TRB Annual Meeting Submission Glossary
Accept
A decision after peer review indicating a submitted paper is approved for presentation at the annual meeting.
AI-Assisted Review
Use of assistive or generative artificial intelligence tools by reviewers to support editing, summarization, or analysis during their review. (Note: prohibited in TRB Annual Meeting papers)
Annual Meeting Paper / Submission
A manuscript submitted for consideration for presentation at the TRB Annual Meeting or for both consideration for presentation at the Annual Meeting and potential review for the Transportation Research Record (TRR). This is a full-length research paper that conforms to our submission instructions.
Comments to the Author
Optional feedback reviewers can provide to be shared with authors.
Contribution
(a) The extent to which the paper’s work adds to the body of knowledge of a specific subject. (b) The specific part that each author played in writing the paper and/or doing the work reflected in the paper.
Desk Rejection
An editor’s decision to reject a manuscript without external peer review.
Duplicate Submission
Submission by the same authors, or several of the same authors, of the same or substantially similar content in the same year or across multiple years.
Editor
Volunteers and staff authorized to handle papers in the paper submission system (Editorial Manager).
Editorial Board
The group responsible for determining whether a paper should be reviewed for possible publication in Transportation Research Record journal.
Editorial Manager (EM)
The online submission and manuscript management system used to submit papers, assign reviewers, and manage the peer review process.
Ethical Concerns
Potential violations of research integrity, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication, or improper authorship.
Fragmented Publication
Also known as “salami” publication. When results of a research project are broken up to produce multiple papers covering the same population, methods, and questions in order to multiply the number of papers produced by the research and/or to evade the TRB Annual Meeting paper length maximum.
Novelty
The extent to which the paper presents new methods, findings, or insights that advance knowledge or practice in transportation.
Paper Review Coordinator (PRC)
A volunteer editor responsible for assigning submitted manuscripts to reviewers, overseeing the review process, and entering decisions based on the review results.
Practical Application
The degree to which the paper’s findings translate into actionable insights or improvements to current professional practices for agencies, practitioners, or decision-makers. Potential application does not have to be immediate; often additional factors such as regulation, training, or additional research are necessary for effective implementation.
Presentation-Only Submission
One of two submission options authors may select. Presentation-Only submission indicates that the author is only interested in the paper being considered for presentation at the Annual Meeting and is not asking for the paper to be considered for potential publication in the TRR.
Presentation and Publication Submission
One of two submission options authors may select. Presentation and Publication submission indicates that the author wishes for the paper to be considered both for presentation at the Annual Meeting and for potential publication in the TRR.
Redundant Topic
A topic that is addressed in substantially the same way by multiple papers submitted by different authors. Editors are unlikely to put all these papers into review.
Reject
A decision after peer review indicating a submitted paper is not approved for presentation at the Annual Meeting.
Review
The process by which subject-matter experts evaluate a manuscript’s overall quality and appropriateness for presentation at the Annual Meeting and, when applicable, recommend that a paper be transferred to the TRR Editorial Board for potential publication in the TRR.
Reviewer
A volunteer subject-matter expert who evaluates a submitted manuscript.
Simultaneous Submission
A Presentation and Publication submission of a manuscript that is also currently submitted and being reviewed for publication elsewhere.
Structured Abstract
The required format of abstracts in all papers submitted to the TRB Annual Meeting.
Submission Requirements
The technical requirements governing manuscript preparation for all Annual Meeting submissions.
Submission System
The online system (Editorial Manager) through which authors upload manuscripts and required metadata for review.
Submission Type
The annual meeting submission site offers two different submission options. See Presentation-Only Submission and Presentation and Publication Submission.
Supplemental Material
Additional files or appendices intended to accompany the main manuscript but not included within the main submission. (Note: prohibited in TRB Annual Meeting papers)
Transportation Research Record (TRR)
TRB’s peer-reviewed journal; the staff who manage the paper submission and review process, provide operational support, and enforce policies for the TRR do the same for the Annual Meeting paper submission and review process.