Selection and Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Engineering Design Article | ENGR 100W

Audience and Purpose:

The Project 2 selection and analysis of a peer-reviewed Engineering Design article prepares you for the more in-depth use of the engineering databases for the Project 4 Team Research Proposal and Design Recommendation Report. The audience for this analysis report are the future members of your Project 4 Team. Your article choice should reflect your research interests in an environmental problem area and also in potential engineering design prototypes to address this problem area. The process of searching for and selecting the peer-reviewed journal article will guide you in clarifying your research interests. You will communicate these research interests to your design team at the beginning of project 4. 

 

The purpose of this report is to explain the connection of the article to your environmental science and engineering research interests, and then to analyze the effectiveness of the article’s design methodology and the quality of its technical communication. The introduction will establish the credibility of the article and explain how it relates to your research interests. The rest of the report will evaluate the effectiveness of the article in fulfilling criteria using evidence in the following areas using evidence from the article:

 

Methodology: How well does the article follow the stages of the Engineering Design process? 
Technical Communication: How well does the article address the essential qualities of effective technical communication with a focus on clear titles, headings, and paragraph organization (Markel 9) as well as effective integration of graphics with proper APA citations (Markel 12)?

 

Format:

Length: 4-6 pages, 12-point font, blank line between paragraphs
Format: Informational report to the journal editors (specific names). For sample layout of an informational report, see Markel, chapter 17 (pp. 454-461). 

Process:
Planning (Markel 3, pp. 42-48)
Drafting (Markel 3, pp. 48-51): 1st draft in Canvas
Revising (Markel 3, pp. 52-53): Peer Review & Coaching Notes
Editing & Proofreading (Markel 3, pp. 53-55): Final draft in Canvas and print-out for #2 Packet.

 

Submission Norms:

For Project 2 grading, the instructor will refer to the Canvas submissions for: 1) PDF of the article and a screenshot from Ulrich’s Web, providing evidence that the article was published in a peer-reviewed journal; 2)1st & 2nd drafts of the Analysis; 3) Peer Review & Coaching Notes; 4) Final edited draft for the Portfolio. 

Late Assignments:  No late work accepted. An emailed paper will not be accepted. Plagiarism: Plagiarism will result in a grade of F in ENGR 100W.  Papers with plagiarism cannot be rewritten for credit.
Grade: 100 points or 10% of course grade

Methodology

Objectives of this Assignment: 
To explain, analyze, develop, and criticize ideas effectively (Area Z, SLO 2)
To organize and develop documents (Area Z, SLO 3)
To demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific and engineering investigation (Area R, SLO 1)
To distinguish science from pseudoscience and to identify effective use of the Engineering Design Methodology to incorporate insights from environmental science (Area R, SLO 2)

Assignment Guidelines
During the Library session, you will begin to search for a peer-reviewed (refereed) journal article focused on an area of environmental engineering you are interested in, and that makes clear use of a research methodology.

Use search strategies that combine an environmental challenge with engineering designs. For example:
1) "coastline protection" and (seawalls* or dikes*) and (wetlands* or mangroves*)
2) "energy conservation*" and "internet of things" and "commercial buildings"
3) ("aircraft carbon emissions" or "aircraft fuel efficiency") and "electric taxiing*"
4) "wildfire protection" and "fire resistant* building materials
5) "food waste" and sensors and "data management" 

As you consider various articles, look first at the abstract. Does the article focus on an engineering PROBLEM? If so, look further for the stages of the ENGR Design Process in the section headings of the article. Does the article focus on a scientific QUESTION? If so, scan the section headings for evidence of the Scientific Method.

Select a peer-reviewed journal article that reflects your research interests and demonstrates a clear research methodology. You are required to select an article from a professional journal and not a magazine because this makes a difference in trusting the validity of the data. You must check Ulrich’s Web to ensure you have a peer-reviewed article. Please take a screenshot and submit that to Canvas along with your article selection. Identify details about the journal and authors’ credibility for your introduction (see Guidelines below.)

 

Introduction
State the purpose of your informational report and forecast the content.

Evaluate the credibility of the journal. (see Markel 6, pp. 129-130 for guidelines on evaluating sources) Discuss the following: Journal name? Peer reviewed? Exclusively online? Available for subscription? Published monthly, quarterly? Publisher’s name? Intended audience? What institutions (universities, etc.) is the journal affiliated with that give it credibility?

 

Evaluate the credibility of the article and the authors. You could include some of the following: Who are the authors? Which universities are they from? What are their degrees? Who is the intended audience for the article? What is the main purpose of the article? What year was the article published? What gives credibility to the article and the authors?

 

Explain how the article relates to your research interests. Which aspects of engineering design and/or environmental science make the article relevant to your research agenda?

 

Methodology Analysis
Describe the methodologies used in the article: the scientific method, the engineering design process, or a combination of the two. HOW WELL does the article document the stages of the research/design process? Provide specific examples for how the article addresses each of the stages.