Integrating Information into the Engineering Design Process

Engineering design is a fundamental problem-solving model used by the discipline. Effective problem-solving requires the ability to find and incorporate quality information sources. To teach courses in this area effectively, educators need to understand the information needs of engineers and engineering students and their information gathering habits. This book provides essential guidance for engineering faculty and librarians wishing to better integrate information competencies into their curricular offerings. The treatment of the subject matter is pragmatic, accessible, and engaging. Rather than focusing on specific resources or interfaces, the book adopts a process-driven approach that outlasts changing information technologies. After several chapters introducing the conceptual underpinnings of the book, a sequence of shorter contributions go into more detail about specific steps in the design process and the information needs for those steps. While they are based on the latest research and theory, the emphasis of the chapters is on usable knowledge. Designed to be accessible, they also include illustrative examples drawn from specific engineering sub-disciplines to show how the core concepts can be applied in those situations.

Michael Fosmire is the Head of the Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Technology Division of the Purdue University Libraries and Professor of Library Science. He has written extensively on the role of information in active-learning pedagogies and the integration of information literacy in science and technology curricula. Michael earned undergraduate degrees in Physics and Mathematics from the Pennsylvania State University and Masters degrees in Physics and Library Science from the University of Washington.David Radcliffe is the Kamyar Haghighi Head of the School of Engineering Education and the Epistemology Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University. His teaching and research interests span design, sustainable systems, engineering education and professional development, innovative learning spaces, and knowledge management. David earned BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Queensland, and a PhD in bioengineering from Strathclyde University.