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Instructions For Authors

Paper Review Schedule

June 1: Submission site opens (full papers again this year) - August 1: Submission site closes

August 15–September 15: Paper review - October 1–30: Paper decisions sent

Mid November: Option to upload Research Summary or post full paper for meeting attendees


*Please note that you do not need to begin a submission to gain access to the TRR.
Please click here for futher instructions.*
 

2025 TRB Annual Meeting Presentation Submission Requirements:

  • Full papers are required for all submissions to TRBAM 2025
  • Accepted papers or research summaries will be made available to meeting attendees (more information about summaries will be provided at acceptance)
  • Your paper should demonstrate a clear connection to, and application for, transportation in some way.
  • If you are using Large Language Models (LLMs) or Generative AI for your paper, refer to the guidelines below.
  • File Format: PDF
  • All papers must be submitted in English
  • Include a title page with title, authors, affiliations, and word count
  • Include all coauthor names, affiliations, and email addresses
  • ORCiD numbers are optional, but encouraged
  • Tables and figures should be embedded in the text, near the text that discusses the item
  • 8.5x11 page with normal margins
  • The title should have the first letter of each word capitalized, except for conjunctions, prepositions, and articles
  • Font: Times Roman font, 10 pt size or larger
  • Single spaced
  • Single column
  • Line numbers are required (restart numbering on each page)
  • Page numbers are required
  • Manuscript Length: The length of each paper, including the abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, and tables, must not exceed 7,500 words. Each table counts as 250 words. Papers not meeting this requirement may be withdrawn from the peer review process at any time. Abstract (250 words max). 
  • References should be numbered and called out in numerical order in the text
  • Supplemental Material/Appendices are not permitted in TRB Annual Meeting papers.

View Sample Paper.

Criteria for Desk Rejection

We reserve the right to withdraw papers with the following attributes:

  • In excess of 7500 words, excluding figures
  • Figures and Tables not embedded in text
  • Missing coauthors in the submission system
  • Tables and text converted to figures to circumvent the word count
  • Multiple tables combined into one to circumvent the word count
  • Papers divided into parts to circumvent the word count
  • Writing that cannot be understood by a native English speaker
  • Topics outside the scope of the Transportation Research Board
  • Inappropriate or offensive language
  • Endorsement or promotion of a commercial product
  • Unclear or confusing paper organization
  • Papers that do not demonstrate a clear connection to, and application for, transportation

Fragmented or Redundant Publication: The TRB Annual Meeting does not have any limits on the number of submissions that can be submitted or published by an author. However, the following bullet points outline situations where the Committee may choose to desk reject a paper if the research does not make a substantial contribution on its own or otherwise seems to be broken into pieces or redundant.

  • Breaking a single piece of work into many papers that are derived from the same or similar hypothesis dilutes the information and makes it difficult for reviewers and readers to assess the advances that may have been made.
  • A TRB Standing Committee may desk reject papers with similar hypotheses, methodologies, or results; papers that are redundant in that there is significant overlap; and papers with limited practical application or appeal.
  • Papers submitted for review should stand on their own; papers submitted as Part I, Part II, etc., will not be accepted for review.
  • The TRB follows guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics. Please refer to the following case study on “Salami Publication.”

Go to the TRBAM Editorial Manager site to start a submission.

Usage of Large Language Models/Generative AI in Papers

Authors: If you are considering using a large language model [(LLM), e.g. ChatGPT] or Generative AI to help prepare your manuscript for submission to TRBAM or TRR, you must comply with the following statement from COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics):

• Authors who use AI tools in the writing of a manuscript, production of images or graphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis of data, must be transparent in disclosing in the Materials and Methods (or similar section) of the paper how the AI tool was used and which tool was used. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, even those parts produced by an AI tool, and are thus liable for any breach of publication ethics.

Specifically, authors are required to:

1. Clearly indicate the use of language models in the manuscript, including which model was used and for what purpose. Please use the methods or acknowledgements section, as appropriate.

2. Verify the accuracy, validity, and appropriateness of the content and any citations generated by language models and correct any errors or inconsistencies.

3. Provide a list of sources used to generate content and citations, including those generated by language models. Double-check citations to ensure they are accurate and properly referenced.

4. Be conscious of the potential for plagiarism where the LLM may have reproduced substantial text from other sources. Check the original sources to be sure you are not plagiarizing someone else’s work.

5. Acknowledge the limitations of language models in the manuscript, including the potential for bias, errors, and gaps in knowledge.

Please note that AI bots such as ChatGPT should not be listed as an author on your submission.

Reference Guidelines

  • The reference list should contain only references that are cited in the text, numbered in the order in which they are first cited. Summaries that do not conform to a standard reference style may be rejected.

  • Do not denote text references with superscripts.

  • Do not include in the reference list personal communications or similar material that would not be available to readers. Instead, cite the unpublished work in the text and enclose the author’s name along with the term “personal communication” in parentheses.

  • You may use the following content guidelines and samples in preparing reference lists:

    • TRR Journal Articles: Note: Do not add “In” before the journal title; do not include the publisher or place of publication. Dewan, S. A., and R. E. Smith. Creating Asset Management Reports from a Local Agency Pavement Management System. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2018. Volume: doi or page range.

    • TRB Presentation Papers: Ghiasi, A., J. Ma, F. Zhou, and X. Li. Speed Harmonization Algorithm using Connected Autonomous Vehicles. Presented at 96th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2017

      Please check references citing papers presented at the Annual Meeting to see whether or not the paper was subsequently published in the Transportation Research Record (TRR). If the paper was published in the TRR, the reference should be changed to the corresponding TRR citation.

    • Other Journals: Dawley, C. B., B. L. Hogenwiede, and K. O. Anderson. Mitigation of Instability Rutting of Asphalt Concrete Pavements in Canada. Journal of Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, 2018. 59: 481–508. Sansalone, M., J. M. Lin, and W. B. Streett. Determining the Depths of Surface-Opening Cracks Using Impact-Generated Stress Waves and Time-of-Flight Techniques.  ACI Materials Journal, 2018. 95: 168–177.

    • TRB Publications: Morcous, G., K. Wang, P. C. Taylor, and S. P. Shah. NCHRP Report 819: Self-Consolidating Concrete for Cast-in-Place Bridge Components. Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.17226/23626.

    • Book: Newland, D. E. Random Vibrations: Spectral and Wavelet Analysis. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1998.

    • Chapter in a Book: Shunk, G.A. Urban Transportation Systems. In Transportation Planning Handbook (J. D. Edwards, Jr., ed.), Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1992, pp. 88–122.

    • Government Report: Von Quintus, H. L., and A. L. Simpson. Documentation of the Back calculation of Layer Parameters for LTPP Test Sections. Publication FHWA-RD-01-113. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2002.

    • Websites: References to websites should include corporate or personal authors, title of document, date of document (if available), web address (complete URL), and date accessed by the author. State and Local Policy Program. Value Pricing. Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/slp/vp/vp_org.Accessed Feb. 5, 2008. Guide to Developing Performance-Related Specifications.FHWA-RD-98-155, FHWA- RD-98- 156, FHWA-RD-98-171,Vol. III, Appendix C. www.tfhrc.gov/pavement/pccp/pavespec.Accessed March 5, 2003.

    • Unpublished papers: References to unpublished papers presented at meetings should include name(s) of author(s); title of paper; and title, sponsor(s), location, and dates or year of meeting. Corbett, J. J. Toward Environmental Stewardship: Charting the Course for Marine Transportation. Presented at 83rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2018.

About the Review Process:

The TRB Annual Meeting peer review process is used for all presentations submitted to TRB’s Annual Meeting. The process is organized by TRB’s standing technical committees under the supervision of TRB staff. A minimum of two reviews is required for a decision to be made on a submission for presentation.

Papers submitted for Presentation and Publication will first go through the TRB Annual Meeting peer review process described above. The committee entering the decision will come to two conclusions. First, a decision will be made on if your paper will be accepted or rejected for presentation in the annual meeting. They will also make a recommendation on if your paper should be reviewed for publication by the TRR Editorial Board. If so, the TRR Editorial Board will perform additional steps of review and come to an independent publication decision. The publication decision may or may not match the decision you received for presentation due to the different scopes of each reviewing body.

Go to Submission Site