How can you ensure your aerospace engineering research is relevant to society?

1 Identify the problem

The first step to ensure your research is relevant is to identify the problem you want to solve or the question you want to answer. What is the gap in the current knowledge or technology that you want to fill? What is the motivation or the context behind your research? Who are the potential beneficiaries or stakeholders of your research? How does your research contribute to the advancement of science, engineering, or society? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before you start your research.

4 Choose the methods

The next step is to choose the methods that you will use to conduct your research. How will you collect, analyze, and interpret your data? What are the tools, techniques, or models that you will use? How will you ensure the validity, reliability, and ethics of your methods? You should choose the methods that are suitable for your objectives, problem, and literature. You should also consider the feasibility, availability, and cost of your methods.

5 Engage with stakeholders

The final step is to engage with stakeholders throughout your research. Who are the people or groups that are interested in or affected by your research? How will you involve them in your research process or decision making? How will you get feedback or input from them? How will you address their concerns or expectations? You should engage with stakeholders such as the public, the industry, the policymakers, the peers, or the media. You should also use appropriate channels, formats, and languages to communicate with them.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?