What are the evaluation criteria for research abstracts and program description abstracts?
Research abstracts, program description abstracts, or conference workshops will be scored by two independent reviewers using the rubrics below. Titles and abstracts will not be formatted or edited. It is your responsibility to check for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You will be judged in the review process on the professionalism of your submitted abstract. For information on word count and how to structure your abstract, please consult the JCHLA Authorship Guidelines.
Research Project
Aside from writing quality, sections will be scored on a scale between 1 to 5. Five is the highest score that may be assigned under each section.
A - Scope (1-5)
Submissions must fit within the scope of CHLA/ABSC, and must be of interest to health sciences librarians.
B - Quality of the work (1-5)
Proposal must be presented as a structured abstract. Are the research questions and/or topic well-defined? Is the method/approach appropriate for the research question/topic? Are the results/findings clearly reported? Do the conclusions address the research questions/topic, and are they consistent with the results/findings?
C - Innovation and perceived impact (1-5)
How significant and/or innovative is the submission? If the ideas are novel, will they also be useful or inspirational? Or, if the results are sound, are they also important? Will this work have any impact on the field?
D - Writing Quality (yes or no)
Is the submission well-written and well-structured? Does the English/French need editing? Are the key steps of the research/program/topic clearly and easily identified?
Writing requires review Writing does not require review
Program Description
Aside from writing quality, sections will be scored on a scale between 1 to 5. Five is the highest score that may be assigned under each section.
A - Scope (1-5)
Submissions must fit within the scope of CHLA/ABSC, and must be of interest to health sciences librarians.
B - Quality of the work (1-5)
Proposal must be presented as a structured abstract. Does the program go beyond simply summarizing what was done? Do the authors provide enough context to understand why the program was undertaken? Were appropriate outcomes selected and evaluated (eg. User satisfaction, usage statistics, before-and-after knowledge levels, etc.)? Does the abstract summarize lessons learned and usefulness of the program?
C - Innovation and perceived impact (1-5)
Does the abstract describe a new program or a significant change to a program? If the ideas are novel, will they also be useful or inspirational? Or, if the results are sound, are they also important? Could this program be applied in other library settings?
D - Writing Quality (yes or no)
Is the submission well-written and well-structured? Does the English/French need editing? Are the key steps of the research/program/topic clearly and easily identified?
Writing requires review Writing does not require review
Conference Workshops
A- Scope (1-5)
Submissions must fit within the scope of CHLA/ABSC, and must be of interest to health science librarians.
B - Target Audience & Learner Level (1-3)
Does the workshop identify the relevant target audience & learner level?
C- Innovation or perceived impact (1-5)
Does the conference workshop abstract describe a topic or approach that is innovative and/or impactful? If the ideas are novel, will they also be useful or inspirational? Could the information from this workshop be applied in a variety of library/information settings?
D- Conference Workshop Format (1-5)
The selected conference workshop format is appropriate for the described content. The conference workshop proposal clearly states how interactivity or active learning will be incorporated. The conference workshop as described is appropriate to present in the 60-75 minute time slot.
E- Learning Outcomes (1-3)
Are the learning outcomes and the conference components of the workshop well- designed and clearly described?
F - Writing Quality (yes or no)
Is the submission well-written and well-structured? Does the English/French need editing? Are the key steps of the research/program/topic clearly and easily identified?
Writing requires review Writing does not require review
How can I blind my abstract?
Abstracts must be blinded for the review process. To allow blinded review, author names, institutional affiliations, and address information must be listed ONLY in the author section of the electronic submission system, NOT in the body of the abstract. The Planning Committee reserves the right to edit abstracts containing any author, institutional, location, or company names for the purpose of eliminating this identifying information before sending the abstract to reviewers.
How long are the presentations?
Typically, paper presentations will be limited to twenty minutes and lightning talk presentations will be limited to five minutes. Poster authors will be asked to staff their poster during the scheduled one-hour poster reception if they choose to present physically. The conference workshop presentation must have a hands-on component and be conducted within 60-75 minutes.
How do I submit an abstract?
Abstracts for papers, posters, lightning talks, and workshop sessions are to be submitted to the CHLA/ABSC Website. You may continue to make changes to your abstract until the submission deadline, Friday, January 13th, 11:59 PST.
May I enter my results/outcomes and discussion when I submit my abstract?
Yes, you may enter your results/outcomes and discussion when you submit your abstract. All parts of the abstract (introduction, methods/description, results/outcomes, and discussion sections combined) may not exceed 250 words.
Authors MAY postpone entering results and conclusions until after the peer-review process is completed. Authors selected for inclusion in the program will need to add the results and conclusions sections by March 17, 2023, if they did not already do so in the initial abstract submission. Note that the word limit for the abstract cannot exceed 250 words. Original abstract submissions may need to be modified to meet the 250-word limit.
May I include tables, figures, or citations in my abstract?
Structured abstracts should NOT contain tables, figures, or bibliographic references.
How will I know if my abstract is accepted?
All authors will receive an email notification regarding the outcome of their abstract submission by mid-March 2023. If you are an author and have not received the notification email by March 17, please contact Katie McLean – katie.mclean@nshealth.ca and Roxanne MacMillan – roxanne.macmillan@nshealth.ca. By mid-April, accepted authors will be notified of the date and time of their presentations.
At least one of the authors must attend the conference in person to present the paper, poster, lightning talk, or conduct the workshop.
How do I withdraw or cancel an abstract or presentation?
All withdrawals or cancellations must be in writing and emailed to Katie McLean – katie.mclean@nshealth.ca and Roxanne MacMillan – roxanne.macmillan@nshealth.ca. Be sure to include the full title of your abstract and author name(s).
What is the difference between Conference Workshops and Continuing Education Sessions?
Conference Workshops are structured around active participation and active learning, while Continuing Education (CE) Sessions feature presenters who share their particular expertise with participants. The CE presenters are invited by the Conference Planning Committee and they are selected based on their expertise while Conference Workshops are part of the contributed program content and are drawn from peer-reviewed proposals following the call for submissions.
