Introduction to Individual Projects

MEE3030/AER4002/MEE4040/MEE7012

Dr E. Cunningham
Key Facts
 Module No. MEE3030 (40 Credits) - Semester 1 & 2
MEE4040 (40 Credits) - Semester 1 & 2
AER4002 (60 Credits) - Semester 1 & 2
MEE7012 (60 Credits) - Summer
 Coordinators Dr B Smyth
Dr E Cunningham
 Effort 100 hours work / 10 Credits
 Information QOL module resources
 Report template;
 Project meeting record;
 Example Work-plan chart;
 Project submission checklist;
 Conceptual Equivalence marking sheet.

 Submissions All submissions will be via QOL

ALLOCATION
PROCESS
Project Allocation
 A list of projects and project descriptions are available on the
Student SP Site (SSPS).
 Students should use Mon-Fri (Week 1) to speak with
supervisors and decide on their project preferences.
 Project preferences are submitted via SSPS form by the
advised deadline (Monday 10AM).
 Projects will be allocated to students in order of academic
rank, but will also take account of staff workload.
 Project allocations will be circulated by email and posted on
QOL as soon as possible (Week 2).
OPERATION
Project Operation
 Your Project Description:
 outlines the issue(s) to be addressed
 provides a guideline methodology
 articulates the deliverables

 The student will:

 Work independently, with guidance from the supervisor
 Allocate an appropriate amount of time to complete the work
 Plan and manage the work to meet the deliverables
 Meet regularly with the project supervisor
 Communicate the outcomes through the assessed elements.
Project Supervisors
 Arrange a meeting with your new supervisor asap after
project allocation.
 At the first meeting, arrange a regular time for a weekly
meeting.
 Academic staff have extensive commitments so may not
be able to meet every week, but you should meet with
them at least once per fortnight and may have to be
flexible with the meeting time on occasions.
 Supervisors are not there to do the project. They are
there to get you started and offer guidance on the way
through. Students must take the initiative in the project.
Meeting Records
 Students are expected to maintain records of their
meetings with supervisors.
 These act as a reminder for the decisions made and the
actions agreed, and also act as evidence of your
engagement with the project.
 A template is provided on QOL. This should be typed up
after the meeting and given to your supervisor at the
next meeting.
 Academic staff may be supervising many projects, so
these records are an invaluable aid to them also.
 Copies of the meeting records are submitted as an
appendix in the final report.
Assessment
 MEE4040/AER4002
 Progress report
 (formal formative supervisor feedback)
 Continual Assessment (supervisor) 30%
 Final Report (2 independent markers x 35%) 70%

 MEE3030
 Progress interview to panel (feedback) 10%
 CA (supervisor) 30%
 Final report (2 independent markers x 30%) 60%
Assessment
 MEE7012
 CA (supervisor) 30%
 Final Report (2 independent markers x 35%) 70%
Health & Safety
 Projects will have different levels of risk associated with them.
Therefore all project work will be subject to a risk assessment.
 Generic risk assessments and briefing may be adequate for some
projects, while others may require bespoke risk assessment
 A risk assessment must be completed before commencing any work
in labs.
 Any change in activities during the project will require the
initial risk assessment to be reviewed.
 DO NOT engage in any activity that has not be risk assessed
or any activity that you do not feel comfortable with.
 It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure your own safety
and the safety of those around you.
Final Notes
 Late submission
 Will be penalised at the rate of 5% per working day late
 More than 5 working days late will receive a mark of zero.
 For cases of Exceptional Circumstances please arrange a meeting
with your AoS for guidance

 Plagiarism
 Both inadvertent and deliberate plagiarism are punishable
 Avoid inadvertent plagiarism by learning how to cite others’ work
correctly.
 Students will be required to submit a Turnitin authenticity summary
with final report submissions.
 In the run up to submission of the final report detailed instructions
for this will be issued via email.
Supplementary Professional Skills
Lecture Series
 A lecture series will be delivered as part of the final year
project modules (AER4002, MEE3030 and MEE4040) to
provide students with guidance on a number of relevant
topics.
 There will be a mixture of online and ‘live’
lectures. Students are strongly encouraged to
review lecture materials and to attend lectures.
 Students will be informed of upcoming lectures and
available online materials by email in advance of each
session.
 Supplementary Professional Skills
Lecture Series
Semester 1 Semester 2

Introduction to research & the research

Effective methodology and results writing
process

Literature review & library resources Effective discussion writing

Writing an introduction, aims and objectives TurnitIn

Referencing and using Mendeley Common errors in research reports

Presentation skills Peer assessment session

Experimental design Q&A session

Data collection

Statistical analysis
 READ THE
MODULE
HANDBOOK
FOR ALL QUERIES
Module Handbook
Module credits and time allocation Purchasing

Project selection Plagiarism Guidelines

Resources Progress report/presentation

Lectures Final report

Supervision Project Presentation

Assessment dates Technical Interviews

Planning project work Learning Resources

Health and safety Turnitin

Lab work and testing

Manufacturing
 SMAE-ProjectsAdmin@qub.ac.uk

Dear Dr/Prof,

Best Regards
Name
Module Code
Student Number