Interim Guide for Developing a State Transportation Research Manual (1995)

Research may be described as the careful, systematic study to establish facts in a specific field, but the crux of the effort for the state is in the application of research results. Technology transfer in research goes beyond the use of the results of the research projects conducted by the unit. Research staff have acquired an expertise in a range of transportation fields. That expertise is continuously in demand by the operating units of the agency. Further, the field of transportation is dynamic, a fact that compels the research staff to keep the transportation community of the state abreast of the latest developments.

Everyone benefits from the transportation system, and hence, from research into the system. In section 1.2, Purpose, the immediate beneficiaries of research were stated to be the Agency, its employees and other transportation agencies and users. The technology transfer activities of research will be directed to the immediate customer, with the larger community in mind.

The partners of research, as defined in section 2.1.2.A., Outreach Partners, are also the beneficiaries of research. Gaining the support of the beneficiaries of research was outlined in section 2.1, Customer Support Development. The partnerships formed with Agency operating units, universities, companies, transit authorities, consultants, local governments, regional agencies, FHWA and the public will require constant renewing. The transfer of technology cannot be accomplished without the concurrence and assistance of these partners.

Commentary:

The activities listed here will be discussed in greater detail in subsequent additions to the guide. Only a brief description is offered at this time. The activities often overlap with each other and with other activities of the research staff. No attempt is made to try to keep them separate. It's to everyone's advantage to offer as much evidence as possible, in as many ways as possible, to show the benefits of the research results under consideration.

The following list is not meant to be either exhaustive or mandatory. But this is an opportune time for the research unit to flaunt the range of activities in which it is engaged.

Research staff will be active participants in the technology transfer activities in the following ways:

• The progress of the research projects will be continuously examined to ensure that the deliverables are amenable to implementation;

• The results of research projects will be advanced for implementation;

• The expertise of staff will be available to the operating units of the agency for problem solving;

• The results of promising research from other agencies and publications will be made available to the agency's operating units;

• Information on FHWA Demonstration projects will be disseminated to agency staff, and analyzed for a potential workshop session;

• Research staff will be actively involved in the installation and analysis of experimental features in construction;

• As noted in section 2.1, Customer Support Development, research staff will actively participate in the development of committees, institutional discussions and seminars to involve potential partners in the research process;

• Staff will attend important regional and national meetings and disseminate the results to the agency;

All possible methods of collecting and disseminating information on transportation improvements will be pursued. The results of this activity will foster implementation, avail the research units partners of staff expertise and keep the transportation community appraised of the latest advances in the field.

The basis of research support is the information it provides clients. Despite the expertise of the staff, there are many informational requests made of research that require literature searches. An analysis of problem statements and informational requests must consider the literature defining the state of the art of the subject. The Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS) is the single most comprehensive file of literature on all subjects in the field of transportation.

The research unit will contribute to this data base by updating their projects in a timely manner.

Commentary:

Besides TRIS, there are other literature search systems available. They will be discussed in the final edition of the guide. TRIS is the most widely used by the transportation research community. Its importance to the users compels a discussion at this point.

Of the four suggested subsections below only the first, on the TRIS database, is mandated. Consideration of the others is recommended because research units make such a prolific use of search systems.

Ongoing research activities will be reported quarterly to the TRIS database. The reporting will include the status of existing projects, significant changes to existing projects, the addition of new projects, the completion of projects and significant technology transfer activities.

All completed reports will be documented in the TRIS system.

A search of a computerized file for information on a subject starts with a selection of the appropriate key words. If the keywords are too broad in scope, too much information will be returned; it will be very time consuming to siphon that which is important to the search. Conversely, if the keywords are too specific, very limited information may be returned.

A selection of keywords should be made after discussing the subject with the client. Only then can the search structure be properly set up. It's important to structure the search so that the information available to the user adequately covers the subject.

A summary of the findings of the search will be developed from the abstracts of the search. This will serve as the basis for defining further study of the subject. If the search is made for a client, a review of the synthesized material with the client should be the most helpful means of deciding follow up review procedures. If the search is made as part of the literature review process at the outset of a project, the synthesis will serve as background material for the research.

A study of the abstracts should lead to an in-depth review of some articles. For the more esoteric subjects, this is a necessary step. It could lead to additional keywords and the suggestion that another informational system may have to be accessed.

The TRIS database should provide the research unit with the best possible background on the issue under question and air the results of the agency's research to a broad audience.