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Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation

  • Textbook
  • © 2020

Overview

Authors:
  1. Petra Gratton

    1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK

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  2. Guy Gratton

    1. School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Aimed at all engineering students conducting both major projects and dissertations

  • Includes advice on engaging with external project clients

  • Relates the dissertation to future job searches and success

  • Lists opportunities to engage with national or international competitions

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
    Download chapter PDF

  2. What is the Dissertation?

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 1-20

  3. Objectives and Expectations

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 21-29

  4. How to Be the Student Who Achieves Success

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 31-42

  5. Selecting the Project

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 43-58

  6. The Opening Literature Review

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 59-66

  7. The Project Plan

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 67-94

  8. Designing the Dissertation

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 95-123

  9. Acting Professionally

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 125-133

  10. Presenting Data

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 135-156

  11. Presenting Engineering Analysis

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 157-164

  12. Drawing and Presenting Conclusions

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 165-170

  13. Making Recommendations

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 171-175

  14. Reflection

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 177-184

  15. The Output

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 185-202

  16. The Dissertation and the Job

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 203-216

  17. Publishing Onwards

    • Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton
    Pages 217-231

  18. Back Matter

    Pages 233-279
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Keywords

About this book

This book guides the student reader in preparing their dissertation or major project, including both report and presentation, and explains how to use them as a bridge to the "next big thing" - the graduate's first job, or their next degree.

The dissertation is the single most important component of an engineering degree, not only carrying the most marks, but bridging from academic study to professional practice. Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation describes the different types of dissertation, how to pick the best project and how a student can prepare themselves to succeed with their own dissertation.

The authors explain how best to plan and execute the project, including the roles of the student, supervisor and project sponsor, and what they should expect from each other. Further material includes details of competitions that can be entered with dissertation projects, presentation of data, using the dissertation in job interviews, and creating research publications.

Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation will be of use to both undergraduate and postgraduate students in all fields of Engineering, and to their supervisors.


Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK

    Petra Gratton

  • School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK

    Guy Gratton

About the authors

Petra Gratton is an Engineer and past president of the Women's Engineering Society, with 20 years’ experience of university teaching and dissertation supervision at bachelors and masters level. Prior to that she specialised in the building industry, in both project supervision and training roles. Petra Gratton is presently module leader for the individual major project in Brunel University London's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Guy Gratton is a Chartered Engineer with 15 years’ experience of university teaching, 12 of those supervising dissertations at bachelors and masters level. Prior to that he worked as an aeronautical engineer across military and civil aviation, and presently he is a research professor in airborne science at Cranfield University. Guy Gratton has written two previous books: the Microlight Flyers Handbook (Camber 2009) and Initial Airworthiness (Springer 2014 and 2018), and has previously been module leader for the group design projects in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Brunel University London.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation

  • Authors: Petra Gratton, Guy Gratton

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33192-4

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Engineering, Engineering (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-33191-7Published: 23 January 2020

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-33194-8Published: 23 January 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-33192-4Published: 22 January 2020

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 279

  • Number of Illustrations: 53 b/w illustrations, 26 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Job Careers in Science and Engineering, Thesis and Dissertation, Engineering/Technology Education

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