AASHTO STANDING COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
NCHRP Problem StatementOutline
I.PROBLEM NUMBER
To be assigned by NCHRP staff.
- PROBLEM TITLE
Accelerating Development of a Common DOT Language
III.RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
Studies show that 15-35% of an employees time is spent searching for information. One of the challenges to finding information is the limited use of common metadata and indexing terminology within the transportation community. It is impractical to apply consistent metadata to all transportation information resources. However, improved searching and relevance of materials found in a search is dependent on some organized relationships between terms.
Indexing and metadata standards do exist and are used but they are limited in scope and/or application. For example, the Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT) is used by most transportation libraries but the terminology doesn't yet address all of the terms needed and is not used to organize data resources or agency records. Data providers apply metadata standards but the actual terms used are quite variable. Web pages use tags that are frequently established by the web master. Record and document management systems use organizing structures based on the needs of current users of the resources but it can be difficult to find information for another need. Image indexing systems are highly variable from no system to strategic metadata and file names. There is no enterprise or industry wide approach that addresses the broad user need of rapid access to relevant information.
State DOTs, MPOs, transit operators, transportation research centers and other transportation organizations store and share critical information via intranet sites, web portals, document and records management systems, and data warehouses. Developing standard terms for categorizing and tagging this information is a critical part of making these initiatives successful – ensuring that end users can easily find what they are seeking when they need it. The process of developing and agreeing upon standard terms that are meaningful to users is difficult and time consuming. Providing access to standard, shared terminology across the transportation community would greatly assist this process and promote interoperability across information silos.
IV.LITERATURE SEARCH SUMMARY
There is a substantial amount literature on metadata, indexing, tagging and other categorization tools. However, the literature does not provide adequate information about current categorization practices in the transportation industry.
Through NCHRP studies, a transportation thesaurushas been developed to provide subject terms for catalogues. As well, a multi-lingualInternational Transport Research Documentation(ITRD) Thesaurus that was developed by members of the ITRD Operations Committee and Austrailia has developed the Australian Transport Index Thesaurus. However, these thesauri are limited in depth and have not yet been widely used outside of libraries. NCHRP 20-79 is currently underway to expand the Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT) to include definitions of terms.
V.RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
This research seeks to identify resources that would serve as a source of new terms for the TRT. It augments and does not duplicate NCHRP 20-79Expansion of the Transportation Research Thesaurus. It supports the networking objectives of NCHRP-20-75 Implementing Transportation Knowledge Networks by further developing the information organization tools that facilitate effective searching.
1. Compilea resource base of terminology and categorization schemes that could be used by transportation organizations for categorizing their internal information resources. It will identify thesauri, taxonomies, glossaries, and ontologies that focus on transportation and transportation related terminology (for example, from public safety, engineering, and environmental domains) – within the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK
2. Develop an annotated list of thesauri, taxonomies, and glossaries representing the multimodal and multidisciplinary interests of transportation organizations; and provide access to the full content and transportation organizations currently using them.
3. Analysis of terminology and categorization schemes in use for relationships of terminology, potential crosswalks and areas where there is a need for further breadth or depth in terminology.
4. Identification of specific steps that could be taken to fill gaps, achieve harmonization across existing information classification schemes, and facilitate greater use of thesauri, taxonomies, glossaries and ontologies to improve information findability and sharing.
VI.ESTIMATE OF PROBLEM FUNDING AND RESEARCH PERIOD
Recommended Funding: $250,000
Research Period: 24 months
VII.URGENCY, PAYOFF POTENTIAL, AND IMPLEMENTATION
As we try to do more with less, the need to improve efficiency in business processes becomes more urgent. Information continues to be created everyday in the transportation community but our ability to access and use it does not keep pace. At the same time, our language continues to change, making it more difficult to find relevant history and current resources to support informed decisions and reduce inefficiency.
Implementation of strategies identified in this study will provide a big payoff that will benefit the transportation industry for years to come if it is maintained. The payoff from this project will be rapid access to transportation information resources that are relevant. As 15 to 35% of a person's time can be spent searching for information, making information more readily available can greatly improve productivity by our workforce.
VIII.PERSON(S) DEVELOPING THE PROBLEM
Leni Oman
Director, Office of Research and Library Services
Washington State Department of Transportation
310 Maple Park Ave SE
PO Box 47372
Olympia, WA 98504-7372
360-705-7974
360-705-6911 fax
360-870-6875 mobile
IX.PROBLEM MONITOR
Frances Harrison
Spy Pond Partners
200 Boston Avenue, Suite 2910
Medford, MA 02155
(617) 395-4370 (office)
(781) 424-3327 (cell)
X.DATE AND SUBMITTED BY
September 15, 2009
by Leni Oman, Washington State Department of Transportation
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