Research Quality

The Importance of Quality Research Products

Purpose

• To discuss the importance of developing quality products when spending Federal research dollars

• To get your input on how FTA can help you with product quality

Research Products

• Research products - the means by which research results are demonstrated, communicated:• Interim Reports• Plans, designs• Prototype vehicles or systems• Demonstrations• Conferences, Meetings • Final Reports

Issue

• All kinds of projects

• All kinds of products

• Result: All kinds of quality

Federal Research $

• By accepting an FTA research grant, your organization accepts the unique requirements of government funded research.

Not Doing Research?

• Even if your intent for the project is to purchase products or services:

By using research funds, you accept the obligation of providing a research product

Obligation to the Public

• There’s more to an FTA grant agreement than an agreement to receive money.

• There’s an agreement to provide the public something of value.

• Products of FTA-funded research are what we

promise the public in exchange for public funds.

Obligation of Quality

• The U.S. public is owed a quality product from every FTA research grant

What Matters Most

• Research--without adequate communication or demonstration of the results--might as well not happen.

• Successful research is the marked by full documentation and communication of results--regardless of the project outcome.

After its over…

• Research Products become the project

Documents

• They need to be Professional Quality

• Spelling

• Grammar

• Punctuation

• No sentence fragments

• No marathon sentences

Documents- Organization

• Well Organized

• Easy to Navigate• Use Chapters, Sections, Subsections• Make it easy for the reader to scan through• Few people read research from front to back• Make your report an enjoyable resource

Documents - Logic

• Sound, logical flow of information is critical to the reader

• Use logical, supported arguments

• Use easy to follow logical paragraph & sentence structure

• Word choice is key

Documents – Final Reports

• Final reports

• Executive Summary

• Table of Contents

• Written for wider audience

Documents - Data

• Include summary data

• Often not possible to include all data

• Include data that supports arguments, conclusions

Documents - Web

• Most final documents go on the web• Web-ready• FTA doesn’t have a staff of web document editors

• Both PDF and html

Section 508

• Web documents must be “Section 508 Compliant”• Essentially means that graphics, tables and some

formatting must be made so they can also be displayed as text

• To make technology accessible to people with disabilities

Other Products

• Professional Standards

• Prototypes – • Clean, maintained

• Demonstrations• Public-Oriented Staff

• Software• Include full documentation

Input - Discussion

• How can FTA help ensure creating product quality is easy to do?