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JOURNAL PAPER GUIDELINES FOR ACSE

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Submission Guidelines: ASCE encourages the submission of scholarly and practice-oriented articles to its journals. Before you submit an article, please review the scope statements for ASCE’s journals on the journals home pages, to ensure that you are submitting your work to the journal that is best suited for it. Then, consult our resources for authors, especially the sections about types of journal content, length of journal submissions, and manuscript preparation.

The Journal of Construction Engineering and Management accepts submissions online through Editorial Manager. With Editorial Manager, authors can submit manuscripts to the journal via the Internet and have their manuscripts reviewed online. Reviewers will also be able to review manuscripts and submit their comments online.

Access Editorial Manager to register as a new user, view the author’s tutorial, review submission requirements, log onto the system, and submit papers, technical notes, discussions, and closures.

Online submission of all new manuscripts to the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management is required. Manuscripts that arrive via e-mail or postal mail will not be processed. The authors will be contacted and asked to submit their manuscripts online instead.

Papers under review, accepted for publication, or published elsewhere should not be submitted and will not be considered

Types of Journal Content:Technical papers are full-length papers of value and interest to civil engineers. They must be original reviews of past practice, present information of current interest, or probe new fields of civil engineering activity. They should report results of thought-provoking studies that contribute to the planning, analysis, design, construction, management, or maintenance of civil engineering works. Technical papers should include a practical applications section whenever possible; theoretical manuscripts should indicate areas of additional research to implement technology transfer. Practical papers are strongly encouraged. Technical papers must have fewer than 10,000 words or word-equivalents.

Length of Journal Paper: For most ASCE journals, the suggested maximum number of words and word-equivalents is as follows:

  •  10,000 for papers 
  •  3,500 for notes 
  •  2,000 for discussions 

The journal editor may waive these guidelines to encourage papers on topics that cannot be treated within these limitations. Such topics may include state-of-the-art reviews and detailed case histories. However, authors are advised that most topics can be covered within these limitations, and that clear justification is required for longer manuscripts.

Estimating Manuscript Length

Please use the ASCE Sizing Worksheet to estimate the words and word-equivalents of your submission. To use the Sizing Guide, count the number of words (except for tables and figures) on a typical manuscript page and multiply that by the number of total pages. Add word-equivalents for figures and tables by estimating the portion of the journal page each will occupy when reduced to fit on a journal page. A page in ASCE’s journals holds approximately 1,260 words; therefore, a figure that would fill one quarter of a journal page would be 315 word-equivalents and a table that would fill one half of a journal page would be 630 word-equivalents. 

Companion papers

Papers submitted as sets of companion papers will be reviewed as separate papers if the editor or associate editor determines that this is the most appropriate and logical presentation of the work. If the editor or associate editor determines that the work would more logically be presented as a single paper, the companion papers will be returned to the author(s), who may then revise the papers and resubmit the work as a single paper. If the resulting single paper is overlength, it will be subject to the normal rules for overlength papers.

When submitting companion manuscripts, author(s) are encouraged to include a written justification for publishing their work as companion papers. Sets of companion papers should be submitted together. Authors should recognize that review of companion papers may take longer than review of a single paper.

Parts of a Journal Article: Technical papers and technical notes published in ASCE journals contain certain required elements, as well as several optional ones. Guidelines for preparing these elements are described in this section. See Types of Journal Content for the required elements of other types of journal submissions. Also see Final Submission of Accepted Papers for information on formatting your manuscript and including all required supporting materials.

  • Devise an article title that is concise yet descriptive of the content of the paper.
  • Ensure that the title contains no more than 100 characters, including spaces between words.
  • Avoid titles beginning with such phrases as: Analysis of …, A note on …, Theory of …, On the …,  Some …, and Toward a….
  • The author byline should contain the full name of each author and his or her ASCE Society membership grade, if applicable. The correct abbreviations for each grade are as follows: Hon.M.ASCE, F.ASCE, M.ASCE, A.M.ASCE, S.M.ASCE, Aff.M.ASCE.
  • Professional engineers registered in the United States are encouraged to use the P.E. designations after their names.
  • Affiliation information should appear as a footnote at the bottom of the first page of the manuscript. The affiliation footnote(s) should contain each author’s present title, current affiliation, email address (optional), and complete mailing address.
  • Abstracts are required only for technical papers and technical notes.
  • The abstract length should be 150 to 175 words.
  • The abstract should contain the purpose of the work, the scope of the effort, the procedures used to execute the work (if of special interest), major findings, and key conclusions.
  • Write your abstract in plain language for a general engineering audience (for example, recent graduates/beginning graduate students).
  • Do not include jargon, equations, figure callouts, tablecallouts, or reference citations in the abstract.
  • On the first page of the manuscript, below the abstract, provide a list of 4–8 subject headings from the subject heading list located in ASCE’s Civil Engineering Database. Your suggested subject headings will be reviewed and approved by the manager of the database. If you think new subject headings are warranted, you can send your suggestions to CE Database
  • Length of Journal Submissions provides the length limits for various types of submissions, as well as guidance on estimating the length of your article. 
  • Writing Style contains guidelines for good writing and ASCE house style in such matters as inclusive language, abbreviations, mandatory use of SI units, and referring to figures and tables within text.
  • Use U.S. terminology, standard definitions, and symbols.
  • Avoid text footnotes or endnotes: incorporate them into the text or eliminate them completely. 
  • Include a practical applications section, if appropriate.

 See Preparing Tables for Journal Articles for guidance on preparing your tables.

Tables can be the best way to present data or other essential information. The tables you submit with your manuscript should be prepared with the same skill, thought, and care as the text. Failure to do so will result in the delay in publication. Tables are expensive to typeset, so include only those tables that make a positive contribution to the book. All tables submitted with the final manuscript must be complete and accompanied by permissions documentation.

Table Style

  • Tables must be double-numbered by chapter (tables in chapter 4, for example, would be numbered as Table 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, etc.). A complete list of tables must be included on the Illustration and Permissions Inventory as part of your manuscript submission.
  • Tables should have a brief title describing what is being presented in the table; the table number and title appear above the table text.
  • Table text should be arranged so that the rows outnumber the columns and that each column contains similar material.
  • Table text may be followed by footnotes, notes, and source information (in that order). Table footnotes use superscript, italic lowercase letters to identify the footnote in the table and in the footnote. A table note is introduced by the word “Note:” and contains information applicable to the entire table, such as a key to abbreviations or symbols. The table source is introduced by the word “Source:” followed by source information.

Table Preparation

  • Tables are best prepared in Word or Excel. Do not create tables in drawing or graphics programs and then paste them into a Word file. Tables will be copyedited in Word.
  • If you create tables in Word, use the Table feature that sets up tables using cells for rows and columns. (Avoid setting up tables using the Tab key only.) Put one row of the table in one row of cells. Do not put multiple rows of data in a single row of cells and align them with the return key.
  • If you create tables in Excel, be sure that the actual data is embedded in the file you submit, and not cross-referenced to Excel files that you will not be submitting.
  • Tables may be included at the end of the text for each chapter or in separate files grouped by chapter.

See Preparing Figures for Journal Articles for guidance on preparing your figures.

Graphs, flow charts, diagrams, drawings, maps, and photographs are some of the different types of illustrations you may submit as part of your manuscript. Each illustration should be thoughtfully designed or selected in order to show a relationship of ideas, data, or objects that would be difficult to describe precisely or completely using words alone. 

Illustrations—more commonly called figures—must be submitted with the final manuscript in printed and electronic versions. Authors are responsible for preparing or obtaining reproducible versions of their figures, along with captions and source lines. Permissions documentation must also accompany the illustrations submitted with your final manuscript.

Publishing technologies are changing rapidly, so it is impossible to provide definitive instructions in a few pages. The following guidelines, however, should help you prepare your illustrations so as to avoid problems and delays in the production of your book. If you have any questions, consult with your ASCE Staff Contact.

Figure Style

  • All illustrations are identified using the word “Figure.” Do not mix in alternatives such as “Photo” or “Chart”.
  • Figures must be double-numbered by chapter (figures in chapter 4, for example, would be numbered as Figure 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, etc.). A complete list of all figures (even those you create yourself) must be included on the Illustration and Permission Inventory as part of your manuscript submission.
  • Figures should have a brief caption describing what is being presented. In ASCE books, the figure number and caption generally appear below the figure.
  • Figure captions may be followed by legends, notes, and source information (in that order). Legends should be included below the caption only if every character has a typeset equivalent; otherwise, incorporate the legend into the figure. A figure note is introduced by the word “Note:” and contains information applicable to the entire figure, such as abbreviations or data parameters. The figure source is introduced by the word “Source:” followed by source information.
  • Figures should use the same system of units as the accompanying text; that is, generally, figures should be prepared using SI units. The exception would be a figure that accompanies a case study or problem that is presented only in customary units. In either case, the units should be clearly marked on the illustration.

Types of Figures

Illustrations fall generally into three categories, each of which has specific parameters for submission of paper and electronic versions.

  • Line drawings are made with black lines or shapes or letters on a white background, with no areas in gray or color. Line graphs, flow charts, diagrams, and blueprints are usually line drawings.
  • Grayscale drawings include areas with gray shading along with the black lines or letters on a white background. Bar graphs, diagrams, and maps may be grayscale drawings.
  • Continuous tone art blends many different shades of gray (or color). Photographs are the most common type of continuous tone art, but paintings and sketches may also be printed this way.

The Quick Guide to Preparing Figures for ASCE books includes thumbnail samples of each type of figure along with a summary of the requirements for electronic files.

Preparation of Figures

We recommend that you submit all figures as electronic files accompanied by paper printouts, but we do accept original artwork as well. Whether you plan to submit your figures as electronic files or original artwork, you should keep the following tips in mind as you prepare your figures.

  • Artwork should be drawn to the final reproduction size (see Quick Guide to Preparing Figures).
  • Lines should be at least 0.5 pt (0.175 mm) in order to reproduce well in a book or online. (Note that many CAD programs default to 0.25 pt (0.88 mm) lines, so you will need to adjust the line weight accordingly.) In general, lines in graphs should not be heavier than 1.5 pt (0.53 mm).
  • Words should be set in a clear, readable typeface, such as Arial, Helvetica, or Times Roman. The type size should be no smaller than 8 pt and no larger than 11 pt.
  • Symbols in the figure should be about the size of a lowercase “oh” in the accompanying text.
  • Lines in graphs can be differentiated by using solid, dashed, or dotted lines or by varying the line weight.
  • Do not draw boxes around your figures.
  • Set the color to black-and-white or grayscale. If you have discussed the use of color with your ASCE Staff Contact and it has been approved for your book, submit electronic files of color art as CMYK (not RGB).
  • Crop your images to eliminate unnecessary white space on the borders. Eliminate stray elements (such as lines or type) that you do not intend to be printed as part of the figure.

Preparing Electronic Files for Figures

  • If you are drawing your figures using computer software, we recommend the use of a drawing program such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, or AutoDesk AutoCAD. (Do not draw your figures in Microsoft Word or Excel unless you plan to submit them as original artwork or to submit high-resolution scans as electronic files.)
  • Follow the general guidelines above on size, line weight, and typeface.
  • Save the files in one of the following formats, listed in order of preference:
    • EPS, with the fonts embedded
  • When you save the files, use a file name that is descriptive and be sure to include the file type extension.
  • If you are using gray shading and text in your figures, the figure should be saved only in EPS format, with the fonts embedded.
  • If you choose to scan line drawings or photographs, see the section Tips on Scanning for help producing high-quality scans.
  • Note that graphic files downloaded or saved from Web pages are not of acceptable quality for print publication.

Preparing Original Artwork for Figures

  • Follow the general guidelines above on size, line weight, and typeface.
  • Do not use gray shading as part of original artwork.
  • The final artwork should be prepared on bright white paper with crisp black lines and type. There should be no stray marks, smudges, or dirt.
  • If you print the original artwork from an electronic file, use a high-quality laser printer, capable of printing at a minimum of 600 dpi, and use fresh toner or ink cartridges. Lower-quality printers and dot-matrix printers will not produce satisfactory original artwork.

Tips on Scanning

You may decide to scan line drawings or photographs in order to submit them as electronic artwork. Reasons for doing so include: you are using a figure previously published in a journal; you prefer to draw your figures in Microsoft Word or Excel; you have unique or fragile art that you would prefer not to submit. The tips below will help you produce good scanned images that pass smoothly through the production process.

  • If possible, use a flatbed scanner rather than a sheet-fed scanner. Flatbed scanners produce less distortion.
  • Determine the optimum size of your figure (from Quick Guide to Preparing Figures) and calculate the percentage of expansion or reduction before you scan. Then, scan your figure at that percentage.
  • Determine the optimum resolution of your figure (from Quick Guide to Preparing Figures) and scan your figure at that resolution. If you are in any doubt, scan your figure at a higher resolution.
  • Avoid scanning line drawings or photographs that already have screening or have been previously published. The existing screening will interfere with the screening that will be applied when your book is printed. Instead, submit these line drawings or photographs as original artwork, so that they can be professionally scanned. If you must scan them yourself, look for the feature in your scanning software that compensates for existing screening (sometimes called “de-screening”).
  • Use a suitable software program (such as Adobe’s Photoshop or Photo Elements) to correct and adjust your scans. Specifically,
    • Adjust each image so that it is straight (not tilted.)
    • Crop each image to eliminate excess white space and stray lines. Try to crop each image to eliminate extraneous objects or areas.
    • Clean up (using the eraser function) dirt, scratches, and smudges.
    • Convert color images to black-and-white or grayscale images.
    • Eliminate muddiness by adjusting the contrast of photographs. Pictures should have strong black areas and strong white areas.
  • Save your scans as TIFF files.

Tips on Preparing Photographs

Photographs require a little extra care to prepare, whether you are submitting original artwork, scans, or images from a digital camera. The following tips apply to all photographs.

  • Select photographs that show only what is important to your text. Crop out blank areas, clutter, and unrelated objects.
  • Select photographs in sharp focus and with good contrast; photos tend to lose some detail during reproduction.
  • If you are taking the photographs yourself, make sure the subject is adequately lighted. Use plain backgrounds for objects, and consider adding an element to indicate scale. Take several shots from different angles and with different settings, so you can select the best one.
  • Avoid including company logos, unless the point of the photograph is to show a specific piece of equipment.
  • If a photograph has a recognizable face, you may need to obtain an image release from the person/people in the photo.

If you are scanning photographs in order to submit electronic files, please see the section, Tips on Scanning.

If you plan to submit images taken with a digital camera, use a camera with at least 2 megapixels—preferably with 3 megapixels. Set the camera to collect enough digital information. Many cameras default to 72 ppi, which is not adequate for print reproduction. Select a setting to collect at least 600 ppi. Images from digital cameras must be submitted as electronic files with paper printouts. Do not submit as original art an image from a digital camera that has been printed on a laser photo-printer.

If you are submitting photographs as original artwork, please note the following:

  • Submit glossy black-and-white prints that are in good condition—no creases, puckers, or imprints, and no transparent tape covering the photo.
  • Do not submit a print from a laser photo-printer as original artwork, no matter how good the paper or how dot-free it seems to the naked eye. All laser photo-printers produce screened images, and this screening interferes with the photo’s appearance in the finished book. Only prints developed in a photographic darkroom are acceptable as original artwork.
  • Use a china marker, grease pencil, or adhesive label to record the figure number and indicate the “top” of the image on the back of the photograph. (Never use pen, pencil, or felt-tip marker on a photograph.)
  • Place each photograph in a transparent sleeve to protect it from damage.

Submission of Figures

During the production process, the figures follow a different path from the text and tables. To move your manuscript through a complex process efficiently and to assist quality control, we ask that you submit your figures according to the guidelines below. Most importantly, however, do not embed the figures in the text of your manuscript.

Submitting Electronic Files for Figures

Electronic figures should be submitted in two ways.

  • Each figure should be submitted as a separate file, named clearly and in an appropriate file format (EPS, TIFF, PDF, JPEG). These files are due with your final manuscript.
  • For each chapter, prepare a Word file that contains an embedded version of each figure (low-resolution or cut-and-paste versions are acceptable) accompanied by its complete caption, legends, notes, and source information. Submit the Word file and a printout with your manuscript.

Submitting Original Artwork for Figures

Original artwork should be submitted as follows.

  • The originals of all figures, whether line art or photographs, should be clearly labeled with the figure number and, if it is not obvious, an arrow or note indicating which side is the top. We recommend using a ring binder and clear plastic sleeves to collect the originals, ordering them as they appear in your final manuscript. Submit these originals with your manuscript; for ASCE Press books, submit these original with the final manuscript.
  • A photocopy of each original, clearly labeled with the figure number and figure orientation, should be submitted with your manuscript. (For ASCE Press books, these photocopies should be submitted with both the draft manuscript and the final manuscript.)
  • A Word file containing the figure captions, legends, notes, and source information should be prepared for each chapter and submitted with the text and tables of your manuscript.

See Preparing Mathematics for Journal Articles for guidance on preparing your equations.

Include a section under the heading “Conclusions” or “Summary and Conclusions” that presents the significant implications of the information presented in the body of the manuscript.

See Preparing Mathematics for Journal Articles for guidance on preparing your equations.

  • Use appendixes to record details and data that are of secondary importance or that are needed to support assertions in the text.
  • Make sure the text contains a reference to each appendix.
  • Number equations, tables, and figures sequentially, picking up where the text leaves off.
  • Include any references cited in the reference list at the end of your paper.
  • Notation  (optional)
  • Include a section under the heading “Notation” if you define letter symbols in the text.
  • Arrange each symbol and its definition alphabetically.
  • Include a section under the heading “References” that contains a reference list with the complete bibliographical citation for each reference mentioned in the text, tables, figures, and appendixes.
  • See Author-Date References for details on citing sources in your text and in the reference list.

Quick Guide to Common Types of Referenced Material

All factual material that is not original with you must be accompanied by a reference to its source. ASCE books and journals prefer the author–date system of referencing. This system has two parts, the text citation and the reference list.

  • The text citation appears where the material to be cited is presented. The citation refers readers to a source in the reference list by the author’s name and the year of publication. Often, the author and date appear in parentheses; a comma is not placed between them.

For example: One recent report (Carson 2006) finds evidence that…

Or: …yielded varying results (Jones 2005; Marks and Smith 2004a,b).

  • Use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in citations for publications with three or more authors.
  • When the researcher is part of the sentence, the last name does not need to be repeated.

For example: Carson (2006) finds evidence that…

  • The reference list appears at the end of each paper or chapter (when chapters are by different authors) or in a separate section at the end of the book.
  • References begin with the names of the author(s), last name first for all authors, followed by the year of publication in parentheses. See the Quick Guide to Common Types of Referenced Materials for guidance on punctuation and formatting.
  • References by the same author(s) published in the same year are designated with lowercase letters: 2004a, 2004b.
  • Every reference must have a text citation and every text citation must have a corresponding reference. For publications that will be copyedited (ASCE Press titles, manuals of practice, standards, and journal articles), unmatched references will be queried or deleted by the copy editor.
  • For camera-ready books, reference lists should be prepared single-spaced. For typeset books and for journal articles, reference lists should be prepared double-spaced and submitted as word-processed files.

ASCE Journal Paper Guidelines – How to Prepare Your Manuscript

Publishing in an ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) journal is a prestigious way to share your research with the global engineering community. To improve your chances of acceptance, it’s important to follow the ASCE journal formatting and submission guidelines precisely.

📘 1. Choose the Right ASCE Journal

ASCE publishes over 30 peer-reviewed journals in fields such as:

  • Structural Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Construction Engineering
  • Water Resources
  • Materials in Civil Engineering

🔍 Visit: ASCE Library to explore journals.

🧾 2. General Manuscript Guidelines

CriteriaDetails
LanguageEnglish (U.S. spelling)
LengthPreferably under 30 double-spaced pages (including tables & figures)
Font & SpacingTimes New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced
File FormatMicrosoft Word (.doc or .docx) or LaTeX
Margins1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
Line NumbersInclude in the left margin for review

🧱 3. Manuscript Structure

✅ Required Sections:

  1. Title – Concise and informative
  2. Author Information – Full names, affiliations, email addresses
  3. Abstract – 150–250 words summarizing the paper
  4. Keywords – 4–6 relevant keywords
  5. Introduction – Background, objectives, scope
  6. Methodology – Data, experiments, analysis
  7. Results & Discussion – Tables, graphs, interpretation
  8. Conclusion – Summary and future work
  9. Acknowledgments – Optional
  10. References – ASCE citation format

📊 4. Figures and Tables

  • Embed all figures and tables in the manuscript near their citation.
  • Number sequentially (e.g., Fig. 1, Table 1).
  • Use high-quality resolution (minimum 300 dpi for images).
  • Include descriptive captions below figures and above tables.

📚 5. Reference Style (ASCE Format)

  • In-text citation: (Author, Year)
  • Reference list example: Smith, J. (2022). Structural Analysis of Concrete Frames. ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, 148(3), 04021234.

📥 Tip: Use citation tools like Zotero or EndNote with ASCE styles preloaded.

📤 6. Submission Process

  • Submit via the Editorial Manager system: https://www.editorialmanager.com/asce
  • Register or log in, select the journal, and follow the steps.
  • Include cover letter summarizing contribution, novelty, and declarations.

✅ 7. Review & Decision Timeline

  • Initial Editorial Decision: ~4–6 weeks
  • Peer Review: ~2–3 months
  • Revisions (if required): ~1–2 months
  • Final Decision: Subject to review feedback

📌 Final Tips

  • Ensure originality and clarity
  • Avoid plagiarism (check using Turnitin or similar)
  • Align your research with the scope of the selected journal
  • Review past papers in that journal for structure and style

Would you like a PDF checklist, cover letter sample, or template Word file to help readers prepare their ASCE journal paper? ask in below comment.

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