Knowledge and Skills Statement
Engineering design is a systematic process for solving engineering problems. It starts with scientific knowledge and models of the material world. Each proposed solution balances competing criteria—desired functions, technological feasibility, cost, safety, esthetics, and compliance with legal requirements.
Research
Greenhalgh, Trisha, James Raftery, Steve Hanney, and Matthew Glover. "Research Impact: A Narrative Review." BMC Medicine 14, no. 78 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-016-0620-8
Summary: Impact occurs when research generates benefits (health, economic, cultural) in addition to building the academic knowledge base. We review the strengths and limitations of six established approaches (Payback, Research Impact Framework, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, monetisation, societal impact assessment, UK Research Excellence Framework) plus recently developed and largely untested ones (including metrics and electronic databases). We conclude that (1) different approaches to impact assessment are appropriate in different circumstances; (2) the most robust and sophisticated approaches are labour-intensive and not always feasible or affordable; (3) whilst most metrics tend to capture direct and proximate impacts, more indirect and diffuse elements of the research-impact link can and should be measured; and (4) research on research impact is a rapidly developing field with new methodologies on the horizon.