33rdrd Year UG Individual Year UG Individual Research Project BriefingResearch Project Briefing

ES3B7/ES4B8 2 yrES3B7/ES4B8 2 yrES327 1 yrES327 1 yr

Dr Phil PurnellOctober 2007

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OutlineOutline

• 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

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Purpose of ProjectsPurpose 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

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Skills DevelopedSkills 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

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Outputs: ReportsOutputs: 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

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Outputs: LogbookOutputs: 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 NOTEBOOKA4 HARDBACK NOTEBOOK Nothing else will be accepted Loose pages (e.g. from WP, Excel) may be

fixed in and dated

• Assessed & externally examined - QC

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Output: PresentationsOutput: 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’

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Resources: SupervisorsResources: 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

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Resources: TechnicalResources: 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

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Resources: WebsiteResources: 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

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Resources: OtherResources: 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

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ES3B7: Year 3, Term 1ES3B7: Year 3, Term 1

• Most MEng studentsMost 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)

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ES3B7: Year 3, Term 2ES3B7: 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

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ES3B7: Year 3, Term 3ES3B7: 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

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ES4B8: Year 4, Term 1ES4B8: 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

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ES327: Year 3 Term 1ES327: Year 3 Term 1

• BEng Manuf; BEng ‘special’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)

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ES327: Year 3 Term 2/3ES327: 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

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FAQsFAQs

• 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

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FAQsFAQs

• 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

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FAQsFAQs

• 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.

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FREE Expert AdviceFREE 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

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More FREE Expert AdviceMore 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

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Any Questions?Any Questions?

• There are no stupid questions.• NB: there are, however, plenty of

stupid answers.