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Operations Research

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Measuring Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Effectiveness at the United States Central Command
U.S. Central Command Directorate of Intelligence is interested in developing a repeatable process to measure the effectiveness of its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and activities. What methodology can be used to accomplish this?
Jan 20, 2021
Report
Graph Theoretic Algorithms for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Program
The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent is a complete replacement for an aging intercontinental ballistic missile system that is currently under development. What are quantitative methods that can be used to make the unified certification process for nuclear systems more rigorous and efficient?
Nov 8, 2021

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Brochure
RAND: 75 Years of Making a Difference
To commemorate its 75th anniversary, RAND took a closer look at some of its most influential research. The selections in this volume demonstrate RAND's positive—and enduring—contributions in addressing some of the world's most challenging problems.
Jan 19, 2023
Journal Article
Reforming the Teaching and Conducting of Policy Studies to Deal Better with Complex Systems
The teaching and conduct of policy analysis needs updating to account better for the special challenges of social problems occurring in complex adaptive systems.
Sep 17, 2021
Content
A Brief History of RAND
RAND was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in 1948. From its early years to the present, RAND research is characterized by its objectivity and nonpartisanship, its quality and scientific rigor, and its dedication to improving policymaking on the most pressing issues of the day.
Aug 3, 2018
Journal Article
Comparing Networked and Linear Risk Assessments: From Theory to Evidence
Assessing whether networked risk assessments match the actual cascades that occur during disasters can provide a process for further refinement of assessment tools by uncovering their strengths and weaknesses.
Jul 10, 2018
Report
Expanding Flight Research: Capabilities, Needs, and Management Options for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate asked RAND to assess flight research capabilities and needs, and to identify management options that would facilitate increased and improved flight research.
Jun 27, 2016
Research Brief
Chinese Attacks on U.S. Air Bases in Asia: An Assessment of Relative Capabilities
China has the most active ballistic-missile program in the world. It has made rapid and substantial relative improvements in its ability to disrupt or degrade U.S. air operations by attacking air bases.
Sep 14, 2015
Report
Analysis to Inform Defense Planning Despite Austerity
Defense analysis can better serve policymakers by exploiting improvements in the state of the art and by rediscovering and supplementing classic principles. These relate to multiple objectives and hedging against uncertainty.
Mar 20, 2014
Report
Measuring research: A guide to research evaluation frameworks and tools
This report provides a guide to the key considerations and trade-offs involved in developing an approach to research evaluation, based on a review of research evaluation frameworks and tools used internationally.
Jul 1, 2013
Research Brief
Developing a research evaluation framework
Research funders, policy makers and researchers themselves need to evaluate research. This brief presents a decision tree to help develop a research evaluation framework to suit a particular purpose and context, from national down to program level.
Jul 1, 2013
Report
Commercial Intratheater Airlift: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Use in U.S. Central Command
Intratheater airlift delivers critical and time-sensitive supplies to deployed forces, but is it cost effective to use commercial, rather than organic Air Force, aircraft to supply this airlift?
Apr 8, 2013
Report
Portfolio Optimization by Means of Multiple Tandem Certainty-Uncertainty Searches: A Technical Description
This paper describes a new approach and associated search schemes for optimization under uncertainty. Analysts can apply this method to a problem with a significantly larger number of decision variables, uncertain parameters, and uncertain scenarios.
Mar 15, 2013
Brochure
Spotlight on 2012: Identify issues, shape policy, evaluate impact
Spotlight on 2012 presents the highlights of RAND Europe's research and other activities in 2012. We describe these in the context of the 'life cycle' of a policy issue, to show the stages at which our research and analysis supports policymakers.
Jan 30, 2013
Report
Funding and performance on clinical guidelines: The cases of dementia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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.
Mar 22, 2012
Report
The National Institute for Health Research Leadership Programme: An evaluation of programme progress and delivery
RAND Europe evaluated the National Institute for Health Research Leadership Programme to help the English Department of Health consider the extent to which the programme has helped to foster wider research aims and extract lessons for the future.
Mar 8, 2012
Report
Using Linear Programming to Design Samples for a Complex Survey
Describes a method for designing a sample of Air Force personnel to participate in an online survey of cultural attitudes.
Sep 5, 2007
Report
On a linear programming-combinatorial approach to the traveling salesman problem
A more detailed description of the linear-programming approach in solving the traveling salesman problem that that presented in P-510. The present study considers the example discussed by L. L. Barachet ("Graphic Solution of the Traveling Salesman Pr...
Jan 1, 2004
Report
Operations Research and the RAND Corporation
This paper was prepared as an entry for inclusion in the forthcoming book Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science. It describes the many contributions of RAND researchers to the field of operations research.
Jan 1, 1994
Report
A Bias Bound for Least Squares Linear Regression
The authors focus on the least squares linear regression which assumes the linear link function. When the linear link function does not hold, the results based on the least squares regression might be biased.
Jan 1, 1991

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Researcher Spotlight

Candice Miller

Research Programmer

Candice Miller is a research programmer working primarily in the area of Military Logistics. She provides data analysis, modeling, and optimization using statistical tools such as SAS, database administration tools such as SQL, and scripting tools such as Python. She also works with Microsoft…
Katherine C. Hastings

Associate Operations Researcher

Katherine Hastings is an associate operations researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her background includes a diverse training in the mathematical sciences, including operations research, stochastic processes, statistics, and computation, with a research concentration of optimization in stochastic…

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