Course-PM

PPU215 Research skills for engineering projects lp3 VT25 (7.5 hp)

Course offered by the department of Industrial and Materials Science

 

 

Thank you for your contributions to the PPU215 Conference: Sustainable Product and Process Innovation for the Global Goals

March 12, 2025 | 10:00-17:00 | Chalmers University of Technology, Campus Johanneberg, Göteborg

 

Preliminary Conference Proceedings (for peer review only)

 

 

Contact details

TEACHING & COURSE ADMINISTRATION

Mélanie Despeisse (examiner)	Associate Professor	melanie.despeisse@chalmers.se
Cecilia Berlin	Associate Professor	cecilia.berlin@chalmers.se
Peter Hammersberg	Senior Lecturer	peter.hammersberg@chalmers.se
Jon Bokrantz	Assistant Professor	jon.bokrantz@chalmers.se
Marco Schirone	Librarian and Researcher	marco.schirone@chalmers.se
Beate Granström	Librarian and Lecturer	beate.granstrom@chalmers.se
Becky Bergman	Senior Lecturer	rebecca.bergman@chalmers.se
Ebru Turanoglu Bekar	Senior Lecturer	ebrut@chalmers.se
Plinio Fernandes Borges Silva	Doctoral Student	plinio@chalmers.se

 

GUEST LECTURERS

Lars-Ola Bligård	Theory of Science	Chalmers, IMS Design & Human Factors
Cecilia Berlin	Engineering Ethics	Chalmers, IMS Design & Human Factors
Cédric Dubar &  Alexander Frimansson	Corporate Ethics	CellMark

 

PROJECT TUTORS

Clarissa González	Postdoctoral Researcher	clarissa.gonzalez@chalmers.se
Arpita Chari	Postdoctoral Researcher	arpitac@chalmers.se
Greta Braun	Doctoral Student	greta.braun@chalmers.se
Qi Fang	Doctoral Student	qifa@chalmers.se
Huizhong Cao	Doctoral Student	huizhong@chalmers.se
Silvan Marti	Doctoral Student	silvan@chalmers.se

 

If you would like to share your thoughts or raise issues to be discussed during the course meetings, please contact the course representatives.

 

Course purpose

This course is designed to align with the quality criteria and learning objectives for your Master's thesis work in year 2. 

The course aims to develop your professional and scientific skills by working on a research project to answer an open-ended research question. You will start by identifying an engineering problem and defining a research question which will form the basis for your group project. You will work in groups of 4-6 students to practice project planning, time management, teamwork, various forms of communication, and ethical considerations in engineering (professional development). You will answer your research question using a triangulated approach combining literature studies, quantitative and qualitative methods (scientific skills). At the end of the course, all groups will present their research project with a scientific paper and an oral presentation at the PPU215 mini-conference. 

 

 

 

Schedule

TimeEdit

Study period: 20 Jan – 23 Mar (Chalmers academic year)

Course week	Date	Time	Room	Activity
1	Mon 20 Jan	08.00–11.45	HA3	Course & project introduction * (MD, AC)
	Wed 22 Jan	10.00–11.45	HC1	Literature search (MS, BG)
		13.15–17.00	HC1	Data collection & Stakeholder analysis (CB)
2	Mon 27 Jan	08.00–10.45	HA3	Theory of science (LOB)
		11.00–11.45	HA3	Scoping & planning tools (MD)
	Wed 29 Jan	10.00–11.45	HC1	Qualitative methods (JB)
		13.15–17.00	MT11-12-13	Workshop 1: Introduction to Granta EduPack for product life cycle assessment * (PF)
3	Mon 3 Feb	08.00–11.45	MT11-12-13	Workshop 2: Social life cycle assessment * (PF)
	Schedule adaptations for the CHARM event / Project work ⁑
4	Mon 10 Feb	08.00–09.45	HA3	Scientific communication * (MD)
		10.00–11.45	HA3 ⁑	Project work ⁑
	Wed 12 Feb	10.00–17.00	Library, Seminar Room 1 / ⁑	Library session by appointment in Seminar Room 1* (MS, BG) / Project work ⁑
5	Coaching session: Group dynamics discussion by appointment in room ML15 * (BB)
	Mon 17 Feb	08.00–11.45	⁑	Project work ⁑
	Wed 19 Feb	10.00–11.45	HC1	Research quality (MD)
		13.15–17.00	ML11-13-15*	Compulsory check-in by appointment * (tutors) / Project work ⁑
6	Mon 24 Feb	09.00–11.45	SB-H8	Engineering ethics (CB)
	Wed 26 Feb	10.00–11.45	HB1	Ethics in companies (CD, AF)
		13.15–15.00	HC1	Critical project evaluation * (PH)
		15.15–17:00	HC1 ⁑	Project work / open door support ⁑
7	Mon 3 Mar	08.00–11.45	HA3 ⁑	Project work / open door support ⁑
	Wed 5 Mar	10.00-11:45	HC1	Presentation skills (MD)
		13.15–17.00	HC1 ⁑	Conference paper / Presentation practice ⁑
8	Mon 10 Mar	08.00–11.45	⁑	Paper peer reviews ⁑
	Wed 12 Mar	10.00–17.00	HC1	PPU215 Conference * (course team)

* Compulsory sessions; ⁑ Self-organised sessions; (lecturers’ initials)

 

Course literature

• Lecture handouts
• Selected publications listed in the lecture handouts
  • SAGE Research Methods: Research Tools (link in the top menu)
  • Chalmers Library: Referencing guide using APA style
  • Chalmers Writing Centre: Writing guide 
• Additional material (optional)
• Denscombe, 2014. The Good Research Guide
• Booth et al., 2016. The Craft of Research
• Harvard University: A guide to group work

 

Course design

This course uses an active learning approach (project-based) and progresses along two tracks: professional development and scientific skills. Both tracks will be explored and practised via a combination of activities centred around your group project. Each activity will equip you with tools and methods to build your ability to plan and execute a research project effectively.

Scientific skills. This track contains lectures and exercises focusing on the necessary theories and methods to conduct rigorous project work according to established quality criteria for generating scientific and engineering knowledge: theory of science, scoping, data collection, literature studies, quantitative methods and qualitative methods.

Professional development. This track is mainly composed of workshops and theme lectures on the following topics: project planning and time management, project meetings and teamwork, giving and receiving feedback, ethics in companies and ethics in engineering.

At the overlap of both tracks. You will also learn about how to reflect on the implications of your work and how to communicate your work effectively (oral, written and visual communication). 

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

1. Use a structured project methodology to apply knowledge and skills gained in the university education.
2. Assess the need for scientific information, search for that information and critically evaluate its relevance.
3. Write a project proposal to define and scope open-ended research questions.
4. Select appropriate research methods to fulfil the project objectives, and critically evaluate the methods used with consideration to both scientific trustworthiness and ethical aspects.
5. Write a project report in the form of a scientific article conforming to academic standards of quality.
6. Perform a clear oral presentation of the project results that is well-suited to its intended audience.
7. Collaborate professionally in accordance with a project group's needs of structured management and task distribution with considerations for equality, diversity and inclusion in teamwork.
8. Give constructive feedback to group members and other groups on their work, and respond to feedback on your own group work.
9. Reflect on ethical aspects of engineering work, academic research and corporate codes of conduct, at different system levels. 

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen 

 

Examination form

The course examination is continuous as defined by the activities in the course schedule. Some elements are mandatory while others are not, but still highly recommended.

The group component, i.e. project work, is a major basis for the grade (60%) and involves organizing yourselves as a team, performing the required tasks for your project, and independently creating a well-supported scientific argument to answer your research question. This project work is mostly carried out outside of scheduled class time, but many lectures and exercises function as supportive activities towards the end goal.

The individual component of the course (40%) is used to adjust the personal grade level.

 

Grading rules:

• You must hand in all mandatory assignments.
• Some assignments are optional but highly recommended.
• Late submissions for optional assignments are not accepted (not graded). 
• Late submissions on mandatory assignments will result in malus points. 
• Peer review is mandatory for the conference paper.

 

Individual component (max. 20 pts)	Group component (max. 30 pts)
* Registered presence & participation at mandatory activities in the schedule – Pass / Fail * Self-assessment (x2) & member feedback (x2) – 10 pts Reflective essays (x2) – 10 pts	* Project proposal – Pass / Fail Study design drafts (x3) – for feedback * Conference paper + peer reviews – 20 pts * Conference presentation – 5 pts * Project management (weekly) – 5 pts

Note: * Assignments in red are mandatory

 

Grading is individual and the grading scale is: 5, 4, 3, and Fail.

Grade levels
≥27 pts ≥35 pts ≥43 pts	Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

 

Honesty and integrity

All students at Chalmers are expected to comply with the rules of the university (Academic Honesty and Integrity at Chalmers).

There is zero tolerance for cheating and plagiarism.