RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES:

An important part of the transport course is the research paper requirement. The paper is designed to aid you in learning more about transportation issues and the research process. It is also aimed at improving your writing and investigative skills. As suggested in the syllabus the research paper must focus on some aspect of transportation and associated problems and issues. The central focus must be to answer a question or questions posed in a problem or issues format. The topic should have regional or urban implications. Also scale considerations are flexible and may vary from an urban neighborhood in Lexington to the international dimension. The evidence and arguments you use to answer the problem can be obtained from primary (original) or more likely secondary sources. Textbooks are frowned upon as sources of information. Rather original journal articles, monographs, unpublished manuscripts and, if appropriate, data in published and unpublished form.

ALL STUDENTS MUST DISCUSS THE TOPIC WITH THE INSTRUCTOR BY SEPTEMBER 25!!

The following are suggested as potential topics ONLY TO GIVE YOU IDEAS
and to demonstrate the breadth of subjects which are possible:

1. The impact of transit systems in specific communities. Particularly interesting here are community/city debates over various transit proposals. How do we evaluate the impact of transit systems?
2. Problems associated with and brought about by inadequate rural transport. What is the status of rural transport in Kentucky? Specific problems and possible solutions? Elderly access to transport services? Comparisons of various state or country efforts in dealing with rural transport issues?
3. With the growth of technology, ‘logistical solutions’ have become quite sophisticated. A case study of a firm’s logistical operations and its impact would be valuable.
4. In addition, how has transport technology, inter-modal carrier agreements or rate setting affected the movement of freight in the U.S.? By highway, rail and/or water?
5. Shakeouts continue in the domestic airline industry. Why? Who are the dominant carriers? Why? What accounts for poor performance among many carriers? Is there a future for commuter airlines? The success of ‘no frills’ airlines (Southwest, JetBlue Airways, Virgin Atlantic, etc)? How can we explain the revival of older airlines that were once viable but were shutdown and now have been revived: e.g. Continental and Pan Am? The upsurge in regional airlines—will it last?
6. Discuss the evolution of the National Passenger Rail Transport Corporation (AMTRAK). Purpose? How does its early history differ from the current situation? Impact of air travel on Amtrak? Especially--what are the sources of budget difficulties currently and what measures have been taken? Is there a future for passenger rail travel in the U.S.?
7. What are the major problems in the developing world in both urban and rural contexts? Non-motorized transport? Mass transit problems in major Asian, African and Latin American cities? Will privatization work in developing countries? The construction and impact of 'regional' roads.
8. How does and should privatization affect transport operations? Should it be encouraged? Case studies and other evidence? Lessons learned? New directions?
9. How will the expansion of telecommunications affect transport? Can we prepare for new developments? The impact of telecommuting? New transport innovations to assist and aid in commuting for employment purposes?
10. Examine the interrelationship between energy usage and transport in the U.S. or elsewhere. Options for the future and current problems? Transport usage and environmental problems: solutions?
11. What are the major transport problems that U.S. cities face? What are the current approaches and 'climate' for funding mass transit? New strategies for 'solving' transport problems?
12. Trace the changing role of the Federal government and appropriate legislation on a particular mode or sector of transport activity. Deregulation impacts in a particular mode or legislative impacts on transport services.
13. Federal, state or municipal funding problems associated with the transport sector, a particular mode or a specific program (such as CATS) offer excellent possibilities for research. Alternative means of taxation, municipal bond funding, etc. The impact of the diversion of monies from the Road Fund at the Kentucky state level?
14. Management issues particularly as they affect the performance within some aspect of transport sector operations may be evaluated. For example, Lextran?
15. What is the impact of the "democratization of travel" upon Bluegrass Airport? Discuss the term and its implications; the 'situation' of Bluegrass versus Cincinnati and Louisville especially.
16. The importance and resolution of conflict between/among vested interests in large scale transport infrastructure projects and the decision to build (see Peter Hall’s Great Planning Disasters) would be a valuable focus for a research paper. Examples range from local to international: Louisville’s light rail project, Airbus XXX, Hong Kong's International Airport (http://www.hkairport.com/eng/welcome/welcome.htm), etc.

The paper should begin with a short introduction which provides the background for the topic and should be followed by A SPECIFIC STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM you intend to research. This should be followed by the analysis and discussion of the problem. Finally you should attempt to SUMMARIZE BRIEFLY the major points and draw some INSIGHTFUL CONCLUSIONS.

The paper should be referenced with a full bibliography. Each book reference should provide the author or editor's name (surname first), title of the work, place of publication, publisher, and date. An example:

Owen, Wilfred. Transportation and World Development. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,1987.

Or for a journal article: E. MacDonald. "Measuring the Benefits from a Transportation Investment". Transportation Research, Vol.23 (1979), 47-68.

The following method is suggested for referencing materials or ideas IN THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER and which you have found in either books, journals, etc: (Author's last name,date, page number). The complete citation along with page numbers should be detailed in the list of references at the end of the paper. Maps, graphs and tables are appropriate but should be used purposefully not simply as "added weight". The paper should be approximately fifteen (15) pages in length EXCLUSIVE of references, maps, and tables.

A variety of transport related research materials may be found in the U.K. Library system. Journals dealing with transport issues are found in both W T Young Library and the Engineering Library in Anderson Hall. The following list is ONLY A SAMPLE of appropriate journals which might be consulted. Note: Many of the journals (especially the more commercial publications) have a web site.

Journal of Transport Geography
Transportation Research (Part A: General and Part B: Methodological)
Transportation Quarterly
Transportation Research Record
Aviation Week and Space Technology
Air Cargo World
Journal of the Transportation Research Forum
International Railway Journal
Transportation Journal
International Journal of Transport Economics
Journal of Transport Economics and Policy
Traffic Engineering and Control
Transportation Law Journal
The Logistics and Transportation Review
Modern Railroads
Journal of Advanced Transportation
World Transport Policy and Practice
Environment and Planning A
Geographical Analysis
Economic Geography

MOST IMPORTANT ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET (SEE SYLLABUS FOR A PARTIAL LISTING OF IMPORTANT SITES)

THE FINAL PAPER WILL BE DUE THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 24. A BRIEF PRESENTATION (10-15 min), PREFERABLY SUPPORTED BY VISUALS and/or GRAPHICS, OF THE PROBLEM, METHODS (IF APPROPRIATE), RESULTS-FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 9 AND 11