The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and Enhancements (2018)

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84 1. Background and Purpose of the Interviews The purpose of this guide is to describe the process the research team proposes to conduct interviews from stakeholders, as outlined in the project proposal. The guide serves as a critical reference source for the research team in completing the schedule of interviews and in conduct- ing the interviews in a consistent and comprehensive manner. Working from a guide that has been reviewed, edited, and supported by both the research and the research team will ensure that we consistently collect, document, and archive interviews and any information that is refer- enced or shared during the interviews. The interview documentation will serve as an important knowledge base for the research team and the research team in conducting its assessment of the TRT and in formulating findings and conclusions. 2. Context for Understanding Current Challenges and Opportunities for the Transportation Research Thesaurus To gain a better understanding of the current environment, challenges, and opportunities, the research team will conduct interviews with five stakeholder groups, including: (1) department of transportation staff who have critical roles pertinent to the TRT; (2) transportation subject matter experts who are the primary intended users of the TRT; (3) the TRT administrative staff, TRB project panel, and the TRT Subcommittee; (4) the TRT System Architects and Adminis- trators; and (5) information science professionals in state transportation department libraries, academic transportation libraries, and transportation knowledge networks. The research team has prepared a preliminary set of questions to guide the interviews with the roles described above. For each interview, the research team will record information in a distinct document. Each document will be filed and archived as part of the research effort. In addition, reference materials shared by the interviewee will be logged and filed in the research archive. Interview responses will be reviewed by the team as they are recorded, to ensure that the entire team can share insights and fold the knowledge gained into their tasks. The information gathered through interviews is intended to supplement the quantitative assessment data generated by the research team working directly with the TRT. The five stake- holder groups were identified to ensure that we have comprehensive supplementary information for all parts of the assessment framework (Figure D-1). The goal of the interviews is to collect and synthesize subject matter expert opinions and experi- ences related to the TRT and to information seeking and discovery habits. The information col- lected through the interviews will contribute to the body of knowledge that serves as a foundation for our findings and conclusions. To ensure that we include this knowledge in the foundation, A p p e n d i x d Interview Guide and Data Collection Forms

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 85 the research team will conduct a thorough interview process. The interviews will be conducted simultaneously with the literature review. As knowledge is gained through the interview process, it will be fed back to those team members who are supporting the formal and gray literature review. 3. Proposed Interview Schedule and Strategy Who We Plan to Interview Table D-1 describes the stakeholder groups referenced in the project proposal. Table D-1 also highlights how stakeholders’ feedback will be factored into the assessment framework. Stage 1: Department of Transportation Critical Roles and Responsibilities This stage focuses on gathering information from key stakeholders within the department of transportation. The purpose of this stage is to gain an understanding of the purpose, expected IM = information management Figure D-1. Assessment framework. Stakeholder Group Framework A Framework B Framework C Framework D Framework E DOT Key Roles X X X X X Transportation SMEs X X X X TRT Administrators X X X X TRB Project Panel Member X X X X X TRT Subcommittee Members X X X X X TRT System Architects & Developers X X SDOT Librarians X X X X Academic Librarians X X X X X Transportation Knowledge Network Members X X X X X Publishers X X Table D-1. Stakeholder feedback alignment with assessment framework.

86 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements value, and intended use of the TRT. The information gathered in this stage of the project pertains to Framework Dimensions A, B, C, D, and E. The strategy for this stage is described in Section 4. Stage 2: Subject Matter Experts on Advisory Panel and Across State Transportation Departments This stage focuses on gathering information from subject matter experts in the field of trans- portation. The purpose of this stage is to gain an understanding of the value and use of the TRT by domain experts. The information gathered in this stage of the project pertains to Framework Dimensions A, B, C, and D. The strategy for this stage is described in Section 5. Stage 3: The TRT Administrative Staff, TRB Panel Members, and TRT Subcommittee Members This stage focuses on gathering information from the core staff whose roles and responsibili- ties involve the creation, management, and maintenance of the TRT. The information gathered in this stage of the project pertains to Framework Dimensions A, B, C, D, and E. The strategy for this stage is described in Section 6. Stage 4: System Administrators and Implementers Who Have Experience Working with the TRT This stage focuses on gathering information from those individuals whose responsibilities involve the TRT system level architecture, design, and functionality. The information gathered in this stage of the project pertains to Framework Dimensions B and E. The strategy for this stage is described in Section 7. Stage 5: Transportation Librarians, Knowledge Networks, and Publishers This stage of the interview focuses on the state and network level value of the TRT. In this stage, we gather information from state transportation department libraries, from academic libraries that currently or have historically used the TRT to support information management, and transportation knowledge networks for which the TRT may have current or potential value. The information gathered in this stage of the project pertains to Framework Dimensions A, B, C, D, and E. The strategy for this stage is described in Section 8. At the state transportation department level, we propose to conduct in-person interviews with a minimum of four states, including Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington. In addi- tion, we propose an additional 10 virtual interviews with states known to have a rich transporta- tion research base, including: • California • Colorado • Georgia • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Missouri • Louisiana • Arizona • Mississippi • Texas In addition, we propose to contact university, college, and research institute libraries that may use the TRT at the present time or have a future intent to use the TRT for institutional pur- poses. This set of interviews will draw from the membership of the four regional components of the Transportation Knowledge Network. Interviews for these stakeholders will draw upon Framework Dimensions A, B, C, D, and E.

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 87 In addition to information science professionals, the research team will also consult with publishers of major transportation research journals and proceedings to gain an understanding of the transportation vocabulary used to support those sources of information. Interviews for these stakeholders will draw upon Framework Dimensions A and D. Interview Schedule and Formats The interview schedule strives to make the most efficient use of the research team’s time and resources while maximizing our contact time with subject matter experts. A high-level schedule for the completion of interviews is provided (Table D-2). Interview Design and Format Each interview will be structured around a consistent set of questions. The research team has compiled a draft set of questions for each of the four roles we intend to interview. Those ques- tions are included in this Guide. We invite the research team to review and provide comments on the interview questions. Pretests of the questions suggest that the interviews can be conducted in an hour or less. The interviews are designed to be conducted by one team member on site and multiple team members when conducted virtually. How We Plan to Capture Interview Content Interview content will be recorded as the conversation is taking place, with the full permission of the interviewees. It will be transcribed from recordings and shared among the team. Record- ings will be disposed of immediately after transcription. Information collection, synthesis, and analysis will be facilitated by the use of a structured interview guide. All data collected will be treated like research data, with full sourcing and tracing. 4. Interview Objectives and Questions for Key Department of Transportation Individuals The goal of this round of interviews is to gain a broad understanding of stakeholders’ under- standing of the goals and objectives of the TRT. Questions will also address current levels of satisfaction with, and future use of, the TRT in current and other transportation information contexts. Table D-3 describes the questions for this round of interviews. 5. Interview Objectives and Questions for Subject Matter Experts Subject matter expert interviews will be iterative. We intend to follow a five-step process that will make efficient use of their time and gather targeted information about their use of the TRT, its scope and coverage of their subject domains, and their vision for future use of the TRT. Interview Stage Start Date Completion Date Stage 1 Oct. 1 Oct. 31 Stage 2 Oct. 31 Nov. 15 Stage 3 Oct. 1 Nov. 15 Stage 4 Nov. 1 Nov. 30 Stage 5 Nov. 1 Nov. 30 Table D-2. Proposed interview schedule.

88 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Framework Dimension Question Text Interviewee Response Referenced Materials A Please tell us about the TRT’s current strengths. A Please tell us about the TRT’s current weaknesses. A How would you describe the content and structure of the TRT? A Please tell us what you know about the history and evolution of the TRT. Have there been other assessments or recommendations related to TRT that the research team should be aware of? A Please tell us about your experience working with other thesauri. B Please tell us what you know about current uses of TRT beyond the TRB research databases. B Please share with us any ideas you have for the future or potential uses of TRT within the field of transportation. A Please tell us about your experiences working with semantic search tools. B Please tell us how you think TRT supports access to transportation research in general. B How effective is TRT for your searching of TRID? of TRIP? B Are you aware of any projects to use or integrate TRT into other information management or search systems? B If you have had any experiences integrating TRT into other applications, please tell us how you accomplished that. B Do you use TRT in your local information systems? Please tell us how you are using it. B Do you use TRT terms to search other applications? If so, please explain how you select and search them. B Have you used TRT to create any other discovery tools? C Please tell us what you see as the strengths and the weaknesses of the current TRT governance process. C Do you think your current access to TRT enables you to participate fully in governance? If not, what access or capabilities would you like to see TRT afford? C Please tell us about your experience recommending changes to TRT. D Please tell us about the scope and coverage of TRT relative to your areas of interest. D Please tell us about the authoritative glossaries, dictionaries, and encyclopedias in your field. Also please tell us about the most important peer- reviewed journals, conferences, and professional associations which promote or through which research passes in your fields. D How would you rate TRT in terms of a representation of the full field of transportation? Are there gaps in coverage or varying levels of treatment that you think should be addressed? Are there other areas which have received too much emphasis? D Please tell us how you think TRT aligns with the coverage and focus of TRB. E What are your expectations for the future use of the TRT? E What routine reports or descriptive information would you like to receive about the status and content of the thesaurus? Table D-3. Interview questions for Stage 1.

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 89 The five steps are outlined below. Questions and their alignment to the assessment framework are also provided. This set of interviews is more elaborate than the others because the subject matter experts constitute a formal advisory group. The advisory group members have committed to contribut- ing up to 10 hours over the course of the project. Step 1. First Questions to Subject Matter Experts—30 Minutes The first questions to the subject matter experts will come in the form of a simple Qualtrics form. The form will ask them to electronically list the major sources of information in their areas of expertise, including dictionaries, glossaries, encyclopedias, peer-reviewed journals, profes- sional associations, and conferences. This should take about 30 minutes of their time, and the results will feed directly into the definitions and the TRT scope, coverage, and warrant assess- ment. The results may also contribute to the project work on definitions. Step 2. Virtual Interview on General Discovery Habits—1 Hour Step 2 takes the form of a virtual/in-person interview (depending on where the individual lives). This will take about 1 hour. These interviews will take the form of conversations around the Interview Guide questions. We will send the questions to them ahead of time. Step 3. Review of the TRT Term Clusters for Subject Areas—1 Hour At this point, we will have done a high-level comparison of the TRT coverage in subject areas with the authoritative sources in the field; we will have an idea of how subject matter experts discover information and how they assess the TRT. We can generate the TRT term clusters for their areas (drawing from the working copy of the TRT) and ask them to do a quick review of what is there that should not be, what is missing, and what should receive greater/lesser empha- sis. These interactions should take place about the middle of November and will feed back into the facet level assessments of the TRT. We anticipate this exercise will take about an hour per subject area—some subject matter experts may be covering more than one subject area. Step 4. Short Query on Current and Future Uses of the TRT—30 Minutes Again, this is not a formal public survey but just a way to collect information from the sub- ject matter experts in an unobtrusive way. We have a few questions in the Interview Guide that focus on current and future use of the TRT in the subject matter experts’ discovery and business environments. These questions ask for feedback on pros/cons and visions, which will help us to speak to the current TRT’s ability to support their future visions. Step 5. Review of the Task 2 TRT Assessment Report—1 Hour Just to make sure that we’ve represented all of the subject matter experts’ input accurately, we intend to provide preview copies of the Task 2 assessment results to the subject matter experts for review. It also provides a check across subject matter experts on the feedback we received. Questions related to Framework Dimension A are not included in this listing. They will be covered in the source and term cluster reviews described above. Table D-4 describes the ques- tions for this round of interviews.

90 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Framework Dimension Interview Question Interviewee Response Documents Referenced B When you assign keywords to your publications, do you consult and use TRT terms? B Do you suggest new terms or changes to terms in TRT? B Do you use TRT? If yes, how and when? B If you do not use TRT, please tell us why not. B Please share with us your thoughts on the currency of terms in TRT. If out-of-date terms are included, how would you suggest they be changed? B When you search TRID, please tell us how you search. By keywords, by title, etc. B When you search TRID, how often do you find what you’re looking for? B Are you more successful searching one of the other of these sources—TRID, TRIP? B Please tell us about the TRT terms that you most often choose to search. B How do you search for information in your domain? B Where do you search? B Please tell us about the kind of information you work with in an average week—structured data, unstructured data, graphics, images…. B Please tell us about the topical focus of the information you work with in an average week. C Have you suggested terms for inclusion in TRT that were not accepted? Were those terms added as entry terms? C If you have suggested a term for inclusion in TRT, have you been informed of the decision to include or not to include? C Is there a way for you to discover the terms that have been suggested for inclusion in TRT? C Do you know how to submit a term for inclusion in TRT? C Are your TRB author suggested TRB terms included in TRT? D What is the most trusted resource for research results in your field? D What are the standard glossaries and encyclopedias in your field? D Referring to the cluster map, what do you think is missing in coverage? D Referring to the cluster map, what is included that should not be included? D Referring to the cluster map, what has received too much emphasis? D Please tell us your thoughts on the currency of coverage of transportation methods and tools in TRT. D Please tell us how you would characterize the coverage of your domain in TRT. E Do you see additional uses for the TRT in your working environment? Please describe. E Please tell us about the environments in which you see future use of TRT. E Is there a need for a multilingual version of TRT in your subject area? E Have you used TRT—in whole or in part—in other applications? Please describe. Table D-4. Interview questions for Stage 2.

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 91 6. Interview Questions and Objectives for TRB Subcommittee, Project Panel, and Thesaurus Managers The goal of this round of interviews is to gain a deep understanding of the functionality, struc- ture, and governance of the TRT from those who are most actively involved with its construction, maintenance, and use. These interviews will be conducted after we’ve had an opportunity to work with the TRT in depth. Table D-5 describes the questions for this round of interviews. Framework Dimension Question Text Interviewee Response Documents Referenced A Please tell us what you think are TRT’s areas of strengths. A Please tell us what you think are TRT’s areas of weakness. A Please share with us your knowledge of TRT’s history and evolution. A What do you know about TRT’s original warrant? Please share with us your thoughts on whether the warrant established in the 1990s is relevant today. If not, what changes would you suggest? A Please tell us what you know of TRT’s style guidelines? Do you think these style guidelines are relevant today? If not, what changes would you suggest? A In the current TRT, there is a category of relationships called Related Term (Hierarchical). Would you please tell us what this means to you? Please tell us how often you use these relationships to expand your search. A Please share with us your thoughts on the inclusion of definitions in TRT. How do you choose sources for definitions? How are they verified? A What changes or augmentations to TRT would you like to see in the future? A From your experience, how often are TRT terms changed? B Please describe the research process you follow when you are deciding to include/not to include a new term. B What is the most valuable aspect of TRT to your work? B Please share with us any earlier projects to either assess or to create other versions of the TRT that you think are important for the research team to know of. B Please tell us how well you think TRT supports access to TRB research. B Please share with us your thoughts on the effectiveness of TRT as a search tool in TRID? In TRIP? B Please tell us who does the indexing for these important transportation systems. Are there any indexing guidelines? B Please tell us whether you are aware of any previous or ongoing efforts to embed TRT in another information system. B Please tell us whether you are aware of any projects that leverage a subset of the TRT, perhaps by facet. Please describe the process behind these projects. B Please tell us how you use the Web version of TRT. What works well? What would you like to see improved and how? Table D-5. Interview questions for Stage 3. (continued on next page)

92 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Framework Dimension Question Text Interviewee Response Documents Referenced C In your experience, when was the last time a formal assessment of TRT was undertaken? Either by TRB, an individual state or a library? C What sources or processes do you use to identify new terms for inclusion in TRT? Search logs? C If you were to conduct an annual assessment of TRT, what would be the most important aspect? C In your experience, please tell us who is involved in the TRT governance process. The core group, stakeholders and custodians? C In your experience, how are historical terms or newly non-preferred terms handled in TRT? C Please tell us how you check to see whether a suggested term has been considered in the past? C Have you had experience working with the TRT XML export? D Please tell us what you know about the structure of TRT and its alignment with ANSI/NISO standards. D Please tell us about the sources you most frequently search to find transportation information. Please tell us how you search those sources. Do you ever use TRT terms to search those sources? D Based on your experience, please tell us what you think of the balance in coverage of aspects of transportation. In particular, we would like to hear your thoughts on the coverage of modes of transportation. D From the perspective of your library users or those SMEs you support, how well does TRT currently reflect their needs and interests? D How does TRT’s current scope and coverage compare to the search logs for sources in your libraries? D Please tell us whether you are familiar with any national or international thesaurus standards. If so, please tell us where you think TRT aligns with thesaurus standards, and where it diverges. Please tell us whether you think the variations influence the use of TRT. E Please tell us what other thesaurus management applications you have worked with. E Please tell us what capabilities available in other applications you would like to have available in TRT. E What reports from TRT would you like to have to support your work as a librarian or indexer? E Please tell us your thoughts on the hierarchical structure of TRT. E When was the last time a new facet was added to TRT? How was it integrated into the hierarchical structure? B If you use TRT for indexing, please tell us how you work with TRT and select terms. Do you use the TRID interface, the TRT web interface, a local version? B Of the various access points for TRT (via the website), which do you use most often? Least often? Explain your choices. B Please tell us how you would use TRT in your library if you had a full exported copy. C From your experience, how often do subject matter experts suggest terms for inclusion in TRT? How often are suggested terms included in the thesaurus? C What TRT tools help you with your governance responsibilities? Are there other tools you wish you had? Table D-5. (Continued).

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 93 7. Interview Questions and Objectives for the TRT System Administrators and Implementers This stage represents a more limited and targeted group of stakeholders. The goal of this stage of the interviews is to ensure that we have a full and accurate understanding of the system architecture, design, and functionality. These interviews will contribute to a deeper understand- ing of the constraints and opportunities that result from the TRT’s embedded status in TRID. Table D-6 describes the questions for this round of interviews. 8. Interview Questions and Objectives for Transportation Networks and State Department of Transportation Librarians This round of interviews is more extensive and focuses on intermediaries and information professionals who are working with or would like to work with the TRT. Table D-7 describes the questions for this round of interviews. Framework Dimension Question Text Assessment Mapping A Based on your experience working with TRT, please describe the database structure. Does each term have a full and complete record in the structure? A Is each relationship explicitly called out and understandable from the view of a single term record? B Please explain to us how TRT is integrated into TRID. What would be the impact of changing the current TRT application? B Please tell us whether TRT has a batch uploading capability. In your view, could such a batch upload capability be developed? What would you estimate to be the LOE for that work? B Please describe the functionality that is available to thesaurus managers that is not available to TRT consumers. C Please describe the report capabilities designed into TRT. C Please tell us how new terms are presented to you. What information is provided to include them in TRT? Please describe how you enter these new terms into TRT. C Please tell us how you make changes to terms in TRT. Please describe what happens to the terms whose status is being changed from preferred to non-preferred. Please tell us what happens to the relationships from that term to other terms. C C If you could change the design of TRT, what would be your primary area of focus? What do you see as the greatest constraint of TRT? What do you see as the greatest asset of TRT? E In your view, what other thesaurus applications could be used as substitutes for the current TRT application? E Under what circumstances could the current TRT application be viewed as a consumer of a new TRT application? Particularly where such a new application could support thesaurus use and consumption by states and other transportation information consumers? E Dimension E questions related to the application’s architecture E Please tell us about the design of the search in TRID and the integration of TRT into that design. What would happen if either TRID or TRT were redesigned? Please tell us whether you have ever worked with a consumer of TRT to integrate or design TRT into another non-TRB application. Table D-6. Interview questions for Stage 4.

94 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Framework Dimension Question Text Assessment Mapping A Please tell us what you think are TRT’s areas of strength. A Please tell us what you think are TRT’s areas of weakness. A Please share with us your knowledge of TRT’s history and evolution. A What do you know about TRT’s original warrant? Please share with us your thoughts on whether the warrant established in the 1990s is relevant today. If not, what changes would you suggest? A Please tell us what you know of TRT’s style guidelines. Do you think these style guidelines are relevant today? If not, what changes would you suggest? A In the current TRT, there is a category of relationships called Related Term (Hierarchical). Would you please tell us what this means to you? Please tell us how often you use these relationships to expand your search. A Please share with us your thoughts on the currency of terms in the TRT. What efforts are routinely taken to make sure that TRT reflects the current work in the field of transportation? A Please share with us your thoughts on the inclusion of definitions in TRT. What is the quality? How often do you consult these definitions? A What is the most valuable aspect of TRT to your work? A What changes or augmentations to TRT would you like to see in the future? A From your experience, how often are TRT terms changed? B Please share with us any earlier projects to either assess or to create other versions of the TRT that you think are important for the research team to know of. B Please tell us how well you think TRT supports access to TRB research. B Please share with us your thoughts on the effectiveness of TRT as a search tool in TRID? In TRIP? B Please tell us whether you are using TRT terms to describe or manage transportation information in other systems. B Please tell us whether you are using TRT search terms to search for transportation research in other applications. Please tell us how you select them and whether you have created direct links across systems. B Please tell us whether you are aware of any previous or ongoing efforts to embed TRT in another information system. B Please tell us whether you are aware of any projects that leverage a subset of the TRT, perhaps by facet. Please describe the process behind these projects. B Please tell us how you use the web version of TRT. What works well? What would you like to see improved and how? B If you use TRT for indexing, please tell us how you work with TRT and select terms. Do you use the TRID interface, the TRT web interface, a local version? B Of the various access points for TRT (via the website), which do you use most often? Least often? Explain your choices. C From your experience, how often do subject matter experts suggest terms for inclusion in TRT? How often are suggested terms included in the thesaurus? C What TRT tools help you with your governance responsibilities? Are there other tools you wish you had? C In your experience, when was the last time a formal assessment of TRT was undertaken? Either by TRB, an individual state or a library? C What sources or processes do you use to identify new terms for inclusion in TRT? Search logs? C If you were to conduct an annual assessment of TRT, what would be the most important aspect? C In your experience, please tell us who is involved in the TRT governance process? The core group, stakeholders, and custodians? C In your experience, how are historical terms or newly non- preferred terms handled in TRT? Table D-7. Interview questions for Stage 5.

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 95 Framework Dimension Question Text Assessment Mapping C Please tell us how you would use TRT in your library if you had a full exported copy. C What modifications would you make to TRT if you could use it locally? C What other uses—beyond libraries—would be made of TRT if there were an exportable copy? C Have you had experience working with the TRT XML export? C If you are working with a local version of TRT, please tell us what applications you are using to support and maintain it. D Please tell us what you know about the structure of TRT and its alignment with ANSI/NISO standards. D Please review the following examples and tell us how these terms are related (give about 5/6 examples). D Please tell us about the sources you most frequently search to find transportation information. Please tell us how you search those sources. Do you ever use TRT terms to search those sources? D Based on your experience, please tell us what you think of the balance in coverage of aspects of transportation. In particular, we would like to hear your thoughts on the coverage of modes of transportation. D From the perspective of your library users or those SMEs you support, how well does TRT currently reflect their needs and interests? D How does TRT’s current scope and coverage compare to the search logs for sources in your libraries? D Please tell us whether you are familiar with any national or international thesaurus standards. If so, please tell us where you think TRT aligns with thesaurus standards and where it diverges. Please tell us whether you think the variations influence the use of TRT. D Please tell us whether you review author keywords in TRB papers for inclusion in TRT. E Please tell us what other thesaurus management applications you have worked with. E Please tell us what capabilities available in other applications you would like to have available in TRT. E What reports from TRT would you like to have to support your work as a librarian or indexer? E Please tell us your thoughts on the hierarchical structure of TRT. E When was the last time a new facet was added to TRT? How was it integrated into the hierarchical structure? C Please tell us how you check to see whether a suggested term has been considered in the past. Table D-7. (Continued). 9. Subject Matter Expert Information Sources and Use Data Collection Form NCHRP Project 20-109 Subject Matter Expert Information Sources Q1. Please tell us about your field of transportation. Please select all that apply. If a field of trans- portation is missing from the list, please feel free to write it in to a text field. ❏ Highway Transportation ❏ Air Transportation ❏ Maritime Transportation ❏ Rail Transportation ❏ Freight Transportation ❏ Intelligent Transportation Systems ❏ Multimodal Transportation ❏ Transportation Policy

96 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements ❏ Transportation Planning ❏ Transportation Maintenance ❏ Transportation Operations ❏ Safety ❏ Transportation Security ❏ Transportation Asset Management ❏ Transportation Engineering ❏ Transportation Materials Science ❏ Other (Please specify) ____________________ ❏ Other (Please specify) ____________________ ❏ Other (Please specify) ____________________ ❏ Other (Please specify) ____________________ Q2. Please refer us to the most authoritative dictionaries and glossaries in your field of transpor- tation. Please list as many sources as you wish. Q3. Please refer us to any encyclopedias which are important sources of definitions or which provide important descriptions of your field of transportation. Please list as many sources as you wish. Q4. Please tell us the top five peer-reviewed journals in your field of transportation. ❏ Click to write Choice 1 ____________________ ❏ Click to write Choice 2 ____________________ ❏ Click to write Choice 3 ____________________ ❏ Click to write Choice 4 ____________________ ❏ Click to write Choice 5 ____________________ Q5. Please tell us the top five trade publications in your field of transportation ❍ Click to write Choice 1 ____________________ ❍ Click to write Choice 2 ____________________ ❍ Click to write Choice 3 ____________________ ❍ Click to write Choice 4 ____________________ ❍ Click to write Choice 5 ____________________ Q6. Please list the professional associations that are important to your field of transportation. Q7. Please list the professional conferences that are important to your field of transportation. Q8. Please list any trade shows that are important to your field of transportation.

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 97 10. State DOT and Academic Librarian Data Collection Form Section 1. Respondent Demographics Q1. Please tell us which of the following describes your primary work sector? (More than 50% of your work hours) ❍ U.S. Department of Transportation ❍ Other U.S. Federal Government ❍ Non-U.S. Government ❍ State Highway/Transportation Department ❍ Other State Government ❍ Local or Regional Government Agency (City, County, MPO) ❍ Aviation ❍ Port Authority ❍ Transit Agency ❍ Railroad ❍ Academia ❍ Research Institution ❍ Industry ❍ Contractor/Consultant ❍ Service/Trade Organization or Association ❍ Other (Please Specify) ____________________ Q2. Please tell us which transportation domains are most relevant to your work? (Please select all that apply) ❏ Road and Highway Transportation ❏ Air Transportation ❏ Maritime and Water Transportation ❏ Rail Transportation ❏ Intelligent Transportation Systems ❏ Freight Transportation ❏ Pipeline Transportation ❏ Transportation System Planning and Policy ❏ Transportation System Design and Construction ❏ Transportation System Asset Management and Maintenance ❏ Transportation Systems Operations Research ❏ Transportation Safety and Security ❏ Transportation Materials Science ❏ Intermodal Transportation ❏ Transportation Economics and Mobility ❏ Other (Please Specify) ____________________ Q3. Please tell us which of the following research and information services your organization provides (Please select all that apply) ❏ Access to local collections of transportation related information, publications, and data ❏ Access to local collections of scholarly information covering all disciplines ❏ Access to commercial databases pertaining to transportation ❏ Access to general scholarly commercial databases ❏ Access to TRB publications, databases, and products ❏ Search services for staff

98 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements ❏ Current awareness services for staff ❏ Reference services for staff in your organization ❏ Reference services for the public in your state or locale ❏ Cataloging and indexing services for your organization’s library ❏ Cataloging and indexing services for other information sources ❏ Information services and architecture support for projects at your organization ❏ Other (Please specify) Q4. Please tell us about the types of information your organization manages. (Please select all that apply) ❏ Print Books ❏ Digital Monographs and Books ❏ Print Peer-Reviewed Journals ❏ Electronic Journals and Articles ❏ Conference Proceedings ❏ Physical Audio ❏ Digital Audio ❏ Physical Images ❏ Digital Images ❏ Grey Literature ❏ Newspapers ❏ Maps ❏ General Government Documents ❏ Legal Sources (e.g., Statutes, Legal Codes, Legislation) ❏ Research Data Sources ❏ Other (Please specify) Section 2. Transportation Research Thesaurus Awareness and Use Q5. Please describe your awareness of and familiarity with the Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT). (Please select all that apply) ❏ I am aware of the TRT ❏ I have been introduced to the TRT through a training or orientation program ❏ I have been trained to use the TRT for searching ❏ I have been trained to use the TRT for cataloging and indexing ❏ I was not aware of the TRT ❏ Other (Please explain) Q6. Please tell us how frequently you use the Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT) (Matrix question—options by frequency rates/columns) ❏ I use the TRT for searching TRB research and publications ❏ I use the TRT for cataloging and indexing ❏ I use the TRT for understanding an area of transportation ❏ I use the TRT to look up definitions of transportation terms ❏ Other uses (Please specify) Q7. Please tell us about how your organization has used the TRT to support special or one-time projects (Please select all that apply) ❏ To select keywords for research publications ❏ To construct indexes for books ❏ As subject descriptors for the local library catalog

interview Guide and data Collection Forms 99 ❏ To support machine assisted indexing and/or classification ❏ As a reference source embedded in workflow or decisions systems ❏ As a search tool in a local search system ❏ Other (Please describe) Q8. When you use the TRT, please tell us which of the following you use. Please also tell us about how frequently you use these options. ❏ Browse the hierarchical listing of terms for individual facets ❏ Browse the enumerated (e.g., alphabetical coding) list of terms ❏ Search for the term I am looking for ❏ Use the Keyword In Context (KWIC) ❏ Use the Keyword Out of Context (KWOC) ❏ Other (Please describe) ❏ I do not use the TRT Q9. If you selected any of the options to Question 7, please describe the process you followed to extract terms and relationships from the TRT. Section 3. Scope, Coverage, and Currency of the Transportation Research Thesaurus Q10. Please tell us what you think are the TRT’s strengths. Q11. Please tell us what you think are the TRT’s weaknesses. Q12. Warrant is defined as the rationale for deciding to include terms in a thesaurus. Please tell us which “warrant” you think best describes how decisions are made for the TRT. ❏ General Literary Warrant (e.g., the term must appear in the published peer-reviewed literature) ❏ Extended Literary Warrant (e.g., the term must have appeared in the published peer- reviewed literature for several years) ❏ General User Warrant (e.g., the term is in use by professionals and practitioners in the field) ❏ Extended User Warrant (e.g., the term must be in common parlance within the community for several years) ❏ Don’t Know ❏ Other (Please explain)

100 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Q13. Please tell us what changes or enhancements would contribute to your use of the TRT. Section 4. Participation in Governance and Development of Transportation Research Thesaurus Q14. Please tell us in which of the following ways you have contributed to or participated in the TRT development. Please select all that apply. ❏ Submitted terms for inclusion ❏ Recommended other transportation vocabularies for inclusion ❏ Suggested changes or edits to current terms ❏ Suggested changes or edits to current relationships ❏ Suggested changes or edits to current facets ❏ Other (Please explain) Q15. Please tell us in which of the following ways you have participated in the governance of the TRT. Please select all that apply. ❏ Researched terms which are under consideration ❏ Participated in the review of candidate terms ❏ Participated in the decision making process ❏ Contributed to the review of the TRT facets and/or terms ❏ Other (Please explain) Section 5. Thank You and Follow-Up Q16. Please use the space below to share any other thoughts on the TRT that you think will be helpful to the community in moving forward. Q17. Would you be willing to share your thoughts with a member of the research team in an interview? If so, please advise what format would be most convenient for you. ❏ Phone or Skype Conversation ❏ Online Virtual Meeting ❏ In Person Interview ❏ Other (Please Specify)