Transportation Research Board -

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 Papers not meeting this requirement may be withdrawn from the peer review process at any time.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).
File Format: PDF
The title should have the first letter of each word capitalized, except for conjunctions, prepositions, and articles
Include a title page with title, authors, affiliations, and word count
Submissions must be written in English in a manner that is clear and understandable to reviewers
Include all coauthor names, affiliations, and email addresses
ORCiD numbers are optional, but strongly encouraged
Tables and figures should be embedded in the text, near the text that discusses the item
8.5x11 page with normal margins
Font: Times Roman font, 10 pt size or larger
Single spaced
Line numbers are required (restart numbering on each page)
Page numbers are required
References should be numbered and called out in numerical order in the text
Supplemental Material/Appendices are not permitted in TRB Annual Meeting papers.

What is the difference between two submission types?

The annual meeting submission site offers two different submission options:

• Presentation - If you select “Presentation,” your paper will be reviewed solely for presentation at the annual meeting, and you will receive an “accept” or “reject” decision.

• Presentation and Publication – If you select Presentation and Publication, your paper will be reviewed for presentation at the annual meeting, and you will receive an “accept” or “reject” decision. However, the review process will also generate a separate recommendation on if the paper should be reviewed for publication by the TRR Editorial Board.

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 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 -12)) on August 1, 2025.

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=20250801T235959&p0=3399

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=TRB+Annual+Meeting+Submission+Deadline&iso=20250801T2359&p1=3399

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.

What is the review process for TRBAM presentation?

After August 1, papers are assigned for review. All reviews are due by mid-September. The review coordinators will then make decisions based on the reviews.

Is every submission reviewed?

No, TRB reserves the right to accept or reject any submission to the annual meeting. Common reasons for rejection can be found in our criteria for desk rejection.

When will I receive my decision?

You will receive your decision as well as the reviews by the end of October.

Will I be able to revise my paper before the Annual Meeting?

Yes, we will be sending authors their annual meeting reviews by the end of October. Papers sent to the Editorial Board for publication review must be revised and are due by December 1, 2025.

For papers accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting, your full paper will automatically be included in the Online Program. If you do not want your full paper to appear in the Online Program, you'll receive instructions in November giving you the option to upload a short format research summary or a revised full paper.

I submitted for presentation and publication and was accepted for presentation and editorial board review. Does that mean I will automatically be published in the TRR?

No. Your paper will be transferred to the editorial board of the Transportation Research Record for further consideration. You will then receive instructions on how to submit your revised paper, which should contain your responses to the annual meeting reviewer comments. Then, the revised paper will be assigned to an available editor on the TRR editorial board. The TRR will make an independent publication decision on its own review timeline, which is separate from the annual meeting, and will require additional round(s) of review. Because reviews for the annual meeting are sometimes not rigorous enough for journal publication decisions, the assigned editor may invite new reviewers, in addition to or instead of inviting the original reviewers from the annual meeting. Some annual meeting reviewers do not provide their identity to TRR, thus prohibiting a review invitation. The TRR publication decision may or may not match the decision for presentation due to the different requirements of each reviewing body.

I was rejected for presentation. Can I revise my paper and resubmit for publication in TRR?

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 annual meeting review and not review the paper unless the paper is revised and drastically different from the previous version.

Will my full paper appear in the Annual Meeting Online Program?

To fulfill our obligations to our sponsors and attendees, we are transferring accepted full papers to the TRB 2026 online program. If you do not want the full paper posted, you will have the ability to upload a Short Format Research Summary version via MyTRB by November 20. Full papers and research summaries will not be indexed in the TRID database, and therefore should not be detected by anti-plagiarism software.