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Author FAQ For TRB Annual Meeting
Paper Review
Paper Format • Submission Deadline • Submission Process • Review Process
How should my paper be formatted for submission?
Are Extended Abstracts accepted?
Does the 7500 word limit include the abstract and references?
Are figures included in the word count?
Do you accept appendices/supplemental material?
Is a chart/graph considered a figure?
Will I be rejected if my paper is over the 7500 word limit?
When is the submission deadline for the TRBAM?
Do you accept late submissions?
Will my presentation appear in the Annual Meeting Online Program?
What are the permissions options? Do I need to select my permissions at submission?
What is the difference between two submission types?
Can I submit a paper that was published elsewhere for Presentation?
Can I email my paper to you for submission?
I submitted my paper but want to make changes. How can I do this?
Can I ask that specific reviewers not be used for my work?
I’m a co-author but cannot see my paper in Editorial Manager. How do I fix this?
What is the review process for TRBAM presentation?
When will I receive my decision?
Will I be able to revise my paper before the Annual Meeting?
I was accepted for presentation and publication. Does that mean I will automatically be published?
I was rejected for presentation. Can I revise my paper and resubmit for publication only?
If you did not find the information you were looking for in this list, please contact the Editorial Office at trr@nas.edu.
How should my paper be formatted for submission?
- 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
- 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 Papers not meeting this requirement may be withdrawn from the peer review process at any time.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
What is the difference between two submission types?
The two submission types are “Presentation” and “Presentation and Publication.” If you submit your paper for “Presentation” and you are accepted, you will be allowed to present your work at the TRB Annual Meeting. Your paper will not be considered for publication in the Transportation Research Record and you will be allowed to seek publication elsewhere.
“Presentation and Publication” means that you are submitting for presentation in the annual meeting and you would like the committee to consider sending your paper to the Transportation Research Record Editorial Board for additional review and possible publication in the journal.
Are Extended Abstracts accepted?
No, each submission should be done as a full paper, following the layout of the sample paper.
Does the 7500 word limit include the abstract and references?
Yes, the abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, and tables must not exceed 7,500 words.
Are figures included in the word count?
No, figures are not included in the word count.
Do you accept appendices/supplemental material?
No, appendices/supplemental material are not accepted for papers submitted for the TRB Annual Meeting.
Can I ask that specific reviewers not be used for my work?
No, we do not allow authors to suggest or oppose specific reviewers.
Is a chart/graph considered a figure?
Yes, a chart or graph is considered a figure.
Can I submit a paper that was published elsewhere for Presentation?
Yes, you can submit a paper that was published elsewhere for Presentation.
Will I be rejected if my paper is over the 7500 word limit?
This is up to the committee paper review coordinators – they have the authority to reject a paper if it is over the 7500 word limit. We suggest you get as close as possible to the word count limit.
I’m a co-author but cannot see my paper in Editorial Manager. How do I fix this?
Follow the instructions provided in our Verify Authorship guide.
When is the submission deadline for the TRBAM?
All submissions must be received by midnight worldwide (12:00AM (UTC -11)) on August 1, 2021.
The Annual Meeting submission site will be open as long as it is August 1st somewhere in the world. Baker Island Time (BIT) is the last time zone before the international date line. For an official countdown, please follow the link below:
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20210801T235959&p0=1033
or
Do you accept late submissions?
No, we do not accept late submissions.
Can I email my paper to you for submission?
No, we do not accept emailed submissions.
I submitted my paper but want to make changes. How can I do this?
Once a paper is submitted, we do not allow changes or updates to be made before a decision is rendered. If there is a significant error in the paper, please reach out to trr@nas.edu for assistance.
What is the review process for TRBAM presentation?
After August 1, papers are assigned to committees for review. All reviews are due by September 15. The committees will then make decisions based on the reviews.
No, we reserve the right to desk reject papers that do not fit our criteria for submission. Please see our Criteria for Desk Rejections for more information.
When will I receive my decision?
You will receive your decision as well as the committee reviews by October 30, 2021.
Will I be able to revise my paper before the Annual Meeting?
Yes, we will be sending authors their reviews from the committees by October 30, 2021. Papers sent to the Editorial Board for publication review must be revised and are due by December 1, 2021.
For papers accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting, you will receive an email in November giving you the option to upload a revised paper, as well as choose from the permissions options in the system.
I was accepted for presentation and publication. Does that mean I will automatically be published?
No, being accepted for presentation and publication only ensures presentation at the Annual Meeting. Your paper will be forwarded to the Editorial Board of the Transportation Research Record for further consideration. At this stage, your paper may be rejected, sent for additional review, or accepted without further review. Publication in the TRR is not guaranteed based on presentation.
I was rejected for presentation. Can I revise my paper and resubmit for publication only?
We appreciate your desire to publish your paper in the TRR. However, the TRR editorial board will likely follow the previous decision of the TRB committee and not review the paper unless the paper is revised and drastically different from the version the committee reviewed.
Will my presentation appear in the Annual Meeting Online Program?
As in the past, we are making accepted papers available to the TRB 2022 meeting attendees. To protect your rights as an author, we now offer three options for how your work is displayed in the Online Program. You will make this selection after your paper is accepted.
What are the persmissions options? Do I need to select my permissions at submission?
The following options apply to papers submitted for “Presentation” and “Presentation and Publication.” You will be required to choose one of these options after your paper has been accepted.
Option 1: You will not be able to publish anywhere other than the TRR.
“I would like my paper and email address to be made available through TRB's online program on a complimentary basis as a service for all Annual Meeting registrants, TRB Sponsors, and TRB Patrons. I hereby grant the National Academy of Sciences/Transportation Research Board a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, worldwide license to include my paper in the online program. I own or otherwise control all rights to the submitted content. Public posting or other use of the content by the National Academy of Sciences will not infringe or violate the property or other rights of any third party. I understand that my paper may be indexed in TRID database.”
Option 2: You will be able to publish in the TRR or another journal.
“I plan to publish my work elsewhere and do not want the full paper posted. I agree to having my abstract and email address in the program should TRB attendees wish to contact me. I hereby grant the National Academy of Sciences/Transportation Research Board a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, worldwide license to include my abstract in the online program. I own or otherwise control all rights to the submitted content. Public posting or other use of the content by the National Academy of Sciences will not infringe or violate the property or other rights of any third party.”
Option 3: You will be able to publish in the TRR or another journal
“I plan to publish my work elsewhere and do not want the full paper posted. I agree to having my abstract in the online program, but do not want my email address included. I hereby grant the National Academy of Sciences/Transportation Research Board a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, worldwide license to include my abstract in the online program. I own or otherwise control all rights to the submitted content. Public posting or other use of the content by the National Academy of Sciences will not infringe or violate the property or other rights of any third party.”