Science and Technology

RAND experts have often been among the pioneers of key scientific research, including computer analysis, satellite development, military technology, and the foundations of the Internet. RAND's research has also resulted in the development of new methodologies and ways of analyzing policy issues, from the Delphi method to Robust Decision Making.

Research conducted by: RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment; RAND Europe; RAND Education; RAND Health; Transportation, Space, and Technology Program; Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy; Acquisition and Technology Policy Center

Featured at RAND

Improving Mathematics and Science Education

A multiyear, National Science Foundation-funded study found weak positive associations between reform-oriented mathematics and science instruction and achievement. Encouraging teachers to adopt such instruction is unlikely to be an effective strategy for promoting large and rapid student improvement.

U.S. Leads the World in Science and Technology With Help of Foreign Scientists

An inflow of foreign students in the sciences -- as well as scientists and engineers from overseas -- has helped the United States build and maintain its worldwide lead in science and technology.

All Items (1633)

REPORT

CANES Contracting Strategies for Full Deployment — May 24, 2012

Examines contracting alternatives for the full deployment phase of the U.S. Navy's Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) system, which is intended to give the Navy a common set of key command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence networks across the fleet. Recommends a multiple-contract model that assigns the technical, production, and installation functions to the organizations that can provide the…

REPORT

Methodology for Constructing a Modernization Roadmap for Air Force Automatic Test Systems — May 24, 2012

Nearly all Air Force electronics are tested and repaired using automatic test systems, most of which were designed and built for specific aging weapon systems and are beset by increasing hardware and software obsolescence. The Air Force is planning to modernize these capabilities by rehosting the testing on modern, common families of test equipment. This report focuses on the economic aspect of the rehosting decision.

COMMENTARY

Should Boeing Fear China's Aerospace Industry? Not in This Decade but Maybe Later — May 13, 2012

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China will probably begin producing its first large commercial aircraft later this decade. But the C919 is unlikely to be technologically or commercially competitive when it arrives, writes Chad J. R. Ohlandt.

PERIODICAL

Prolific Profanities Seemed to Predict Prominent Protests — May 11, 2012

Twitter and other social media reportedly played a big role in the protests following the 2009 Iranian presidential election. Analysis of word usage in millions of tweets about the election and its aftermath reveals that spikes in the use of swear words could forecast the outbreak of large-scale protests.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Expanding Consumer-Directed Health Plans Could Help Cut Overall Health Care Spending — May 7, 2012

If consumer-directed health plans grow to account for half of all employer-sponsored insurance in the United States, health costs could drop by $57 billion annually—about 4 percent of all health care spending among the nonelderly.

REPORT

Analysis of Costs in an Algebra I Curriculum Effectiveness Study — Apr 30, 2012

Carnegie Learning's Cognitive Tutor Algebra I (CTAI) curriculum is a technology-based curriculum that combines classroom instruction with individualized instruction by a computer-based tutor. This report examines the cost of implementing CTAI and comparison algebra I curricula, including costs associated with textbooks and software, computers, and teacher training.

REPORT

Mileage-Based User Fee Winners and Losers: An Analysis of the Distributional Implications of Taxing Vehicle Miles Traveled, with Projections, 2010-2030 — Apr 26, 2012

Estimates changes in annual vehicle miles traveled in response to changes in the cost of driving that would result from adopting a mileage-based user fee.

BLOG

Paul Baran Named Internet Hall of Fame Pioneer — Apr 25, 2012

Paul Baran, who helped develop the building blocks of the Internet during the 1960s while working as a researcher at the RAND Corporation, was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame. He was honored posthumously in the Pioneers Circle with others who were instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet.

REPORT

Improving Joint Expeditionary Medical Planning Tools Based on a Patient Flow Approach — Apr 24, 2012

The authors propose a planning concept for U.S. military expeditionary medical care that, by promoting patient flow rate as the common unit of measurement, will help integrate medical planning across treatment and evacuation functions, across the increasing levels of care, and across the different military services.

PROJECT

International Comparisons of Well-Being, Health and Retirement — Apr 23, 2012

By using newly available data from more than 15 countries, researchers are analyzing how the interaction between individual behavior, social context, institutions, and policies shapes health and well-being in old age.

REPORT

Improving Army Basic Research: Report of an Expert Panel on the Future of Army Laboratories — Apr 18, 2012

This report describes the result of an expert panel assembled to consider how the Army can get the best long-term value from its investments in basic research. The panel examined trends in basic research and R&D and profiled several top-quality research laboratories, to gain insight into how the Army might better structure and fund its own labs. The report offers a number of recommendations for improving the Army research effort.

REPORT

Could Coal Mine Drainage Be Used for Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction? — Apr 16, 2012

There are large quantities of coal mine water in Pennsylvania—much more than could be used in the coming decade for hydraulic fracturing. Researchers and operators will need to further explore quantity and quality needs to confirm whether coal mine drainage sources represent a viable, large-scale alternative to fresh water.

REPORT

Predictive Coding Could Reduce E-Discovery Costs, but More Guidance Is Needed on Data Preservation — Apr 11, 2012

Companies could lower the high cost of large-scale electronic discovery in lawsuits by using a computer application known as predictive coding to reduce the number of documents requiring human review.

RESEARCH BRIEF

The Cost of Producing Electronic Documents in Civil Lawsuits: Can They Be Sharply Reduced Without Sacrificing Quality? — Apr 11, 2012

According to a RAND study, document review makes up 73 percent of discovery costs. Predictive coding is the most promising option for cutting costs without compromising the quality of the process.

NEWS RELEASE

Predictive Coding Could Reduce E-Discovery Costs, but More Guidance Needed on Data Preservation — Apr 11, 2012

Companies could lower the high cost of large-scale electronic discovery in lawsuits by using a computer application known as predictive coding to reduce the number of documents requiring human review.

REPORT

Developing a Framework for Establishing Clinical Decision Support Meaningful Use Objectives for Clinical Specialties — Apr 2, 2012

The federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive program includes clinical decision support (CDS) as a central requirement of improving health outcomes; however, a process for identifying and prioritizing the most promising targets for CDS has not been established. This report describes a protocol for eliciting high-priority targets for electronic CDS for individual clinical specialties and summarizes lessons learned.

REPORT

Focus on Health Information Technology — Mar 30, 2012

For nearly a decade, RAND researchers have studied how health information technology (HIT) stands to change health care.

REPORT

Making Improvements to The Army Distributed Learning Program — Mar 28, 2012

An assessment of The Army Distributed Learning Program (TADLP) found that it has had a relatively narrow focus and has provided, at best, a modest benefit to unit readiness. Major changes are needed to meet increasing DL requirements within the Army. Several near-term initiatives are proposed for the Army's interactive multimedia instruction program to improve both the quality of the product and the efficiency and responsiveness of the…

REPORT

Exploring How the EU Should Establish a Cybercrime Centre — Mar 28, 2012

After visiting EU high tech crime units, conducting interviews with stakeholders, and holding a scenario-based workshop, RAND Europe researchers determined that a European Cybercrime Centre hosted by Europol would bring together input from several different entities and drive a common approach to tackling cybercrime.

REPORT

Funding and performance on clinical guidelines: The cases of dementia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — Mar 22, 2012

This exploratory study investigates the characteristics of publications cited on clinical guidelines, and the funding sources they acknowledge, in order to better understand how research is translated into changes in policy and practice.

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