A Checklist for Engineering Reasoning

1.   All engineering reasoning expresses a purpose. Take time to state your purpose clearly.

• Distinguish your purpose from related purposes.
• Check periodically to be sure you are still on target.
• Choose realistic and achievable purposes.

2.   All engineering reasoning seeks to figure something out, to settle some question, solve some engineering problem.

• Take time to state the question at issue clearly and precisely.
• Express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning and scope.
• Break the question into sub-questions.
• Determine if the question has one right answer, or requires reasoning from more than one hypothesis or point of view.

3.   All engineering reasoning requires assumptions.

• Clearly identify your assumptions and determine whether they are justifiable.
• Consider how your assumptions are shaping your point of view.
• Consider the impact of alternative or unexpressed assumptions.
• Consider the impact of removing assumptions.

4.   All engineering reasoning is done from some perspective or point of view.

• Identify your specific point of view.
• Consider the point of view of other stakeholders.
• Strive to be fair-minded in evaluating all relevant points of view.

5. All engineering reasoning is based on data, information, and evidence.
 

• Validate your data sources.
• Restrict your claims to those supported by the data.
• Search for data that opposes your position as well as alternative theories.
• Make sure that all data used is clear, accurate, and relevant to the question at issue.
• Make sure you have gathered sufficient data.

6.   All engineering reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and theories.

• Identify key concepts and explain them clearly.
• Consider alternative concepts or alternative definitions of concepts.
• Make sure you are using concepts and theories with care and precision.

7.   All engineering reasoning entails inferences or interpretations by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to engineering work.

• Infer only what the data supports.
• Check inferences for their internal and external consistency.
• Identify assumptions that led you to your conclusions.

8.   All engineering reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and consequences.

• Trace the implications and consequences that follow from your data and reasoning.
• Search for negative as well as positive implications (technical, social, environmental, financial, ethical).
• Consider all possible implications.