Double-Anonymous Submission Requirements

RTAS 2026 follows the TCRTS double-anonymous submission policy. Concretely, this means:

• Author identities and affiliations are not disclosed to reviewers during the review process.
• Authors must submit blinded manuscripts that do not reveal their identities.
• Both authors and reviewers must make an honest effort to avoid de-blinding.

All submitted papers must comply with the rules below. Violations may result in desk rejection without review.

Double-anonymous review can only succeed if authors commit to its spirit, not just the letter. Please carefully review the instructions below and consult the TCRTS double-anonymous policy FAQ if needed.

Document Preparation

• PDFs must not include author names or affiliations.
• Remove metadata from the PDF that could reveal identity.
• Avoid copy-pasting large blocks of text from your own prior work.
• Do not reuse figures from past work unless re-drawn or clearly cited.
• Avoid using distinctive figure styles, formatting tricks, or writing quirks that could reveal identity.
• Do not include acknowledgments (even anonymized ones) in submitted papers.

Own Prior Work, Projects, and Artifacts

• Refer to your own prior work in the third person (e.g., not “we” or “our”).
• Do not blind references: keep author names and titles visible for all citations.
• If your work builds on a well-known artifact or dataset:
  • If public: describe usage as any external party would.
  • If private: include a statement like “we thank the authors of XYZ for providing access” (to be removed before publication).
• If the work depends on non-replicable proprietary systems, use placeholder names instead of actual vendor/system identifiers.
• In rare cases where no blinding is possible and placeholders are insufficient, contact the PC chair before submission.

Preprints and Prior Workshop Papers

• Do not upload your submission to arXiv, personal websites, or any public platform while under review.
• If you must break this rule, contact the PC chair in advance.
• If your submission extends a prior workshop paper, you must declare it in the submission form.
• After review, track chairs will de-blind accepted papers to verify novelty if a prior version exists.

Online Appendices and Supplemental Materials

• You may refer to appendices or artifacts, but:
  • Do not include direct URLs.
  • State: “Supplemental material is available from the track chair upon request.”
• Send blinded supplementary material to the PC chair before the submission deadline.
• Reviewers are not required to consult supplemental materials.

Further Questions

Please consult the TCRTS double-anonymous policy FAQ or contact the PC Chair for clarification.

Important Dates