3 rd Year UG Individual Research Project Briefing ES3B7/ES4B8 2 yr ES327 1 yr

1. 3rd Year UG Individual Research Project BriefingES3B7/ES4B8 2 yrES327 1 yr Dr Phil Purnell October 2007

2. Outline • Purpose of Project Work • Project Outputs and Resources • Reports, Logbooks, Presentations • Supervisors, Handbooks, Technical, Website, Other • The Two Project Types • Waypoints & Timescales (W&T) • FAQs • Questions

3. Purpose of Projects • Analysis of primary data • e.g. New design, experiments, survey-based • &/or New analysis of secondary data • Metastudy: difficult @ UG level • NOT just literature review • Essential part but not end in itself

4. Skills Developed • Project planning/execution • Presentation skills • Oral & written • Critical review and synthesis • Distilling views and data • Review of own performance and project • Detailed L.O.s in Handbook

5. Outputs: Reports • Project Plan/Safety Plan • who, what, how, when, resource/risk • Progress report • Check against objectives: assessed • Draft report • All structure & most detail in place: valuable feedback from supervisor • Final Report • Detail of reports in Handbook

6. Outputs: Logbook • Day-to-day work logged by date • Preliminary sketches, lab results, interview notes, minutes of meetings, noted from reading – chronological evidence of work • A4 HARDBACK NOTEBOOK • Nothing else will be accepted • Loose pages (e.g. from WP, Excel) may be fixed in and dated • Assessed & externally examined - QC

7. Output: Presentations • 1 scheduled oral presentation • 2-4 staff + students, 15 minutes • Week 22 – no exceptions • 2-year project ES3B7 • Aims, method, LitRev, progress, plan • 1-year project ES327 • Whole project – ‘results’

8. Resources: Supervisors • Your most valuable resource • Define scope, suggest research, access to kit, PhD students, £ etc. • Aim for weekly meetings • Even if just touch base: ½ hour/week • Remember: ultimately your responsibility • don’t auto-blame supervisor

9. Resources: Technical • Technicians: skilled but busy • Make/find things, operate kit, give advice, refine designs • Initial consultation: workshop • Refine preliminary designs and plan manufacture • Don’t go = low priority = no kit • Book via website

10. Resources: Website • News, announcements etc • Booking technical consultations • Handbook • Rules, tips, timescales, guidance and lots more • Other guidance documents and links • Access via EUO - Module Information - Level 3

11. Resources: Other • The Library • Like the Internet, but on paper • Journal databases e.g. Web of Knowledge, Science Direct • The Internet • Check. Everything. Three times. • Distinguish facts and opinions • Confirm via multiple sources

12. ES3B7: Year 3, Term 1 • Most MEng students • <Fri wk3: Project Plan and Safety Plan • Mon-Fri wk4: Book Workshop consultation if required • <Fri wk8: 1st deadline for Workshop planning form (wk15 delivery)

13. ES3B7: Year 3, Term 2 • <Fri wk18: Second deadline for workshop planning form (wk25 delivery) • i.e. not much else - DO NOT WASTE THIS TIME • easy to drift: plan in your own waypoints and milestones • get literature review done

14. ES3B7: Year 3, Term 3 • wk 21: Progress report • 2-pages for logbook/supervisor + literature review, total normally <20 pages • wk 22: Oral presentation • <exams ~wks 23-26> • Post-exams: bulk of work on practical projects

15. ES4B8: Year 4, Term 1 • wk2: Draft Report, EUO • not an outline: proper draft • more complete, more feedback • wk6: Final Report • i.e. no time in Year 4 to do ‘experimental’ work • use your Year 3 time wisely, esp. period after exams

16. ES327: Year 3 Term 1 • BEng Manuf; BEng ‘special’ • <Fri wk3: Project Plan and Safety Plan • Mon-Fri wk4: Book Workshop consultation if required • <Fri wk5: 1st deadline for Workshop planning form (wk15 delivery)

17. ES327: Year 3 Term 2/3 • <Fri wk11: 2-page progress summary for logbook/supervisor • wk18: Draft Report to EUO • not an outline: proper draft • more complete, more feedback • wk21: Final Report • wk22: Oral Presentation

18. FAQs • Q: Can I work in the laboratory in the holidays? • No. • Special circumstances: see handbook • Q: Can I work in the labs on my own/out of hours? • No. Must be supervised at all times - H&S

19. FAQs • Q: How can I buy stuff for my project? • Purchase Order form (office 3rd floor) get supervisor to help you fill it out • DO NOT buy with your cash: v. difficult to claim back • Q: How much £££? • ~£100 max normally: allocated to supervisors consumables account • different rules for WMG students

20. FAQs • Q: I’ve been allocated a project I don’t like. Can I change it? • No, but you can normally negotiate detailed content with supervisor • Q: I can’t get on with my supervisor. What should I do? • see me.

21. FREE Expert Advice • Plan, plan and plan again • Write down all the details of everything you read incl. web pages • proper referencing is free marks • no excuse for poorly referenced websites

22. More FREE Expert Advice • Do not necessarily become disheartened by ‘failures’ • honourable vs. dishonourable failure • risk in research: no result may still be an important result • demonstrating a sound methodology more important than getting the ‘right’ results

23. Any Questions? • There are no stupid questions. • NB: there are, however, plenty of stupid answers.