Volume 29, Issue 6 , Pages 415-416, July 2006
Helpful Hints: Writing Effective Letters to the Editor
Article Outline
Abstract
Letters to the editor serve an important role in postpublication review by maintaining the integrity of evidence. The act of critical appraisal of the literature, an important step of evidence-based practice, may generate letters to the editor. Letters may serve to (1) identify errors or deficiencies and make a correction to the literature, (2) point out alternative theories or additional information not contained in the original article, (3) offer new, additional, or counterevidence to that of the original article, and/or (4) hold authors and journals accountable for their publications. Through letters, the readership helps to strengthen the evidence base. Recommendations for writing and assessing a letter to the editor are included in this editorial.
Ultimately, all readers and users of a journal's contents (researchers, policy makers, practitioners, etc) are responsible for the continued evaluation of the evidence contained within the journal. At the heart of research and evidence-based practice is critical appraisal of the literature. Through the process of critical review, letters to the editor may be generated, submitted, and then published to add clarity to the literature, thus, helping to strengthen the evidence base.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
In PubMed, each letter is included in the indexed record and is linked to the original article, which allows readers to see a clearer picture of the original article.1 Thus, it is through the postpublication peer review process that a more complete record of evidence is established.2
General Process
Submission Process
One should submit a letter in accordance with the journal's instructions for authors. Traditionally, letters respond to previous publications from the same journal. However, depending on the journal, they may also include short reports, clinical observations, abbreviated cases, and the like. Read the instructions for authors to know what that particular journal requires. Timely publication is important because other studies may be built upon the original work. Clarification and correction should be done as soon as possible to help correct the record. Therefore, letters should be submitted shortly after the original article is published, preferably within 4 weeks. Articles should be sent to the journal, never to the author directly, so that an impartial handling and refereeing of the letter may be implemented.
Evaluation of the Letter
Editors evaluate letters for content, relevance, format, timeliness, and supporting evidence. Not all letters to the editor are accepted for publication. There are various reasons for rejection, including length of time since the original article was published, content is redundant, relevance to the journal, and so on.5 Consider using a set of recommendations when writing or evaluating a letter to the editor, such as found in Fig 1.
Fig 1.
Recommendations for writing and assessing a letter to the editor.
Once Accepted for Publication
If the editor or editorial team decides to accept the letter, it will be sent by the editor to the author of the original article for reply. If the author chooses to reply, the same guidelines are followed for the response letter. Some authors choose not to reply. For example, the author may feel that there is no counterpoint to be made. With or without a reply from the author, an accepted letter to the editor will be published.
Once the author of the original article has responded to the editor, the letters are typically scheduled for print in the next available issue. The letter is published in the same journal as the original article. In many indexing systems, the original article is linked to the letter, so that current and future readers of the article may be aware of the contents of the letter. Accepted letters and responses may be edited for grammar, style, and length before publication.
Submission to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
For the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), authors should submit letters through the manuscript submission process on the journal Web site (www.mosby.com/jmpt) and not by e-mailing the editor directly. According to the JMPT policy, letters are limited to a maximum of 500 words and 8 references.7 Letters should be submitted with a cover letter and a signed copyright form, and should be submitted within 4 months of publication of the original article.
Writing effective letters to the editor is our readers' responsibility and an important part of maintaining the scientific record. On behalf of the JMPT, we invite you to participate in this important process.
References
- . I read with interest …. Postgrad Med J. 2004;80:559
- . Postpublication criticism and the shaping of clinical knowledge. JAMA. 2002;287:2843–2847
- . How to write a critical letter and respond to one. Hosp Med. 2001;62:426–427
- . Letters: a forum for scientific discourse. JAMA. 1999;281:1543
- . Unvarnished viewpoints and scientific scrutiny. CMAJ. 1997;157:792–794
- . The role of letters in reviewing research. BMJ. 1994;308:1582–1583
- . Letters to the editor, tables, figures, and abstracts revisited. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004;27:285–286
PII: S0161-4754(06)00167-9
doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2006.06.016
© 2006 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Volume 29, Issue 6 , Pages 415-416, July 2006
