Research Project Success: The Essential Guide for Science and Engineering Students - Softcover

McCormac, Cliodhna; Davis, James; Papakonstantinou, Pagona; Ward, Neil I

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849733821 ISBN 13: 9781849733823

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012

Synopsis

The 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.

About this title

About the Author

Cliodhna McCormac is presently involved in the project management of several multi-centre projects (EPSRC, Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering) and is the Collaborating Investigator on an EPSRC Partnership for Public Engagement award to develop new teaching resources to enhance the profile of Engineering within primary and secondary schools in the UK. She is a qualified PRinCE2 practitioner and is responsible for the delivery of the methodology throughout a variety of single and multi-centre projects being conducted with the University of Ulster and has over 16 years experience of teaching across various student levels. James Davis is Professor of Biomedical Sensors within the Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre (NIBEC) at the University of Ulster. James has participated in, and is the principal investigator/coordinator of a number of multi-centre - multi-discipline research collaborations with funding from the EPSRC, Wellcome Trust, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Royal Society and Heart Research UK. Pagona Papakonstantinou moved to the University of Ulster in 1998 embarking on a new research programme addressing the synthesis, functionalization and comprehensive characterisation of diamond like carbon. Currently her group specializes in the fabrication of low dimensional carbon based nanomaterials and the demonstration of these materials in biological sensing and energy areas. Neil Ward is Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Surrey. He is Chair of the Professional Training and Careers Committee (PTCC) which regulates the operation and quality enhancement of the work-integrated learning or professional training placement programmes across all departments of the University of Surrey. Neil holds a number of teaching development grant awards and has introduced a variety of undergraduate teaching initiatives aimed at enhancing industry based projects and professional training.

From the Back Cover

Guidebook, project atlas, reference book and instruction manual. If you are a student within the physical, engineering and life sciences about to embark on a project u whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level u then this is the book for you. The book introduces you to 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.) and offers guidance as to how best to steer a course to project success. It 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 i.e. 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. Not only does it provide all the project fundamentals a student may need u no matter the course u but, it also, links these components together by means of a simple and readily accessible project road map to highlight to the student owhat to doo, owhen to do ito and ohow to solve ito procedures. Case studies are incorporated throughout to bring home the relevance of the processes outlined and present examples of good practice and in keeping with the toolbox approach; these case studies can be readily adapted and applied by students. Included are flow charts to emphasize the project planning, dissertation components etc. and charts to highlight presentation of data, analysis, interpretation and error. Suitable for dipping in and out of as required, with the ohow to/when to/what ifo examples presented in an often humorous light and written in an easy style, this book offers a concise, no-nonsense project reference guide for students.

From the Inside Flap

Guidebook, project atlas, reference book and instruction manual. If you are a student within the physical, engineering and life sciences about to embark on a project û whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level û then this is the book for you. The book introduces you to 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.) and offers guidance as to how best to steer a course to project success. It 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 i.e. 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. Not only does it provide all the project fundamentals a student may need û no matter the course û but, it also, links these components together by means of a simple and readily accessible project road map to highlight to the student ôwhat to doö, ôwhen to do itö and ôhow to solve itö procedures. Case studies are incorporated throughout to bring home the relevance of the processes outlined and present examples of good practice and in keeping with the toolbox approach; these case studies can be readily adapted and applied by students. Included are flow charts to emphasize the project planning, dissertation components etc. and charts to highlight presentation of data, analysis, interpretation and error. Suitable for dipping in and out of as required, with the ôhow to/when to/what ifö examples presented in an often humorous light and written in an easy style, this book offers a concise, no-nonsense project reference guide for students.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Research Project Success

The Essential Guide for Science and Engineering Students

By Cliodhna McCormac, James Davis, Pagona Papakonstantinou, Neil I Ward

The Royal Society of Chemistry

Copyright © 2012 Cliodhna McCormac, James Davis, Pagona Papakonstantinou and Neil I Ward
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84973-382-3

Contents

Chapter 1 First Steps in an Epic Journey, 
Chapter 2 Managing the Project, 
Chapter 3 Searching the Literature, 
Chapter 4 Referencing Your Work, 
Chapter 5 Starting the Practical Work, 
Chapter 6 Constructing the Dissertation, 
Chapter 7 Posters and Oral Presentations, 
Chapter 8 Concluding Remarks, 
Subject Index, 

CHAPTER 1

First Steps in an Epic Journey

1.0 THE RESEARCH PROJECT

Picture the scene: Christopher Columbus poised on the deck of the Santa Maria, about to set sail on a voyage to forge a daring new trade route to the East Indies. His fingers tap absentmindedly on the bow of the ship as he contemplates the journey ahead. He feels both excitement and trepidation, in equal measure – after all, this will be the first time he has led such an expedition. Unlike previous sailings – where he was simply one crew member among many following established trading routes – he now has the resources at his disposal to pursue something new and potentially magical – effectively, to pursue his own dream – but, its success lies on his shoulders. He possesses the basic seamanship training along with a working knowledge of the sea and the requisite navigatory skill. He also has a rough idea which way to go – at least he thought he did (maybe navigation wasn't his strongest subject). As he looks around the ship, he sees a crew of able-bodied men who will help him make this voyage happen. Granted, this is a somewhat romanticised picture, but it embodies the very essence of a research project and, irrespective of your specific discipline, there is little doubt that you will experience similar feelings to Columbus – minus the fear of shipwreck or death by sea monster, of course.

The research project is undoubtedly the most exciting part of the degree programme as it is where you get to put into practice the skills and knowledge that you have acquired through countless lectures, labs and tutorials. As with Columbus, you are about to embark on a journey with the assistance of a dedicated research team, a journey that aims to pave new ground that could help to confirm a hypothesis and may even lead to some startlingly unexpected discovery. It makes no difference as to the research area you are about to become a key part of, the project is very much an expedition into the unknown and one that needs careful planning as it can also be the most fraught part of the degree programme. The voyage undertaken by Columbus was far from plain sailing and there would have been many times where things weren't going quite to plan. This book will help you plan your expedition so that the hard times can be weathered and also provide you with a toolbox that will enable you to tackle the ups and downs that can arise on the way.

1.1 WHICH DIRECTION TO TAKE?

First, you have to choose a project – but which one? The procedures for allocating projects will vary from one university to another but, in general, most tend to involve the circulation of a list of project titles and then it is up to you to choose your favoured three or four. Depending on the organisation of the particular degree programme, this could either be at the end of the second year or upon returning

Edition details

• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1849733821
• ISBN 13: 9781849733823
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 152