Humanistic Research Projects: The Basis for a Technical Report.

Engineering students can use a humanistic research project on the poetry of Walt Whitman as the basis for a technical report. Students must first become familiar with the scientific method so that they will have a general procedure for gathering and analyzing data for the project. To use the scientific method, students isolate the problem, observe evidence in order to form a hypothesis, devise an experiment or project that will allow them to collect objective data, and formulate a theory to account for the data gathered. After students understand how to use the scientific method, they must learn the general format for scientific or technical reports. In the Whitman project, students tabulate and analyze data on the vocabulary he uses in "Leaves of Grass," and then write a short technical report that presents the results of their analysis. The project demonstrates the possibility of meaningful interaction between the sciences and humanities. (Additional assignments and exercises are included throughout the text.) (MM)