Identifying Research Needs

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) has announced the availability of a new database designed to help researchers in the transportation community identify where their expertise and resources are most needed. The Research Needs Statements (RNS) Database serves as a central location for the storing, searching, and sharing of approximately transportation research needs statements that have been prepared and approved by 125 of TRB’s technical activities standing committees. Information in the database can be accessed in two ways, either by browsing through subject categories or committees, or by searching in an “advance search” format and specifying a title, index terms, committee, or subject category. Check out the RNS Database to learn how you might be able to more effectively contribute to research.

A new search engine for transportation

Transportation Meta Search is a Google-enabled search engine, set up and maintained by transportation librarians in the USA and abroad. There is nothing fancy here, just a single search box, and no "advanced search", but it's pretty effective. A search on "asphalt rubber pavements" pulled up 265 documents, including many PDFs.

Though TMS searches only on the Web, it could serve as a useful starting point before moving on to more comprehensive and detailed databases such as TRIS (available on the Web) and Transport (available in the Transportation Library.)

Aviation innovation

An aviation idea that may require further R & D.