NOW OPEN: Submit a Scientific Paper for RESNA 2026 at Abilities Expo.
DEADLINES: See Scientific Paper submission deadlines by conference location below. (You may submit for both locations.)
- Abilities Expo | Long Beach, CA - March 26 and 27
- Scientific Paper Submission Deadline: November 17, 2025
- Abilities Expo | Greater New York - April 30 and May 1
- Scientific Paper Submission Deadline: January 12, 2026
RESNA SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OVERVIEW
RESNA accepts Scientific Papers each year for presentation at a RESNA event. Submit your paper through the online Scientific Paper submission portal. Your submission will be reviewed and scored by a panel of reviewers who are experts in area(s) relevant to its topic.
PRESENTATION OF ACCEPTED PAPERS AT RESNA 2026
For 2026, RESNA is accepting Scientific Paper submissions in the following configurations:
- Scientific Paper Oral Presentation (10-12 minutes)
- RESNA will be offering IACET CEUs for Scientific Paper Oral Presentations
- Papers selected for oral presentation will be required to submit learning outcomes and quiz questions. Instructions will be provided in the acceptance letter, and authors will be required to submit all materials by the stated deadline.
- Scientific Paper Poster
- Posters are not required to submit learning outcomes and quiz questions
PUBLICATION OPTIONS
Accepted scientific papers will be posted on RESNA’s website and will be publicly available as part of our Online Proceedings. The abstracts of accepted papers will also be published in an issue of RESNA’s Assistive Technology Journal.
Authors may select between online publication of their full paper as submitted or a shorter abstract in the Online Proceedings. The abstract-only option is ONLY for authors who plan future submission to scholarly journals and wish to avoid strict restrictions on "prior publication" established by some journals (e.g., Archives of PM&R and some medical journals).
- All authors considering the abstract-only publication option should investigate the requirements of their targeted journal.
- Authors who wish to submit their paper to RESNA's Assistive Technology Journal do not need to limit their publication to an abstract, as the proceedings are not considered to be prior publication by the Journal editors.
TYPES OF PAPERS
Authors must classify their papers as one of the following types:
- Research: Scholarly or scientific investigation and inquiry into rehabilitation technology-related issues. Research papers should be hypothesis-driven and should explore, through methodical investigation, a specific research question. Concrete results and discussion should follow. The paper and the subsequent presentation must include an implication section, which highlights how the research informs practice, policy, and/or technology development as relevant
- Practice: Practice papers may include an actual case study or single event, documenting background of problem, options for intervention, resolution, and costs. A practice paper may also report on the feasibility, design, or modification of a device, method, or system for future research or for commercialization purposes. Practice papers are generally not formal hypothesis-driven papers. However, the paper and the subsequent presentation must include an implication section highlighting future research, public policies, and/or technology development that may strengthen the practice.
- Public Policy: Report on legislation, reimbursement, service delivery programs and administration, Tech Act projects, technology transfer, remote delivery, AT Education, distance learning, advocacy efforts, credentialing, etc. Presenters need to emphasize the implications of the public policy on practice, research, and / or technology development as relevant.
REVIEW PROCESS
Each paper will be reviewed according to the criteria listed below:
- Abstract/Background/Statement of Problem or Research Question: Does the Abstract concisely describe the content of this paper? Is the Statement of the Problem or Objective clear? Is the end user’s need clearly identified? Does the background information support the need for this study/development/policy issue? Is reference to previous work delineated clearly (if appropriate)?
- Methods/Approach/Solutions Considered: If a research paper, are the methods clearly described and appropriate for achieving the stated objective? Is the research design appropriate and does it respond to the stated needs? If a practice or policy paper, are current methods or technologies considered? Are the solutions consistent with current clinical/design practice? Are methods to address the end user’s need adequately addressed? If applicable, have alternate methods to address the needs been presented/explored?
- Evaluation/Results/Resolution/Discussion/Outcome/Performance & Cost/Implications (**May not be applicable for all Public Policy submissions) : If a research paper, are results well documented, valid, and reliable? Are appropriate statistics used? If a practice paper, was an evaluation attempted? Do results/conclusions address wider use of the new device/methods/information gained? If design related, are appropriate design details and analysis presented? For all, are the conclusions/implications reasonable? Does the discussion demonstrate how the model/policy/solution/device addresses the issue? Is the discussion consistent and relevant to the needs described in the Problem Statement/Objective?
- Overall Quality of Presentation: Is the paper understandable and well organized? Are the flow of information and development of ideas presented in a logical and easy-to-follow fashion? Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are the figures and figure legends clear? Are appropriate references provided (when relevant)?
- Subject matter is timely and appropriate to the RESNA audience: Is the paper appropriate for the designated topic area? Is the content noteworthy? Will this paper add to the existing knowledge in the field? Is there sufficient detail for an out-of-field observer to follow the presentation? Does this paper provide a foundation for future work? Are relevant implications clearly stated in accordance to the type of scientific paper?
AUTHOR NOTIFICATION
Authors should receive notification indicating acceptance or rejection by early January 2026 (Long Beach location) or mid-February 2026 (Greater NY location).
The most common reasons for paper rejection include:
- Failure to follow formatting and submission guidelines;
- Falling outside the areas of interest/expertise of the RESNA audience;
- Having a seriously flawed approach to conducting the work reported;
- Failing to substantiate the claims made in the submission;
- Incomplete in methodology, results, or documentation;
- Previously submitted or published; or
- Numerous grammatical errors or failure to adequately proofread
FORMATTING YOUR PAPER
The following guidelines provide explicit instructions on how to format your paper submission to facilitate the review process and comply with electronic accessibility requirements for the Online Proceedings. The format must be followed precisely in order to make your paper accessible to individuals with visual impairments and to enhance our ability to publish the paper in electronic format on the RESNA website. Failure to adhere to these guidelines will hinder the review and publication process and may result in your paper being rejected.
PAPER STRUCTURE AND GENERAL STYLE GUIDELINES
- Scientific Paper Template: Scientific Papers must be formatted according to the RESNA Template.
- Sample Paper: Authors should review the sample paper in order to gain the clearest idea about style and layout guidelines
- Style Manual: Authors can also refer to the Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (6th Edition) style guide for citation and reference information.
- Submission of Files: You must upload the following files to the submission portal in PDF format.
- Your full paper, including all tables, charts, and figures placed appropriately;
- A blinded copy of the full paper. The blinded copy will be the full paper minus all of the author names and affiliations, as well as any acknowledgement section. Please be careful to accept all Track Changes and save as a Final version (not Showing Markup) so that no identification is given for a true-blinded review process; and
- Alternative text for all non-text elements.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: info@resna.org
- Subject Line: Scientific Paper Submission
Phone: 202-367-1121