Measurement and Data Analysis for Engineering and Science (Dunn, P.F.; 2004) [Book Review]

Abstract

Measurement and Data Analysis for Engineering and Science (5th edition) Patrick F. Dunn, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2004. ISBN: 0072825383, 540 pages, US$152.00. One of the requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for biomedical engineering (BME) programs is that students know how to make measurements on living systems. Indeed, many BME departments are teaching a course titled Medical Measurements. However, many of these courses are taught with books that do not focus on measurements but rather on instruments, while instrumentation books tend to teach students how specific medical instruments work and not the general theory of making measurements on living systems. However, it is not just BME that lacks a selection of textbooks on measurement theory. Dr. Patrick Dunn’s book Measurement and Data Analysis for Engineering and Science attempts to fill a similar gap in mechanical engineering. Although not ideal for all BME measurement courses, Dunn’s book, with supplementation, is a viable alternative for some. Dunn’s book is probably best used by junior undergraduates, or perhaps seniors. It has many excellent features that distinguish it from its peers. It is well written with clear learning objectives stated for each chapter. The author is clearly aware that not all students approach measurement theory with innate enthusiasm. As such, the chapters contain motivating diversions. Each chapter contains a crossword puzzle that reviews the material covered in that section. Also, each chapter opens with a historical vignette. For example, Chapter 1 opens with a picture of Leeuwenhoek’s microscope and three interesting paragraphs on the history of the device, the way the device worked, and why the measurements it made mattered. The first two chapters of the book (‘‘Introduction to Experiments’’ and ‘‘Units and Significant Figures’’) cover topics that are often overlooked in engineering education. Even measurement textbooks often fail to cover these important topics. Many faculty members teaching measurement theory from an instrumentation textbook are forced to supplement the text for teaching these topics. Chapter 3, ‘‘Technical Communication,’’ is also an important topic. However, it is often covered elsewhere in the BME curriculum. Also, the chapter is too brief to be helpful if this is the only exposure to the topic an engineer gets. For example, a little more than one page is given to proper grammar and punctuation. Just a bit more is given to Power Point presentations. It is unlikely that a high school education devoid of grammar training can be undone with this brief treatment. Chapter 4 would be appropriate for those BME curricula that do not require a circuits class as a prerequisite for measurements. However, it is very challenging to cover in a single chapter what many departments cover in one semester. Yet, Dunn does an admirable job. Dunn attempts to start where physics stops and continue up to the transistor. This is a large territory to cover and will certainly leave some faculty unsatisfied. For example, when covering such a broad base, nomenclature becomes a problem. First, is used for voltage, then V, and then later E. Nevertheless, when faced with the option of teaching measurements without circuits, this chapter does expose the student to the required basics. Next is the chapter on calibration and systems. With a good number of examples and a solid section on systems, this chapter is typical of measurement texts. Next, Chapter 6 markedly differentiates this book from a traditional book on instrumentation for biomedical engineers. Absent is a long list of sensors and their physical principals. Rather, Dunn elects to present a few select sensors. This is certainly in keeping with the focus of the book—measurements— but may leave some faculty having to supplement with their favorite sensor. Rather than focusing on sensors, this chapter adds concepts typically taught in circuits: passive and active analog filters. Unfortunately, Chapter 6 ends with a section on digital filters and analog-todigital conversion. This topic does not play a role in the chapters following immediately and is quite different from the analog material. It would be more appropriate to cover these two topics toward the end of the book, where digital signals are treated. Chapters 7–10 deal with statistics and probability. These topics pose a difficult problem for a textbook on measurements. On the one hand, they are critically important to the understanding of measurements. On the other hand, many schools require a statistics course in their curriculum. However, if the statistics course is not a prerequisite for the measurements course, it does little good for the student in this context. Dunn has decided to cover the material in depth in his book. The advantage of this approach is that the critical material, with a consistent nomenclature, is at the students’ fingertips. If the instructor chooses, he can cover this section, skip it, or give it as a reading assignment (although it is a large fraction of the book to assign for self-study). The chapters on statistics and probability cover all the basics, including probability, probability density, hypothesis testing, experimental design, uncertainty analysis, regression, and Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MEMB.2007.907087 Paul King