Experimental_Techniques_and_Ethics_Lecture.pptx

Audience: Final-year Mechanical Engineering students (capstone)
Objectives:

Introduce key methods and good practices in experimental techniques relevant to engineering projects

Examine the ethical dimensions of experimentation and engineering design

Provide frameworks & case studies to help students recognize and handle ethical dilemmas in experiments and engineering practice

1. Experimental Technique & Ethics in Engineering Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teoh Yew Heng School of Mechanical Engineering, USM Engineering Capstone Project Lecture

2. Motivation: Why This Matters Capstone projects require experimental validation. Poor experimental design can lead to invalid conclusions. Ethical issues arise from data handling, safety, and honesty.

3. Overview Experimental Techniques Experimental Design & Measurement Data Integrity & Analysis Ethics in Engineering Case Studies & Frameworks

4. Experimental Techniques in Engineering Structured method to plan, conduct, and analyze experiments. Involves hypothesis, instrumentation, and measurement accuracy. Ensures results are repeatable and reliable.

5. Key Components of Experiments Define objectives and hypotheses. Identify variables (independent, dependent, controlled). Establish protocols and measurement standards. Ensure calibration and uncertainty analysis.

6. Uncertainty and Error Systematic vs Random errors. Calibration minimizes bias. Use of confidence intervals and error propagation. Statistical reliability assessment.

7. Good Practices Pre‑test and replicate measurements. R ecord all data (including anomalies). Validate instruments regularly. Maintain transparency and traceability.

8. From Technique to Ethics Engineering is social experimentation (Martin & Schinzinger , 2019). Ethical conduct ensures safety, integrity, and trust. Engineers are accountable for both process and outcomes.

9. Core Ethical Principles Beneficence (do good, avoid harm) Autonomy (respect participants and stakeholders) Justice (fair distribution of risks and benefits) Responsibility and accountability

10. Professional Codes of Ethics NSPE, IEEE, ASME codes emphasize: Honesty and impartiality Public safety and welfare Avoiding conflicts of interest Competence and continuous improvement

11. Ethical Dilemmas Altering data to match expectations. Ignoring unsafe practices to meet deadlines. Confidentiality vs public safety. Misuse of intellectual property.

12. Case Study: Challenger Disaster Technical + Ethical failure. Ignored risk warnings from engineers. Decision‑making under pressure. Lesson: Ethical courage and transparency.

13. Ethical Decision Framework Identify the ethical issue. Determine stakeholders. Analyze alternatives and consequences. Apply ethical principles. Justify decision and document process.

14. Research and Data Ethics Avoid fabrication, falsification, plagiarism. Ensure proper authorship and credit. Respect confidentiality and data ownership. Promote reproducibility and open reporting.

15. Summary Experimental rigor ensures reliability. Ethical practice safeguards public trust. Engineers must integrate both in every phase of their projects.

16. References 1. Martin, M. W. & Schinzinger, R. (2019). *Introduction to Engineering Ethics*, McGraw‑Hill. 2. Fleddermann, C. (2012). *Engineering Ethics*, Pearson. 3. Pressbooks (2021). *Principles of Engineering Ethics*. 4. NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers (2020).