Reference no: EM133697736

Mechanics and Structures GE

Research Report Assessment

Introduction
Is background to the research clear?
Is problem outlined?
Is it researchable and achievable in the context of the timeframe?
Are research objectives clearly stated? Are they directly linked with research questions and with the delivered topic content?

Literature review
Is the literature related to the research project adequately identified and discussed?
Are the selected references current and relevant to the research problem? [Aim for 6-8 key references.]
Has the literature been critically assessed (similarity/dissimilarity to each other and relatedness to the research objectives)
Continuity of review/ discussion (the flow of the arguments)
Is there a discussion on implications of the findings to the proposed research?
Are the key findings summarised?

Research methodology
Is there a justification that the selected methodology is appropriate?
Does the methodology connect well with the delivered topic content?
Is there a discussion on alternative methodologies?
Are the proposed research data collection methods described?

Analyses and results
Are the appropriate analytical tools used?
Has the data been analysed appropriately?
Have the evaluations/comparison been carried out appropriately?
Are the results clearly presented and explained?
Are the tables, charts, images used appropriately?

Report Guidelines

Report details
The following details should always be followed when writing technical reports:
Introduce figures and tables in the text before you present them.
Label your figures and tables so that figure titles follow the figure and table titles are at the top of the table. Remember (figures = follow, tables = top).
Format your text so it is justified.
Be consistent with formatting, make sure terminology and symbols are consistent throughout the whole report.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
In this chapter you will provide a fairly straightforward explanation of your research topic as well as an explanation of what your research report includes. For example you can explain that your research topic is on a particular style of construction and your report explains the benefits of this style of construction in regards to speed of construction and cost of construction. There is no need to go into specific detail in this chapter, the following sections is where you provide specific detail.
Chapter 2 - Literature Review
In this chapter you will provide an overview of the research that has already occurred in your report topic and discuss the conclusions each researcher found. For example you might state that a certain publication examined a particular parameter by testing 8 specimens that were a certain size and configuration. From this study they concluded that specimen height was a critical parameter that influences the load capacity. Each report will have a different topic so you'll need to adjust the style of writing accordingly.
In this chapter I expect to see at least 10 decent quality research journals discussed here. Do not include low quality sources such as Wikipedia or Youtube. I expect you should all know how to use Findit Flinders and other research based tools such as Google Scholar or Scopus. If you are having troubles finding good quality research publications then you can find help from the student learning centre at the link provided on the previous page.
Chapter 3 - (Main content of your report)
The content you include in this section, plus the title, will depend on the topic you select to research. Here you can include a few different sections that will be specific to your topic content. For example you may want to provide an overview of certain buildings that have been constructed using a particular construction method or you may want to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a certain building material.
Whatever your research topic is, you'll need to provide as much technical details as you can in this section. Structure this section logically with a few sections and possibly sub-sections. This chapter is where you provide as much detailed depth as you can. You will need to plan this chapter well and make sure you have a systematic approach to discussing your relevant points.
Chapter 4 - Recommended Future Research
This chapter will be quite short, possibly even only 1 page. Provide your recommendations on what topics/concepts/structures should be examined in future research.
Chapter 5 - Conclusion
This chapter will also be quite short and can mainly consist of dot points. Provide a list of conclusions from your research report.

References