ENG5410 Research practice in engineering
Faculty of Engineering
ENG5410 Research practice in engineering is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ENG5410
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ENG5410
No unit lists ENG5410 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be currently enrolled in a master’s course in engineering or related STEM and in a related discipline. The unit assumes that you have the necessary foundational knowledge.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
The unit aims to be an introduction to the practice of research. It is founded on perspectives from the Philosophy of Science (PoS), which addresses questions of what science is and what it means to be a scientist. The unit firstly introduces the structure of scientific arguments and aims to demonstrate how a knowledge of this structure can enable critical thinking and scientific communication. The unit also shows how modern science is a complex social process addressing issues such as research funding, planning and budgeting research projects, research metrics, technology development and commercialisation, intellectual property and patents, and current socio-political views of science and scientists.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | Online |
| Second semester | Clayton | Online |
Assessment
- In-class presentationPresentation20%
- Grant proposalWritten30%
- Review of grant proposalWritten15%
- RejoinderWritten15%
- Short pitch presentationPresentation20%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Critically review scientific arguments to identify research questions, discern inductive arguments leading to hypotheses and deductive arguments leading to valid experimental tests.
- 2
Generate a research proposal by applying the hypothetico-deductive framework to a research problem, formulating a research plan, assessing material and human resources required for the research, justifying a research budget.
- 3
Effectively communicate scientific results.
- 4
Appreciate prevalent sociological perspectives of science and reflect on their consequences for publicly-funded scientific research, such as research quality assessment and metrics.
- 5
Appreciate the steps involved in developing and commercialising technology and the value of scientific skills in this process.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Teaching approachSimulation or virtual practice
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Assignments will require the submission of a research proposal, including administrative details, drafting a budget, preparing mock track record statements etc. You will also review your peers' proposals and submit rejoinders.
Workshops will involve activities to help explain the application of the Scientific Method to analyse the logical structure of research proposals and reports.
Workshop activities and assignments will be team-based to enable you to learn concepts deeply through discussion and explanation with your peers.
Recorded lectures will explain concepts in logical and critical thinking and the philosophy of science.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Merrilee Salmon, "Introduction to logic and critical thinking", Cengage Learning, 2012.
Technology resources
You have to regularly check email and Moodle for announcements.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Warren Batchelor
- Professor Udo Bach
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Warren Batchelor
- Professor Udo Bach
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ENG5410?
ENG5410 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ENG5410 offered?
In 2026, ENG5410 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton, with an online option.
How much work is ENG5410?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ENG5410 have an exam?
No. ENG5410 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.