RAC-CUTC Liaison Group Issues Related to the Preparation and Delivery of Research Reports to State DOT Research Organizations Shashi Nambisan Leni Oman Steve Pepin Martin Pietrucha

RAC-CUTC Liaison Group Principle Issue Quality of research reports does not meet expectations Not limited to specific PIs or institutions, but broadly distributed 7/23/20122NRAC Meeting 2012 Burlington, VT

RAC-CUTC Liaison Group Examples Errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar Failure to establish basic formatting or adhere to specific formatting DOT requirements Failure to meet deadlines Failure to provide a comprehensive, well-organized final report, as opposed to merely assembling task-related technical memoranda or other interim deliverables Failure to properly attribute trademarked products or other protected intellectual property, or to acquire and document permission to use or adapt previously published material Failure to base research results and recommendations based on data and analysis, rather than subjective judgment Failure to clearly communicate the research methodology, analysis, or results, giving the appearance of inconsistency and subjectivity 7/23/20123NRAC Meeting 2012 Burlington, VT

RAC-CUTC Liaison Group Possible Causes Authors may not be native English speakers Limited experience in report preparation Not be familiar with copyright law in the United States and the limitations on use of protected material PIs may believe that it is not necessary to spend time on the style and format of a “draft” report as the sponsoring organization may require substantial changes in the manuscript. DOT-sponsored research not considered “peer (i.e., academic peer) reviewed” PI attitudes concerning contractual requirements – Assumption the contract can be easily extended – Deadline refers to the date by which the research, rather than the report, must be completed – Due dates for interim milestones are not enforced 7/23/20124NRAC Meeting 2012 Burlington, VT

RAC-CUTC Liaison Group Study Objectives Understand the state of the practice Form realistic expectations Develop solutions to the problems identified 7/23/20125NRAC Meeting 2012 Burlington, VT

RAC-CUTC Liaison Group Next Steps Survey state DOT research organizations to: – Document concerns – Identify existing practices – Collect guidelines for the preparation of research reports Survey universities, consulting firms, and other organizations to: – Document concerns from the researchers’ perspectives – Identify existing practices – Collect guidelines for the preparation of research reports Develop recommendations for appropriate roles and expectations 7/23/20126NRAC Meeting 2012 Burlington, VT

RAC-CUTC Liaison Group 7/23/20127NRAC Meeting 2012 Burlington, VT