**3.2 E-research**

The concept of E-research refers to research that is carried out in virtual teams, using the Internet, and to which the participants lie in various locations.

The research methodology prescribes the following steps:


Modern Methods of Education, Research and Design Used in Mechanical Engineering 605

completion of the audit of the project and raising awareness upon the "lessons" to be

The Industrial Engineering department from "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu did a research design platform focused on creativity. The main theoretical and practical issues of the research activity performed on this platform are presented below. For an easier

In management and engineering, a problem can be defined as the difference between the real and the desired situation. In general, the real causes are not known and a careful analysis of the root causes is needed in order to determine the true nature of the problem. Correct and complete understanding of the issue is very important and necessary in every situation, especially in the situation of a collaborative network, in which participants exchange information in synchronous or asynchronous mode. The problem needs to be explained in a textual and/or graphical way and afterwards communicated over the

The main steps that must be followed in order to define a problem in the communication

 individual studies or E-sessions, performed in order to determine the fields (e.g. technical, managerial, economical, ecological, legal, etc.) and in order to identify key indicators, parameters or behaviours. Additionally potential feedback loops caused by different parameters, contradictions, as well as other risks and uncertainties have to be

E-sessions, in order to determine the problem, as well as research and design topics.

In order to communicate information in network in the best possible manner, it is very effective to use the methods of the "root cause analysis". These methods are as follows: 5Whys, Ishikawa diagrams, failure mode and effects analysis, fault tree analysis, Pareto

In order to perform a correct and complete definition of the problem, it is useful to organize

The theme of the provided example was, as shown in figure 5, the designing of a boring head. This boring head was required to process at several diameters, as well as to create a chamfer at the end of the hole (that the chamfer tool could cut different dimensions depending on the boring head diameter). The material to be processed had "high" features

planning of the research, using the methodology of "Project Management";

determining the type of research that needs to be done;

 experiments and analysis of the final product; the interpretation and dissemination of results;

the design and manufacturing of a prototype (if necessary);

the formation of a virtual team for defining the problem;

research activity and tracking;

research delivery to the beneficiary.

understanding, an example was used.

**3.4.1 Problem definition** 

network are as follows:

acknowledged;

analysis, inference, TRIZ methodology etc.

several E-session with that purpose.

and the manufacturing series was small.

network.

learned;
