HOW TO DEFINE 'THE' PROBLEM IN A RESEARCH CONTRACT: A CASE STUDY IN THE USE OF RFID TRACKING TECHNOLOGY FOR AN ALASKAN ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

摘要

This paper examines the research question of how an initial problem definition can shift in scope from the start of a project to the end of a project. The initial problem statement came from a road construction experiment which would provide data to support the commercial use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking and tracing technology attached to asphalt dump trucks. This field research experiment concluded in Summer 2010 in Anchorage, Alaska. This paper is a post mortem on the control and communications variables constraining the state of the problem statement within that experiment. This paper also indicates that variations from the initial problem definition may produce different experimental conclusions.