RETRIEVAL AND DISTRIBUTION OF TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH INFORMATION: ONE STATE'S APPROACH

The Transportation Research Board's Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) database was developed to meet the information needs of the transportation community. The volume and rate at which the TRIS collection of records has expanded have resulted in a continual need to update the methods used for retrieving records relevant to a specific subject. Recent technology has provided a number of methods for searching the vast content of the TRIS database. These methods include a dial-up proprietary search engine, a CD-ROM data subscription, and Web sites for scanning active research projects that have not yet produced published documentation. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages for the practitioner seeking information on a particular topic. This article reviews these three current methods and describes how the Connecticut Department of Transportation uses them to disseminate transportation research information to a variety of customers.