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NCHRP 20-78: Final Report Page 1 SUMMARY This report attempts to examine, identify, and understand effective communication practices of transportation researchers, to determine how the audience values the communication, and how these communication efforts relate to a projectâs implementation or success. Effective communication of the value of research is not only necessary to justify the resources spent on it, but is necessary to secure any funds and generate support for future projects. In short, this study serves as a communications project. Communication is needed at every stage of the research process, in the appeal of the problem, in the research planning, in obtaining and justifying time and money needed, in convincing others to support a research effort, in advocating for its use or implementation, and in promoting the overall need for transportation research. Researchers need to use a variety of methods to accomplish these tasks, but do not necessarily embrace or understand the required components of successful communication. Nonetheless, knowing how to properly communicate the need for research is an essential part of the research process. The focus of this study was to identify the audiences of transportation research, to define the product, and to recommend the best methods by which to communicate or connect the need for transportation research to its beneficiaries. Getting people to appreciate the value of research, in order to fund research, requires their understanding of the value of the research product. This understanding comes from the information that the researchers provide, therefore, it is important to consider how researchers communicate the value of their work from the early stages of a project and how to communicate throughout the life of the project. What is missing, however, is a well-honed strategy to guide researchers in communicating the benefits of transportation research at all stages of the research process. Research consisted of examining communication variables and identifying the product and consumer by conducting interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders and decision makers, literature searches of relevant publications and Internet searches of transportation-related organizations and their Websites, case studies of producers and consumers of transportation research, and analyzing the synthesizing the data to develop a strategy to serve as a communication plan. The materials, best practices, and communication strategies were compiled into a Guidebook that will serve as a tool to assist state and local DOTs, other transportation authorities, and transportation researchers in effectively communicating the value of their research. Successful implementation of this research and the communication plans described throughout this report will be determined if the benefits of improved communication gain local, state, and federal recognition, if training programs and seminars are conducted for potential users of the Guidebook, and if researchers see an increase in funding support.
