K. Cullinane et N. Toy, Identifying influential attributes in freight route/mode choice decisions:a content analysis, TRANSP R E, 36(1), 2000, pp. 41-53
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Politucal Science & public Administration","Civil Engineering
Journal title
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART E-LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION REVIEW
The adoption of Stated Preference (SP) techniques in freight route/mode cho
ice studies requires the identification of the major modal attributes which
influence these decisions. While there is a need to limit the number of at
tributes and attribute levels in order that the number of combinations (dec
ision alternatives) presented to respondents is at a manageable level, it i
s also important that these variables are accurately identified and specifi
ed. In the majority of empirical studies, methods employed for performing t
his task have tended to revolve around either focus groups, interviews, uns
cientific syntheses of previous studies or even merely the feel or hypothes
es of the researchers. This paper explains and presents the application of
a content analysis methodology to the (mostly Western) freight route/mode c
hoice literature, thereby providing a formal approach to the identification
and justification of the attributes that are to be utilised within (Stated
Preference) SP experiments. The implications for attribute selection in em
pirical studies are discussed, with particular reference to the Eastern Eur
opean context. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.