Publication Detail
Prototyping Experiments (II) on Pre-Trip Information System Prototype and Preliminary Analysis Results from a Stated Preference Questionnaire Data: Experimental Design and Description, Survey Data Collection, and Analysis Results
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UCD-ITS-RR-97-04 Research Report |
Suggested Citation:
Chen, Wan-Hui, Paul P. Jovanis, Ryuichi Kitamura, Prasuna D. Reddy, Karthik K. Srinivasan (1997) Prototyping Experiments (II) on Pre-Trip Information System Prototype and Preliminary Analysis Results from a Stated Preference Questionnaire Data: Experimental Design and Description, Survey Data Collection, and Analysis Results. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-97-04
Pre-trip Information has the ability to assist the trip planning decisions by allowing users to modify their modes, routes, departure times, destinations or a combination of these to maximize their travel utilities.
The effectiveness of pre-trip information in individual's trip planning decisions is likely to depend on its ability to satisfy user information needs under various contexts, and its ability to present concise and comprehensive information using effective display formats and appropriate interfaces. Thus, studying user needs and determining user attitudes and preferences towards system display formats and interfaces constitute important objectives of this project.
To determine user needs, a typology of pre-trip information usage was developed to assess user information requirements under various contexts (Report 1). This typology was used as an input for developing an initial pre-trip information system prototype.
The capabilities of different types of interfaces limit how pre-trip information can be conveyed and compared. Different types of interfaces have been assessed in terms of compatibility of input and output interface devices.
Based on these phases, an initial prototype was developed and tested in the first set of experiments to evaluate it in terms of user information requirements and system display formats. The findings of this phase were incorporated to refine the initial prototype (Report 2).
The refined prototype was used to conduct the second set of experiments. These experiments were designed to investigate how information requirements and usage varies with travel contexts. The experiments also allow the study of how information needs and usage vary with user characteristics. They are also intended to explore user preferences for various types of interface devices. These experiments would also serve to ratify user information needs particularly in the context of pre-trip information typology and findings of the first set of experiments, and to draw up recommendations for desirable system attributes.
The refined prototype was used for conducting this second set of experiments. A detailed description of the experiments is provided in Section B. Section C discusses the survey data collection. In the next section we present the analysis of the survey data. The conclusion section summarizes the survey findings.
The effectiveness of pre-trip information in individual's trip planning decisions is likely to depend on its ability to satisfy user information needs under various contexts, and its ability to present concise and comprehensive information using effective display formats and appropriate interfaces. Thus, studying user needs and determining user attitudes and preferences towards system display formats and interfaces constitute important objectives of this project.
To determine user needs, a typology of pre-trip information usage was developed to assess user information requirements under various contexts (Report 1). This typology was used as an input for developing an initial pre-trip information system prototype.
The capabilities of different types of interfaces limit how pre-trip information can be conveyed and compared. Different types of interfaces have been assessed in terms of compatibility of input and output interface devices.
Based on these phases, an initial prototype was developed and tested in the first set of experiments to evaluate it in terms of user information requirements and system display formats. The findings of this phase were incorporated to refine the initial prototype (Report 2).
The refined prototype was used to conduct the second set of experiments. These experiments were designed to investigate how information requirements and usage varies with travel contexts. The experiments also allow the study of how information needs and usage vary with user characteristics. They are also intended to explore user preferences for various types of interface devices. These experiments would also serve to ratify user information needs particularly in the context of pre-trip information typology and findings of the first set of experiments, and to draw up recommendations for desirable system attributes.
The refined prototype was used for conducting this second set of experiments. A detailed description of the experiments is provided in Section B. Section C discusses the survey data collection. In the next section we present the analysis of the survey data. The conclusion section summarizes the survey findings.