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Research Methodology in Engineering Sciences

Course developers

Course abstract

The aim of the course is to obtain extended understanding on the organization of research process in engineering, from problem identification, goal and task formulation to analysis and interpretation of the obtained results. Doctoral students acquire knowledge of theoretical and experimental research strategies, planning, methods, tools and equipment, as well as the effective use of modern technologies in the documenting and presenting of scientific work reviews and doctoral thesis.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge of basic research principles, strategies and planning of research in engineering and technologies. Knowledge is assessed in practical works, independent works and exam.
Skills in the selection and implementation of theoretical and experimental research methods and techniques. Skills are assessed in practical and independent works.
Competence, working in group or independently, to carry out research, evaluate the obtained results, as well as to convince others and argue own viewpoint. Competences are assessed in independent works – by preparing a publication for a conference (in a group or individually), as well as by developing a part of the doctoral thesis, preparing a presentation and poster template.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Classification of branches of science. The role of research in the development of civilization. Trends in modern science and research. Organization of scientific work and engineering research, problems. – 4 h
2. Regulations and requirements of the state, higher education institution and the specific promotion council in the development of the doctoral thesis. – 4 h
3. Systems and their analysis in research work. Systematic approach in solving engineering problems. System features, structure and types. Systems and environment. Hierarchy of systems. Links in systems. Engineer and engineering work. The difference between scientific work and engineering work. – 4 h
4. Technical systems, their classification and peculiarities. Research work as a system. Development of research algorithm. Research methods and techniques. – 4 h
5. Research incl. doctoral thesis basic questions: problem, research object, topic, hypothesis. Criteria for choosing the theme of the doctoral thesis. Aims and tasks of doctoral thesis. – 4 h
6. Information processing. Preparation of analytical review. Development of hypothesis and substantiation of work direction. Overview of the situation, strategy of its formation. Summarization of information related to the topic of doctoral thesis, analysis of analogues technical solutions. – 4 h
7. Information sources in engineering research, incl. in preparation of doctoral thesis. Information search. Using IT tools (such as Mendeley) to create a references and list of used information sources. – 4 h
8. Preparation of research paper templates in a word processing application. – 4 h
9. Importing data from various devices into a spreadsheet app for further processing. Data analysis tools. – 4 h
10. Recommendations and effective methods of presentation preparation. Development of presentation templates. Preparation of research paper templates in a presentation application. – 4 h
11. Theoretical and empirical research. Choice or development of experimental research methodology. Development of methodology for experimental research of doctoral thesis. Conducting of experimental studies. Compilation and analysis of experimental research results. – 4 h
12. Theoretical research, its methods. Model, its definition and necessity to create it. Classification of models. Modeling tools. Methods for determining model quality. Optimization. – 4 h
13. Experimental research, its methods. Testing equipment and instruments. Forms and examples of empirical research results. – 4 h
14. Reliability, summarizing and processing of experimental results. Methods of mathematical statistics. Analysis of research results. – 4 h
15. Evaluation of research effectiveness and conclusion of work. Preparation of conclusions and recommendations. Presentation of results. Engineering and economic calculations. Preparation of conclusions and proposals. Preparation of doctoral thesis and presentation. – 4 h

16. Structure of a scientific article. Recommendations for preparing sections of a scientific article. Article templates for different conference proceedings. Draft article. – 4 h

Requirements for awarding credit points

A student receives a successful assessment if he/she has completed and defended the tasks assigned in the practical and independent works, as well as passed a written exam on the theoretical aspects of the study course. A summary of the doctoral thesis in the form of an essay has been developed and defended (topic, research object, hypothesis, aim, tasks, preliminary content of the thesis, part of the situation review part, provisional theoretical and experimental research, economic, ecological or similar evaluation methodologies, information sources, and the template of doctoral thesis presentation).

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Ten independent tasks: basic data of the doctoral thesis (aim, tasks, list of information sources); scientific articles on the topic of the doctoral thesis and their bibliographic description; processing of measurement results of experimental research examples; preliminary content of the doctoral thesis; a description of the doctoral thesis experiment methodology; doctoral thesis template in a word processing application; doctoral thesis presentation template; advertising slide (poster) template; draft article for the conference; development and presentation of the doctoral thesis part (approximately 25 pages in the form of an essay) (approximately 10 slides).

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Each of the tasks assigned in the practical work and independent tasks, as well as exam questions is assigned a certain number of points. 50% of the total number of points can be obtained in practical work and independent tasks, but 50% – in the exam. Successful evaluation if at least 50% of the total number of points is obtained.

Compulsory reading

1. Holman J.P. (2011) Experimental methods for engineers: 8th edition. McGraw-Hill Education, 768 p.
2. Kumar R. (2011) Research Methodology: a Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners: 3rd edition. SAGE Publications Ltd., 440 p.
3. Kothari C.R. (2012) Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. 3rd edition. New Age International Pvt Ltd Publishers, 418 p.

4. J. Quirk T. J. (2016) Excel 2016 for Business Statistics: A Guide to Solving Practical Problems (Excel for Statistics). Springer, 260 p.

Further reading

1. Lambert J. (2015) Microsoft Word 2016 Step By Step. Microsoft Press, 624 p.
2. Frye C. (2015) Microsoft Excel 2016 Step By Step. Microsoft Press, 544 p.
3. Lambert J. (2015) Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 Step By Step. Microsoft Press, 512 p.
4. Marder M.P. (2011) Research Methods for Science. Cambridge University Press, 234 p.
5. Mitchell M.L., Jolley J.M. (2012) Research Design Explained. Cengage Learning, 752 p.

6. Walliman N. (2011) Research Methods: the Basics. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 190 p.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference “Engineering for Rural Development”. [online] Available: http://www.tf.llu.lv/conference/index.php?topicID=8

2. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference “Research for Rural Development”. [online] Available: https://rrd.lbtu.lv/proceedings

Notes

The study course is included in the compulsory part of the doctoral study programme “Agricultural Engineering”. 1st year, 2nd semester.