The NMERC 2026 Abstract Rubric

Originality

Does the work add something that was not already known?

Scores well when

The question had not been answered in this setting, or an existing answer is tested somewhere it had not been tested before.

Scores badly when

The finding is already established and the abstract does not say what this adds to it.

Method

Can the design support the conclusion drawn from it?

Scores well when

The design fits the question, the sample and setting are stated, and the limits are acknowledged rather than hidden.

Scores badly when

A strong claim rests on a design that cannot carry it, or the method is described too vaguely to judge.

Clarity of results

Can a reader tell what you found, and how confidently?

Scores well when

The finding is stated in numbers or plain terms, with enough context to know whether it is large or small.

Scores badly when

Results are promised but not given, or the reader reaches the end still unsure what happened.

Relevance

Does it matter to medical education or to clinical practice?

Scores well when

Someone reading it could change what they teach or what they do, and the abstract says who.

Scores badly when

The work is sound but nothing follows from it, and the abstract does not attempt to say why it matters.