Kate, I've nothing on using engineering as a focus for drawing research but
some potentially useful pointers below:
One book I would point you towards is 'Drawing Research and Development'
edited by David Thistlewood (Longman, 1992).  In it several authors discuss
research that uses childrens drawings.  There's a particularly good paper by
Sheila Paine about the merits of different styles of drawing research (and
which has a good bibliography of 20th century writing on childrens
drawings).  
Bryan Hawkins
Children's Drawing, Self Expression, Identity and the Imagination
International Journal of Art Design Education
Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 209-219, Oct 2002
Angela Anning. 
Conversations Around Young Children's Drawing: The Impact of the Beliefs of
Significant Others at Home and School
International Journal of Art Design Education
Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 197-208, Oct 2002

Also have you seen this?
IEE News and Press Releases 

IT'S READY, STEADY, GO FOR SCHOOL KIDS COMPETITION! Engineering Profession
Challenges Young Talent  The highly successful 'Today's Engineers' national
drawing competition for 5 - 7 year olds is back for its ninth year. The
theme of the 2002 competition is 'Today's Engineers Help Us Work and Play'
and the closing date for entries is Friday, 19 April 2002. The competition
organisers - 15 of the UK's leading professional engineering bodies - are
challenging children aged between five and seven to draw or paint a picture
either of an engineer at work or of something designed by engineers that
helps them, or their family, to work or play. Details of the competition are
being sent to every primary school in the UK. Teachers will receive a large,
brightly coloured poster which shows a cartoon character called Pixel asking
Sam and Sarah to think of some of the many ways engineers help people all
over the world to work and play. The poster and accompanying notes will help
teachers to explain the many different ways that engineering improves our
lives and can be used throughout the year to assist with the teaching of
technology. The aim of the competition is to encourage children to become
more aware of the role and importance of engineering and hopefully inspire
them to become engineers of the future. The lucky national winner will
receive £100 and a family ticket for Disneyland Paris plus 2 nights free
accommodation and travel from London by Eurostar as well as £1000 for
technology equipment for their school; '  	
	
Info on 2003 competition is at www.todays-engineers.org.uk/todays-engineers/
teacher2003.pdf 

Steve Garner

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kate Woolley [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 03 November 2003 17:07
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:	
> 
> 
> I'm currently doing a Masters degree at Manchester in Civil Engineering
> and I'm doing a project at the moment about children's perceptions of
> engineering as a career choice. To do this, I am looking to interact with
> children and gain information from them through drawing. Therefore, I need
> to be able to interpret these drawings in order to make conclusions. How
> would I go about doing this? Does anyone have any ideas? It only needs to
> be very simple but effective in communicating their views.
> 
> Thanks
> 
>