Process for publishing research reports
For draft final report deliverables, please review the publishing guidelines and use the report template (at right).
Responsibilities
As a contractor for the State of Minnesota, you are required to produce an accessible document using MnDOT branding, with no copyright infringement or information derived from AI without confirming the source..
- Publications, whether reports or manuals, must conform to MnDOT style. See the MnDOT Brand webpage for complete information on fonts, colors and more.
- You must make your documents (including appendices) accessible in order for MnDOT to publish them. See Digital Accessibility Guidelines for department policy. Use the report template (linked on the right) and consult the additional links for instructions on how to avoid inaccessible documents.
- You are also responsible to ensure that you deal with all copyright issues if your document contains materials from other publications. See Copyright information services from the University of MInnesota libraries for guidance..
Process
- Send your draft final report by the draft deliverable due date to your Project Coordinator and CC the Technical Liaison. It is your responsibility to provide the final draft in a timely fashion to allow editing and accessibility remediation; allow two months for processing. If you cannot, you may need to seek a contract extension.
- After a technical review by the Technical Advisory Panel, the approved report will undergo a brief editorial review by a contract editor with the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota. The editor will review the report for compliance with publishing guidelines; copy edit the abstract, executive summary, first chapter and conclusions; furnish a report cover; and provide further instructions for completing the technical documentation page.
- Once final edits are made, the document will be converted to a PDF, remediated to make it accessible for someone using a digital reader, and published to the MnDOT Digital Library.
For publication of a manual, guidebook, or other document, you may use the research report template or use your own template, provided it complies with Section 508 government document accessibility standards. You may use one of our user manual cover options (at right, above) or create your own. If you are doing a TRS, there are templates available for both MnDOT and LRRB versions. Use the guidance in the box above or contact our staff for further help with document accessibility.
Contacts
- Julie Swiler
Research & Innovation, Minnesota Department of Transporation - Beth Andrews
University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies
612-626-1745.