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CONNECTIONS: The VDOT Library E-Newsletter

This Transportation 'Hot Topics' Page Helps You Track Trends

by Ken Winter on 2021-05-27T12:46:44-04:00 in Business, Economics, Engineering, Environmental, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Management & Leadership, Pavements, Planning, Project Management, Research, Safety & Security, Structures | 0 Comments

Animated image of  Hot Topics Page
The animation above shows how the library's 'Hot Topics' page works.  Click it to try it yourself!
 

Are you sick of searching for the latest news and research on YOUR hot topics?  If so you are not alone...


To lend you a hand the VDOT Research Library created this nifty "Hot Topics" page that does the searching for you, revealing the latest news and vetted research on subjects like: Autonomous Vehicles, Drones, Resilience, and more. 

 

This page has been around since 2017, but lots of busy VDOT employees still might not know it is there, so we've started beefing up the "classic" Hot Topics with "new" Hot Topics, like Pandemics and Transportation Equity.  


What's the point, you ask?

 

This page can save you tons of time and delivers relevant results from authoritative news and research sources without you having to search all over the Internet. You don't have to figure out the best database to use, the best keywords, or create any kind of account.  Most of all, you don't have to repeat that process multiple times just to see "what's trending" on your issue.  

 

Of course, the site is freely accessible from any connected device (including mobile devices!) at: http://library.virginiadot.org/guides/hot-topics/  

 

Sound too good to be true?  Here's how it works:


1. Select a topic (we provide 13 topics, but you can use this online form to send us a comment or suggestion for new topics). The page uses a technology called "RSS" to dynamically load the results of pre-configured searches from TRB's
 TRID database and breaking headlines from Google News.

 

To reduce "information overload" each feed displays the 5 most recent Headlines or Articles with "linked" titles and the date of publication or indexing to make it easy for you to skim for the good stuff. 

 

2. Check back every now and then (hint: bookmark your favorite topic!) since news is always breaking and fresh research can be published or indexed daily!

 

3. The feeds described above take you to articles, reports and similar "published" content. Depending on the source (some have paywalls!) you may be prompted to pull out your credit card.  You can do that if you wish.

 

Or...you can click the Help tab and fill out citation details for what you need in the Request a Document Delivery form. We'll do our best to deliver what you need charge.  We can't make guarantees, but just so you know we deliver around 400 books, articles, reports and other "premium" resources to VDOT customers this way a year.

 

Bookmark Hot Topics today, share with a friend, and contact us with your questions or comments. 


After all, our job is to help you do your job!

 

Ken Winter
434-962-8979
VDOT Research Library


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