The purpose of this manual is to improve the quality of transportation research. It was written in response to a perceived need for a single, comprehensive source of information on the conduct of research. Emphasis has been placed on applied research because this constitutes the dominant research activity of most transportation agencies. The manual includes state-of-the-art techniques for problem statement development; literature searching; development of the research work plan; execution of the experiment; data collection, management, quality control, reporting of results; and evaluation of the effectiveness of the research, as well as the requirements for the systematic, professional, and ethical conduct of transportation research. The recommended practices are based largely on the procedures of the Transportation Research Board. The contents of Volume 1 have been organized into five chapters and five appendices. The manual has been written for transportation agency personnel who perform or supervise research, though it will also be useful to people conducting transportation research in other work environments such as universities and consulting. The contents are directed primarily to individuals with a college or university education, but with no formal training in research. The presentation presumes that the reader has completed a basic course in statistics, and is comfortable working with a personal computer. Volume 2 is intended to complement Volume 1. Volume 2 consists of six chapters and four appendices. (Author/Publisher) This report may be accessed by Internet users at http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/nchrp/cd-22/start.htm
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