SFTY 375 Instructions for Project 1 And 2

Please review the following instructions for Project 1 and Project 2. If you have questions about these directions, please go to the Project 1 and 2 – Questions and Answers discussion activity in the Course Specific Information course area. Post and submit your message, then check back later for answers. Remember to follow the APA Formatting Requirements in the Course Specific Information course area.

Please note that Project 1 must be related to accident investigation for reciprocating engines; Project 2 must be related to accident investigation for turbine engines.

You must address five areas for each project; each area is described in more detail below.

  1. Project Selection
  2. Content Focus
  3. Format Options
  4. Length and Size (as applicable)
  5. Professional Scholarship

Project Selection

Students and instructors alike come from varied backgrounds and environments. Interests are different, as well as educational backgrounds and career experiences. For this reason, the project for this assignment can come from many areas. However, the project should be relevant to the subject matter and must be approved by the instructor.

Ideas for a project might include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Development of a Guide to Reciprocating Engine Accident Investigation for Project 1 or Guide to Turbine Engine Accident Investigation for Project 2.
  2. An in-depth analysis of a case study presented by the instructor
  3. Comprehensive review of an accident related to reciprocating engines
  4. Review and discussion of an NTSB accident report
  5. Choose a different specific topic that is related to reciprocating engine accident investigation such as component failure analysis, component life cycle analysis, internal engine failures, component failures, bearing failures, spectrometric oil analysis programs, propeller systems, and so forth.
  6. Any other specific topic that related to reciprocating engine accident investigation for Project 1 and turbine engine accident investigation for Project 2.

Keep in mind that any project approved must contain an element of research outside of the materials presented and should be of sufficient depth and scope to show a college-level understanding of the topic.

Content Focus

  • Focus on causes, findings, and recommendations that relate directly to engine systems, operations, components, material defects, or malfunctions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the investigative techniques and procedures presented in this course.
  • Show evidence and logic to support your statements and conclusions.
  • Give citations for your
  • Conclude with a comprehensive summary that ties the entire project together and links the project to the course goals and outcomes.

Format Options

The format of your project can be any type that you have the skills and “know how” to prepare. The format must be approved by the instructor. You must fully meet the content requirements and be able to upload your presentation in the appropriate assignment activity in Module 5 for Project 1 or Module 9 for Project 2. Possible formats include a document, web page, video, presentation, audio “radio” program, investigation report — any format of your choosing, as long as you can meet the content and technical requirements. Please review the detailed instructions in the Project 1 and Project 2 Assignment activities about how to submit your project.

If you choose a project with demanding technical skills, you need to be “on your own” in handling the technology. The purpose of this course, as you know, is to focus on propulsion plant investigation, not on teaching you the technical requirements for various presentation formats. But if you have those skills, and you wish to use them, please do so.

For your project, no matter what format you choose, also submit a list of references that you have used, following the APA manual requirements for how to list such references. For example, if you interview someone, there is a particular way to cite that person and date interviewed; if you use a report from the Web, the APA manual shows how to list that kind of reference, too; if you use textbooks or articles, those also should be cited according to the APA manual.

Length and Size

If you do a paper, make it 5 to 7 pages of narrative, from introduction to conclusion, with the title page, abstract, and references. (The title page, abstract, graphics, charts, tables, and the list of references are considered separately, and not part of this page count. This suggestion of 5-7 pages, assumes double-spaced, Times New Roman typeface with a size 12-point font.)

If you choose another format, it should be as thorough as the paper. It is not reasonable to tell you to do a fixed number of slides, since “animation” or “no animation” features in a PowerPoint® could change the frame count and, yet, not change the content. Such an arbitrary rule also could be too limiting to your work. It is better that you focus on the thinking and content than those kinds of limits.

But do make sure that you cover the equivalent of content for a 5-7 page paper. So, for example, though slides should never have a lot of words, you would be expected to add appropriate “Notes” to explain what you show in each slide. You could do that with typed-in notes in the PowerPoint presentation and/or with audio that you record for each slide. Size also matters. If you use many visuals in a paper, it will be better if you make each photo or graphic a size suitable for the Web, and/or convert a document file to PDF. Otherwise, it could be difficult to upload and review your file. Similarly, if you record audio under a PowerPoint, it will be better if you compress the file before submitting it.

Professional Scholarship

While the formatting may differ depending on your project, you are expected to use a professional style in your project. Do your research. Use facts, evidence, and information. Avoid unsubstantiated claims. Cite your sources. Use your own words to express ideas with language that has correct spelling and punctuation. Remember, the projects are going to be submitted to the Turnitin® repository to be checked for plagiarism. Refer to the APA Formatting Requirements in the Course Specific Information course area as needed.

Approach your project as if you are a professional who must complete a responsible report that will shows critical thinking about accident investigation and that will inform others about how to prevent future accidents.

Accident report
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