INCREASING THE RELEVANCE AND UTILITY TO PRACTICE OF TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH

This paper reports on a panel discussion on how the results of transportation research can become more relevant and useful to transportation practice and practitioners. The panelists felt that transportation research is sometimes not influential because researchers and practitioners have different perspectives on the role of research. Researchers tend to see the limitation of existing knowledge while practitioners tend to see the limitations in the researchers' models and analyses. The panelists discussed the relevance of the research problem to policy and managerial decision making, the interface of the researcher with practitioners, the credibility and transparency of the research methodology and data, and the dissemination of the research results. The panelists concluded that immediate relevance and utility should not be the goal of all research. However, for research to be influential, it was suggested that researchers should: (1) choose the right topic; (2) seek the right sponsor, develop an interface with practitioners and take the time to understand their needs; (3) do good work and use models in a way that meets the real needs of decision makers; and (4) write the research up well, package it attractively and bring it to the attention of key people.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/29485010
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • Ben-Akiva, Moshe
  • Bonsall, P
• Publication Date: 2004-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 101-103
• Serial:
  • Transport Policy
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0967-070X
  • Serial URL: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/096707X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Decision making; Information dissemination; Methodology; Research; Research management; Researchers; Transportation; Transportation policy
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Research; Transportation (General); I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00974019
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: May 13 2004 12:00AM