluation of a hypothesis may take many years without a conclusive resolution.

Research proposals

Like most engineering work, a research project should be structured and costed before it is commenced. This should ensure that the project plan is coherent and viable and acceptable to the project team and that all resources are available. In the tertiary setting, most universities require that students applying to undertake an internship, Master's degree or PhD degree must provide a one page outline of the topic as part of their application for admission. The project description is usually planned with one or more prospective supervisors, includes the background to the research, the contribution it will make, the resources required, the tools to be used and the likely outcomes.

For many researchers, a primary requirement might be to write research funding proposals. In this case the funding organization will require answers to specific questions. This process is very similar to a quotation (financial estimate) to undertake engineering work. As with engineering projects, the funding organization needs to be reassured that the research team has the necessary skills, a good track record, and that the results will be delivered ‘on time and on budget’. Incomplete or inadequate research planning can lead to a failure to achieve the required outcomes, and the funding organization is unlikely to trust the researchers again. This chapter is aimed at providing guidance to the novice researcher so that the research plan is clear and comprehensive and the research team is presented in the best possible light, demonstrating the expertise necessary to achieve the planned outcomes.

A research project is about creativity. A research team can only exercise this creativity if they:

• Know and understand their engineering discipline well;

• Read the literature and continue to keep up to date with recent publications;

• Maintain cordial relationships with colleagues and funding organizations;

• Are honest and ethical in all aspects of the research process;

• Plan and remain well organized;

• Stick to the schedule if at all possible.

While the motivation to undertake research must be primarily to improve the human condition through the development of new engineering products and services, there are significant personal rewards for researchers through a published legacy of achievement which leads to reputation building and employment opportunities.

The engineering disciples continue to grow and change. So too do the methods of interacting with the general public and the application of new technologies to the research process and publication of results. As these new processes and technologies arise, professional engineers must maintain their ability to engage with new technology as well as to continue to contribute to these changes through published research.

Introduction

Assume that the process of research is approaching a conclusion. The research team has written the proposal, undertaken a critical review of the literature, put together the research question and the research team, the research results are available and have been analysed. But the research is not finished. Following previous discussions, the research is not complete until the results have been peer reviewed and published. This chapter describes the process of presenting research results for publication and for presentation in scientific and engineering research conferences.

The good news for the research team is that some of the work required for publication and presentation should be almost complete, as the background to the problem, the literature review and the research methods should have been completed when a research application was submitted. In addition the research application might have included some suggestions about how the results will be displayed graphically and what statistical methods were planned. Before writing the final report it is wise to check the published literature to see if there have been recent publications in the field. This chapter is about presenting the results in a concise, clear manner. The general format of a paper, thesis, abstract, presentation, etc should follow the same general form as illustrated in Figure 7.1.

Why undertake a survey?

Engineering research only has value when it directly or indirectly contributes to the improvement of the human condition. One form of research is to seek information about and/or feedback from people about the outcomes or the proposed outcomes of the research, whether this is a product or a service. In addition, an assessment of the ‘usability’ of a product or service can be the subject of a research programme [1]. A failure to consult the potential users of developing technology may restrict its use in society. For example, the developer of new technology should recognize and address the limitations of that technology by addressing the following questions:

• Is the technology limited to a particular age group, ethnic group, or a group with disabilities – mental and physical?

• Will the technology cause unintentional harm to users and the environment?

• Is it possible that the technology can cause injury, disability and even death in the very worst cases?

One method of reviewing these questions is to seek feedback from the potential users and the public at large. In many countries, anti-discrimination laws restrict the design and use of community infrastructure which is not inclusive of sections of the population with disabilities.

This book is unashamedly idealistic. It aims first to convey to engineers and engineering undergraduates interested in conducting research a reminder of the fundamental principles of engineering, and then to explain the requirements of conducting excellent, publishable research which will benefit humankind. A number of issues distinguish engineering research from other forms of scientific research. These issues include the dedication of engineering to the betterment of humankind, an acknowledgement of the codes of ethics regulating all engineering activities, the use of engineering standards to ensure quality and acceptable research outcomes and a conviction that sustainability is now a major engineering imperative.

The book is based on a lecture course delivered at Griffith University in the engineering school for coursework master's degree students both on and off campus. The initial concept for the course was developed by Professor Sherif Mohammed at Griffith University. This was revised substantially by the author and then further modified by other faculty staff involved in delivery of the course. The course has also been substantially improved by the students themselves – many of these students have English as a second or third language. To accommodate this, the book contains many starting hints particularly aimed at these students, so that students can rapidly progress without resorting to direct copying from other sources.

Archival literature

The world's total knowledge in the fields of science and engineering is stored in written form as published books and papers. Much of this is now stored digitally and available on-line. For a research team to successfully undertake new research they must contribute ‘new knowledge’ to this total store of knowledge through publication in the same way (i.e. through writing books and papers). In order to assess if a contribution is new knowledge, the research team must take the following steps:

• Review this vast store of knowledge;

• Conduct research to develop additional knowledge by building upon this previous knowledge; and

• Make their new knowledge available to the world-wide research community through publication following a rigorous peer review.

The world-wide published scientific literature is commonly referred to as ‘archival literature’, because it is permanently stored and is deemed to be of value to future generations of research scientists and engineers. Once information is printed on paper, the content cannot be changed. This form of publication is different from some web based publications, where the content can be changed relatively easily.

The Microsoft Excel® program has many standard plot functions. As the program is icon based, the plotting of a 2D discrete data set requires the selection of the appropriate plot function (scatter). This function does not include interconnecting lines between the points (as required when plotting data points). It is necessary to highlight the x array and y array when prompted. Axis labels can be added during the formation of the plot.

Once the plot has been completed it can be edited by right clicking on an appropriate part of the graph (e.g. axis labels, data points, axis scale, etc). The plot can be selected, copied and placed into another document as part of a report.

Users are directed to the on-line help functions to assist in more complicated plotting operations.

Introduction

The challenge in research is to prove observations and conclusions ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ (a common legal phrase). While most engineering research is numerically based and numbers are a prime outcome, some research is qualitatively based. In the latter research, one common method of analysis is to convert qualitative results to numbers and to use statistics to deduce the reliability of the outcomes and the conclusions. For this reason, regardless of the research methodology, researchers must pay particular attention to the use of statistics and the measures of uncertainty (experimental and modelling) in their research methods and in the development of conclusions.

It is expected that graduate engineers have already taken one or more courses in statistics. Readers are therefore referred to their undergraduate courses and the many reference books and internet references and software resources available (e.g. Matlab and MS Excel). This chapter provides a somewhat different approach to the standard undergraduate statistics textbooks [1–5], in order that engineers planning to undertake a research project have a fundamental understanding of statistics.

This course was run at master’s degree level at Griffith University for engineering graduates. For convenience, the book refers to the intended readers of the book as novice researchers, regardless of their status. While the first course was delivered to graduate students, some universities have introduced a research methods course in their engineering undergraduate degree programmes. When teaching the course, we assume the following knowledge gained from undergraduate engineering studies:

• A basic understanding of the fundamental concepts and language in a relevant engineering discipline;

• Some experience in laboratory experimentation including the application of mathematical laws to plot and understand sets of results;

• A basic understanding of measurement theory, errors in measurements and statistics;

• The efficient use of a method of analyzing and plotting data (e.g. Matlab or MS Excel).

As a number of the topics in the book are covered in undergraduate engineering degree programmes, the content of this book provides a concise introduction to these concepts. The reader should look to more comprehensive texts for a more careful, detailed analysis or to gain an understanding of the scientific background behind the use of these techniques. Each chapter includes a small list of references. More importantly, readers are given some keywords to conduct searches for further information on any topic.