Assignment brief: Marine Energy System Innovations

Assignment brief: Research Thesis in Marine Engineering

Directive:
Develop an independent maritime engineering research project. Select a current technical topic aligned to your academic and/or professional interests. The project must build on skills from preceding coursework and demonstrate advanced analytical capacity. Aim: to solve a defined problem through theoretical argument, calculation, and/or experimental work. Demonstrate mastery of scientific research methodology. Document and justify all methodological choices. Critically evaluate source accuracy and relevance. Rationalize all conclusions. Present findings in a concise, structured report suitable for academic defence.

Required outcomes:

• Accurately identify a relevant technical research problem in marine engineering.

• Design and execute a research plan using appropriate methodologies.

• Apply theoretical frameworks and data analysis rigorously.

• Draw and justify evidence-based conclusions.

• Present and defend research with logical clarity and academic discipline.

• Demonstrate critical reflection throughout.

Submission: 8,000–10,000 words, excluding references/appendices. Include: abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, full references. Plagiarism threshold: 15%. Harvard referencing required.

Assessment:

• Problem identification and rationale (15%)

• Literature review depth, relevance, criticality (15%)

• Methodological design and justification (20%)

• Data analysis rigour (20%)

• Results, interpretation, critical discussion (20%)

• Report structure, clarity, referencing (10%)

Bibliography Reading Materials:

1. Lindholm, A., Wahlström, N., Lindsten, F., & Schön, T.B. (2023). Machine Learning: A First Course for Engineers and Scientists. Cambridge University Press.

2. Notteboom, T., Pallis, A., & Rodrigue, J-P. (2021). Port Economics, Management and Policy. Routledge, New York.

3. Melchers, R.E. (2021). Probabilistic Models for Structural Reliability. Marine Structures, 78, 103037.

4. Wu, H., Zhang, P., & Du, J. (2020). Energy Efficiency and Emission Trends of Marine Propulsion Systems. Ocean Engineering, 199, 107039.

5. Wright, D., & Taylor, R. (2019). Advances in Corrosion Protection for Marine Structures. Progress in Organic Coatings, 134, 261-271.