Research Project success: the essential guide for science and engineering students. (Print copy) by Cliodhna McCormac; James Davis; Pagona Papakonstantinou; Neil I. WardThe undergraduate research project is almost universally treated as the culmination of all previous lecture, lab and tutorial work. The project allows for the development of individuality and confers ownership of a challenge possessing an originality that goes far beyond the communal legacy presented by age old lab scenarios. Central to this is the magical transition of the student from a consumer of knowledge to a producer, yet the journey is often both daunting and perplexing when considering where to start and how to reach the destination using the resources provided and in the allotted time. There are numerous books within the social sciences which provide students with guidance on how to conduct a "successful" project but few can be found in relation to the physical sciences. This can be ascribed to the fact that the former has a very similar structure and procedural methodology whereas the latter can possess a near fractal differentiation into a myriad of sub disciplines and specialisms thereby preventing the provision of a single, expansive catchall text. This book adapts some of the components and ethos of the Projects in Controlled Environments (PRinCE2) project management approach to physical science projects. This is the industry and government standard and was introduced to address the common causes of project failure ie. not delivering projects on time, within budget, within scope or to the right quality. It has rapidly emerged as an international standard and most graduates will doubtless encounter it upon moving outside academia and into the wider world. It is a concise, multilevel resource that provides guidance on the core components common to almost every project within the physical, engineering and life sciences (problem assessment and contextualisation, literature review practices, sources and citation, data presentation, reporting styles, data analysis and error etc). It standardises the delivery of the material but, more importantly, links the components together by outlining a coherent procedural road map that can highlight to the student "what to do", "when to do it" and "how to solve it" procedures. The content of the book is presented through case studies so as to enhance the relevance of the processes, presents examples of good practice and, in keeping with the toolbox approach, can be readily adapted and applied by the students. The book is an accessible reference guide for students, written in a light style, suitable for dipping in and out of as required and the "how to/when to/what if" examples are presented in an often humorous light. It includes flow charts to emphasize the project planning, dissertation components etc and charts to highlight presentation of data, analysis, interpretation and error.
Call Number: 808.0666 McC
ISBN: 9781849733823
Publication Date: 2012
Research methods for engineers. (Print copy) by David V. ThielLearn how to plan for success with this hands-on guide to conducting high-quality engineering research. Plan and implement your next project for maximum impact: step-by-step instructions cover every stage in engineering research, from the identification of an appropriate research topic through to the successful presentation of results. Improve your research outcomes: discover essential tools and methods for producing high-quality, rigorous research, including statistical analysis, survey design, and optimisation techniques. Research with purpose and direction: clear explanations, real-world examples, and over 50 customisable end-of-chapter exercises, all written with the practical and ethical considerations of engineering in mind. A unique engineering perspective: written especially for engineers, and relevant across all engineering disciplines, this is the ideal book for graduate students, undergraduates, and new academics looking to launch their research careers.
Call Number: 808.0666 THI
ISBN: 9781107610194
Publication Date: 2014
The Undergraduate research handbook (Print copy) by Gina WiskerThis practical, research-informed text will provide students across all disciplines with models, tasks and activities to enable them to plan, action, write and present quality research. It will help develop ideas, creative thinking and systematic research practices to enable students to produce high quality dissertations and reports.
Call Number: 808.023 WIS
ISBN: 9780230520974
Publication Date: 2009
Technical Writing A-Z: a common sense guide to engineering reports and theses. (Print copy) by Trevor M. YoungNot intended to be read from cover to cover, this book was designed instead to be a quick and useful reference for students, young engineers, and experienced professionals alike. It provides guidelines, advice, and technical information for preparing formal documents - covering a range of report formats (e.g. assessment, laboratory, and progress reports).This concise, no-nonsense guide provides alphabetically ordered and cross-referenced topics, which make it easy to find answers to questions related to writing a technical report or thesis.The topics include: the format and content of reports and theses; copyright and plagiarism; print and Internet reference citation; abbreviations; units and conversion factors; significant figures; mathematical notation and equations; writing styles and conventions; frequently confused words; and, grammatical errors and punctuation.It also provides commonsense advice on issues such as how to get started and how to keep your reader's attention.
Call Number: 808.0666 YOU
ISBN: 9780791802366
Publication Date: 2005
Book Catalogue
This link takes you to the Catalogue for books in the West Suffolk College Library
Writing for science and engineering: papers, presentations and reports. 2nd edn. (Print copy) by Heather Silyn-RobertsLearning how to write clearly and concisely is an integral part of furthering your research career; however, doing so is not always easy. In this second edition, fully updated and revised, Dr. Silyn-Roberts explains in plain English the steps to writing abstracts, theses, journal papers, funding bids, literature reviews, and more. The book also examines preparing seminar and conference presentations. Written in a practical and easy to follow style specifically for postgraduate students in Engineering and Sciences, this book is essential in learning how to create powerful documents. Writing for Science and Engineering will prove invaluable in all areas of research and writing due its clear, concise style. The practical advice contained within the pages alongside numerous examples to aid learning will make the preparation of documentation much easier for all students. Written in modular format, so you only need to access the relevant chapterCovers a wide range of document and presentation typesIncludes easy-to-understand rules to improve writing