Research Methodology and Technical Writing · 2018-02-19 · Research Methodology and Technical Writing - 2018 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & THE BUILT

CPD PROGRAMME

Research Methodologyand Technical Writing

26 - 27 MARCH 2018

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

ENGINEERING & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

2

Research Methodology and Technical Writing - 2018 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT



Most engineers involved in the management and operation of railway

infrastructure conduct engineering investigations, first to identify the

causes of failure of systems or their components; secondly to develop

appropriate solutions to engineering problems and finally to develop

new products/processes to improve productivity.

All these investigations require a systematic approach from the definition

of the problem to reporting of the outcome of the investigation. This

course aims to equip professionals in the Railway Industry with the

transferable skills of technical research and investigation, technical

writing and presentation.

Introduction

3




Research/investigation process

Technical Paper writing

• Selection of information and structure of a conference paper

• Technical and academic writing

• Referencing, annotations and graphics

Presentation skills

• PowerPoint

• Oral Presentation

• Poster presentation: hard copy and digital

At the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Develop a systematic plan for an engineering investigation

• Identify and select appropriate information

• Write a technical paper

• Create effective visuals for presentation of technical findings

for an oral or poster

• Know what is required of a persuasive oral presentation

Course Topics

Course Objectives

4



Prof. Pilate Moyo (PrEng) is Professor of Structural

Engineering and Director of the Concrete Materials

and Structural Integrity Research Unit (CoMSIRU) in the

Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Cape

Town. His research and consultancy is on structural health

monitoring, condition assessment, structural dynamics,

vibration testing, and structural strengthening strategies

for civil structures. His research is focused on developing structural assessment

technologies integrating finite element modelling, full scale field testing, and

advanced data analysis algorithms. He has published widely in these areas..

View profile www.civil.uct.ac.za/pilate-moyo

Prof. Jane English (PhD, Glasgow Caledonian) heads

Professional Communication Studies in the Faculty of

Engineering and the Built Environment. Jane has produced

numerous research papers (see Academia.edu) and training

tools for teaching (presentation skills DVD ‘SpeakEasy’;

textbook Professional Communication: Effective Written

and Spoken Messages). She has presented at numerous

conferences – the ILO, the CIB.

As a communication specialist she consults widely to commerce and industry on

aspects of written, spoken and interpersonal communication. Prior to joining

UCT she held the following positions - Research Editor: Chamber of Mines’

Research Organisation. or her website for details: www.janeenglish.co.za

Course Presenters


5



Course Programme

DAY ONEREGISTRATION: 8:00 – 9:00

Session Topic Presenter

9:00 – 9:15

9:15 – 10:15

INTRODUCTION TO COURSE

RESEARCH/INVESTIGATION PROCESS: AN OVERVIEW

• Identify a problem• Review the literature• Consider formats for documents

Overview of the sections of a conference paper:- Abstract, Introduction, Background & Literature review- Experiment, Results & Discussion- Conclusions & Recommendations

Prof Pilate Moyo

Prof Jane English

10:15 – 10:30 COFFEE/TEA BREAK

10:30 – 11:15 PLANNING THE ARGUMENT• Mind mapping• Structure the discourse

Prof Jane English

11:15 – 12:30 RESEARCH/INVESTIGATION PROCESS: AN OVERVIEW• Evaluate the literature• Examples of literature review• Select the research method• Select a data collection method• Collect• Analyse and interpret the data• IP, branding & ethical issues

Prof Pilate Moyo

12:30 – 13:30 LUNCH

13:30 – 14:15 PAPER WRITING: TECHNICAL SECTIONS• Examples of reports, Journal papers, Conference papers

Prof Pilate Moyo

14:15 – 15:00 PAPER WRITING: FIGURES, TABLES, REFERENCING & CAPTIONS• Data presentation [graphs, tables, pictures]• Extracting information from data• Referencing of figures and tables [Figure & Table Captions]

Prof Pilate Moyo

15:00 – 15:20 COFFEE/TEA BREAK

15:20 - 16:00 Assignment Prof Pilate MoyoProf Jane English


6




Course Programme... continued

Session Topic Presenter

8:30 - 10:00 PAPER WRITING: TECHNICAL WRITING STYLE• Grammar, Style and Language• Format and formal writing• Common errors

Prof Jane English

10:00 - 10:20 COFFEE/TEA BREAK

10:20 - 12:30 PRESENTATION SKILLS: POWERPOINT• Format and style, colour and font• Text and tables, keywords and bullet points• Photos, diagrams and graphs

Prof Jane English

12:30 – 13:30 LUNCH

13:30 - 15:00 PRESENTATION SKILLS: ORAL/POSTER PRESENTATION• Considering the audience• Poster Presentation: Catching the eye• Oral presentation: Communicating ideas• Style and language• Impromptu sessions

Prof Jane English

15:00 - 15:20 COFFEE/TEA BREAK

15:20 - 16:00 WORKSHOP SESSION• Questions and Answers• Paper review and examples

Prof Pilate Moyo

Prof Jane English

DAY TWO

7




Course Overview

Name Research Methodology and Technical Writing

Duration 26 – 27 March 2018

Venue To be confirmed, JHB

CPD 2 CPD points, ECSA Validation No: UCTRMTW18

Participants Suitable for engineers, technicians, students and academics

FeesStandard delegate: R 7 300

Full-time student: R 3 650

8



RegistrationRegistration and Cancellation• You can register for this course in one of the following ways:

1. register online or2. download the registration form and email it to [email protected]

• Registration covers attendance of all sessions of the workshop, teas and lunches, and a set of notes.

• Registrations close one week before the start of the course. Confirmation of acceptance will be sent on receipt of a registration form.

• Cancellations must be received one week before the start of a course, or the full course fee will be charged.

• For more information on application and registration procedures, please visit our website: www.cpd.uct.ac.za/cpd/applications

Certificates and CPD PointsA certificate of attendance will be awarded to CPD participants. Participants need to attend 80% of the lectures to qualify for an attendance certificate. CPD participants can also request a formal university transcript, which will show this course as part of a Professional Development Career.

Contact detailsFor more information or details on CPD courses, visit our website or contact us.Web: www.cpd.uct.ac.zaE-mail: [email protected]

Physical address Postal addressCPD Programme CPD Programme Room 6.10, 6th Floor EBE FacultyNew Engineering Building University of Cape TownUpper Campus Private Bag X3University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7701South Africa South Africa

Programme administratorsSandra Jemaar: +27 (0)21 650 5793Heidi Tait: +27 (0)21 650 4922


http://www.cpd.uct.ac.za/cpd/applications/registration

http://www.cpd.uct.ac.za/cpd/applications

Documents

Research Methodology and Technical Writing · 2018-02-19 · Research Methodology and Technical Writing - 2018 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & THE BUILT