CheE 281/MatE 281
Chemical & Materials
Engineering Department
Tel: (408) 924-4002 Fax: (408) 924-4057 Email:
Dr. Claire Komives
OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this course is to
prepare the student for thesis/project research. A secondary objective is to provide training in technical
presentation techniques - both written and oral. The results of this course should be a complete thesis/project
research proposal, including scope definition, time schedule for
implementation, and assembly of the reading committee.
ORGANIZATION: In this course each student will be required
to prepare and deliver a series of three verbal and written reports. The sequence of the reports is based on a
systematic development of the project or thesis. The subject of these reports are:
(1) An INTRODUCTION to the general topic,
(2) A LITERATURE REVIEW of the specific topic of the project or
thesis, and
(3) A THESIS/PROJECT PROPOSAL which should
include the detailed scope and plan of the research.
Each of these reports should contain primary material that will be
included in the final Thesis or Project Report, which will be delivered at the
conclusion of the research. These
reports should therefore be completed in as near a final form as possible. A detailed summary of the minimum content of
each report is attached to this Green Sheet.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
The student must
initially identify/select his/her research topic and arrange for a technical
advisor (faculty member) prior to
delivery of the INTRODUCTION report.
All reports must be submitted to the technical advisor at least one week prior to the scheduled
class presentation. It will be
necessary for the student to receive the advisor’s signature acknowledging
receipt of the report and bring this to class on the scheduled date for the
oral presentation. If the report, as
delivered, is deemed acceptable by the advisor and the instructor, the student
will then proceed to the next report stage.
If the report is not accepted, then the student will need to repeat this
report until successful in gaining acceptance.
Though not necessary, it is strongly recommended that the advisor be
present in class when the INTRODUCTION and LITERATURE SURVEY AND REVIEW reports
are presented.
Students must assemble and confirm the complete
Reading Committee prior to delivery of the LITERATURE SURVEY AND REVIEW. The
technical advisor must receive a copy of the LITERATURE SURVEY AND REVIEW at
least one week prior to the scheduled presentation date.
The members of the
student’s Reading Committee must have a
copy of the THESIS/PROJECT PROPOSAL at least one week prior to the
scheduled presentation date. The technical advisor must approve the
THESIS/PROJECT PROPOSAL before it goes out to the committee. All members of the student’s Reading
Committee must be in attendance at the presentation of the THESIS/PROJECT
PROPOSAL and the decision for acceptance will normally be made at that meeting.
If students are falling
behind in their schedule, it is their responsibility to let the ChE/MatE
instructor know immediately in order to be eligible to reschedule their
presentation in a timely manner.
Acceptance of the oral presentation and written proposal by the
instructor will be based partially upon meeting certain minimum quality
standards, which will be specified in detail during the first few class
meeting. Failure to meet these
standards will require the student to repeat the presentation or resubmit the
report, even though the initial version may meet the technical content criteria
for the report. All oral presentations
must be made using appropriate presentation software. At a minimum students are required to use PowerPoint and a LCD
Projector, driven by a Computer. Use of
plastic film type transparencies and overhead projectors will not be permitted.
COURSE
SCHEDULE: A detailed course
schedule will be prepared and distributed after determining the exact number of
students in the class, and the presentation schedule is worked out in
detail The tentative schedule is as
follows:
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Week containing: |
Topic |
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Aug.
30 |
Class organization; prerequisite check Explanation
of Thesis/Project Requirements |
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Sept.
6 |
Literature Search Strategy; Preparation of Viewgraphs;
Thesis Format Requirements; Reading Committee Requirements. |
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Sept.
13 |
No Class |
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Sept.
20 |
Introduction to Thesis/Project Topic Presentation –
Group 1 |
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Sept.
27 |
Introduction to Thesis/Project Topic Presentation -
Group 2 |
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Oct. 4 |
Basic Statistics; Design of Experiments |
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Oct.
11 |
No class meeting |
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Oct.
18 |
Literature Review Presentation – Group 1 |
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Oct.
25 |
Literature Review Presentation – Group 2 |
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Nov. 1 |
No class meeting |
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Nov. 8 |
No class meeting |
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Nov.
15 |
Thesis Proposal Examinations |
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Nov.
22 |
No Class meeting:
Thanksgiving Holiday |
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Nov.
29 |
Thesis Proposal Examinations |
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Dec. 6 |
Thesis Proposal Examinations |
APPENDIX 1 - SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
1. INTRODUCTORY REPORT
The INTRODUCTORY report should provide the background to
the research subject, explain its economic and technical significance, and how
it fits into the overall scope of related technology. The technological history of the subject should be summarized,
from inception through current areas of research, development and application. Particular milestones in the development of
the subject, such as new applications or new analytical methods that provide
data to better understand the technology, should be included in this
report. Potential areas for research
with regard to this subject should be included in the presentation, with
emphasis on any areas that are being considered for this project or thesis.
The oral report should be approximately 15 minutes in
duration and include a minimum of 5 powerpoint slides. The written report should be a three
to four page, double spaced document, with references where appropriate and a
bibliography.
2. CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE PERTINENT LITERATURE
This should provide a summary of the past work done by other
researchers on topics that are either similar or related to the topic of
interest to the student. This
requirement is NOT satisfied simply by providing a listing from a literature
search, manual or automated, or by a summary report of the contents of several
specific articles. It is critical to
the preparation for a research project that the literature review should
confirm the need for the research, and show how the results will be integrated
into the body of knowledge. The
continuity of the research conducted by other investigators must be adequately
covered. In short, after completing the
literature survey, the student should be able to discuss the subject of their
research on a level with other investigators working in the field. The Literature Survey and Review report must
demonstrate both breadth of coverage as well as depth of analysis, including a
“critical
review”.
A comprehensive computerized literature search, where the relevant
databases are accessed, is a requirement.
This can be done using the resources available at SJSU’s Clark Library,
or other libraries that have access to computerized databases. Results of the literature survey, including
a complete citation and abstract of the articles must be submitted to the
thesis/project advisor and course instructor.
The student should consider the following questions when
determining the suitability of including an article in the Literature Survey
and Review:
- Is
the work significant or repetitious?
- Are the results reasonable or do they
appear selective?
-
Are the conclusions reasonable or extrapolated beyond the
range of the results actually obtained?
- Does the work provide valuable
recommendations for future work in the area?
The oral report should be approximately 15 minutes in
duration, include at least 5 viewgraphs, and demonstrate significant results.
The written report should be a minimum of four double spaced pages in length
and must be accompanied by a photocopy
of the computerized literature search. This list should include complete
citations and abstract, and be referenced in the written report, as necessary.
3.
THESIS/PROJECT PROPOSAL
Students
will identify/select their thesis/project research topic as well as their
thesis/project advisor. Under the
guidance of their advisor, they will develop and write a Thesis/Project
Proposal, which is expected to be at least 15 to 20 pages, double spaced, and
well referenced. During this process,
they will also identify their Reading Committee.
The THESIS/PROJECT PROPOSAL will contain the following at a
minimum:
1. An
Introduction/Background section that provides the background to the research
subject, explains its economic and technical significance, and how it fits into
overall scope of related technology.
2. A critical Review of
Past Literature section that discusses related work or research done by other
individuals in the past. A computerized
literature search is mandatory.
3. A Research Hypothesis or Research
Objective(s) section that outlines the basic research question(s) that the
student intends to answer during the course of the investigation.
4. A section on the
Research Approach, including experimental program. This section must demonstrate how the student intends to answer
the Research Hypothesis/Objective. The
experimental methodology that will be taken, the expected data, the manner in
which that data will be analyzed, and how this processed data will be utilized
to answer the research hypothesis must be clearly delineated. This section must also list the equipment
and materials and supplies needed for the project, and where and how these will
be available.
If appropriate, the student will be required to utilize Design of
Experiments approaches in the experimental methodology.
5. A Project Schedule
showing the individual activities, durations and project milestones required
for completing the research. Normally,
it is expected that research will be completed in no more than one year and the
Project Schedule should reflect this with respect to specific dates.
All written documents that are submitted must be in proper and acceptable
English in order to be accepted for grading.
Reports that are grammatically faulty and those that are not written in
good English, as judged by the instructor, will not be accepted. Students who are not confident of their
English grammar are strongly recommended to seek out other sources to help well
ahead of time.
The Final Draft of the Research Proposal must be distributed to
the Reading Committee members no later than one week prior to the Proposal
Examination. A revised final Thesis/Project Research Proposal,
incorporating all comments made by the Thesis Reading Committee and ChE
281/MATE 281 Instructor, must be submitted no later than one week (7 days)
after the Thesis Proposal Examination.
SOME NOTES ON PRESENTATIONS AND VIEWGRAPHS
1. All viewgraphs are to
be prepared with a minimum font size of 18 pt.
Clarity of the viewgraphs when projected onto the screen is essential.
2. Face the audience during presentations, make eye contact, speak
loudly and clearly, and do not mumble.
3. Do not read a prepared text.
Do not read the viewgraphs. The viewgraphs enhance your presentation - they are not your presentation.
4. All figures in
presentations must be appropriately labelled, with credits given to original
source(s). Do not leave the Figure
numbers from original text in your presentation.
5. Do not avoid lettering and text by simply photocopying figures.
6. No more than one figure
per viewgraph. The figure should also
be enlarged sufficiently so that the audience can see it clearly.
7. The cover page should
include topic title, your name, date of presentation, advisor, and the
following text: "In partial fulfillment
of course requirements for MatE 281, Fall 2000. Course Instructor:
Professor G. Selvaduray".
ChE/MatE 281 – Progress Log – Fall 2001
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Student
Name |
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SSN |
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Thesis/Project
Title |
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Thesis/Project
Advisor |
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Reading Committee |
1 |
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2 |
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Introduction |
Advisor
Approval |
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Literature
Search |
Advisor
Approval |
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Proposal |
Advisor
Approval |
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Proposal Examination
Conditions |
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Clearance
of Conditions |
Instructor’s
Signature |
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ChE/MatE 281 - Prerequisites Checklist
Fall 2001
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Name |
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SSN |
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Street Address |
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City, ZIP |
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Phone: |
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Email: |
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Date of Entry |
Fall/Spring, …………(year). |
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Student Status |
Classified or Conditionally
Classified |
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Date of Transfer to Classified Standing: |
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Units |
Number of units completed in MS Program: |
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GRE |
Score: Date |
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WST |
Date requirement met: |
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Requirement met by:
Exam/100W/Publication/Transfer (Circle one) |
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Dept Orals |
Date Department Comprehensive Orals Completed: |
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Program of Study |
Has Program of Study been Approved and Submitted? Yes/No |
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Date Program of Study was Submitted: |
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Please note
that all of the above requirements must be met by MatE majors in order to
continue in ChE/MatE 281.