2.3Learning from research studies

This measure concerns monitoring the scientific literature and learning from studies and publications in order to improve or innovate the prevention practice.
  • Publish reports and post a downloadable version on the website.
  • Continue to monitor the international literature on measures to reduce railway suicides and trespasser accidents (e.g., regularly consult the RESTRAIL   Toolbox for updates or conduct your own search on in the most popular online publication databases: Web of Science, Scopus, PsychINFO, PubMed/Medline, etc.)
  • Look for free access full-text reports and for articles published in open access journals. They can be downloaded free of charge.
  • Maintain a task force that undertakes research, identifies gaps and makes recommendations for best practice to stakeholders.
  • Not all published articles are free to download, but you will always have free access to the abstract. Sometimes you can find the core results of the study from the abstract.
  • Be aware that monitoring and learning from research studies is not really a measure that would reduce railway suicides and trespassing accidents as such. It can only promote the effective adjustments of preventative programmes.
  • Learning may need to be coupled with other interventions to support dissemination and process changes as a result of any findings. There may need to be a coordinating role for cross-industry improvements, with support from all relevant organisations within the industry.
  • Collaboration between researchers and the rail utility has resulted in an accurate and complete database, a better understanding of the causes and risk factors for injury, and highlighted the need for safety interventions on the rail system (Lerer & Matzopoulos, 1996).
  • Research and development by suggesting research topics or specific areas of research (RSSB  , 2012).

last update: 2014-09-09 Print