We conclude the From the Editor series focusing on explanations of JOEH article types with the Letter to the Editor this month. The JOEH Letter to the Editor (LTE) provides a forum for discussions about published articles, particularly when the methods, interpretation, or underlying arguments merit further discussion. The LTE provides an effective communication tool that enables an individual or group to provide additional insight or viewpoints on an article that appeared in the journal.
Why write an LTE?
A letter might be written to identify an error, provide an alternate theory, provide additional information, offer additional evidence, or provide a contrasting argument to that presented in the original article. Additional reasons for submitting an LTE to the JOEH include the following:
to provide an alternative argument to that posed in the original article;
to extend the original article’s argument using new information;
to provide experiences from attempting to apply the information in the original article; or
to discuss how the findings from the original article are applicable in other settings.
LTE components
Letters addressing authors of a published article must be respectful, begin with a concise objective, provide specific examples on points of difference with reference to scientific evidence, and provide a conclusion. The letter should end with a statement that helps the JOEH readers understand what to do with this new perspective or information. Letters to the Editor must be concise (750 word maximum) and rely on five or fewer references. Neither tables nor figures should be submitted. No abstract or section headers are needed. Note that the JOEH does not publish LTEs in direct response or critique to articles published in other journals.
Guidelines
Guidelines for writing an effective letter for JOEH are provided in brief, but additional tips for authors are widely available across publication platforms. Johnson and Green[Citation1] and Süer and Yaman[Citation2] provide particularly insightful examples. Since the word limit is small, do not summarize the article: provide a reference so that readers can access the article itself. Begin with the clear objective of your letter and end with a clear take-home message that answers the question: What should the reader do with the information presented? Rely on essential references when supporting your argument, as the JOEH recommends authors use only up to five references in a Letter. Similar to all other article types in the JOEH, personal conversations should not be referenced. Rather, letters should present the scientific basis for the points being made about the original article.
The LTEs appearing in the JOEH are not peer-reviewed articles nor are they included in the impact factor of the journal. However, it is important to know that, as the editor, I may solicit opinion from experts in a particular subject matter relevant to the evaluation of the scientific basis for the LTE submitted. If there are questions or vagueness regarding the LTE’s scientific assessment, these will be communicated to the LTE author, who may or may not be invited to resubmit the letter. In addition, the letter will be submitted, for comment, to the corresponding author of the article on which this new letter is based; these authors will be invited to respond to the LTE (“the response”), which will then be shared with the author of the first letter.
Publication
If both letters pass the hurdle of fairness, respectfulness, and scientific validity, the letters will be published in the same issue, the response following the initiating letter. When letters are deemed by the editor as disrespectful or not useful to the scientific discussion of the issue, letters will be returned to the author(s) with requests to meet the publication guidelines for these letters. It is highly recommended to review LTEs in a variety of journals prior to composing and submitting one to JOEH.
I recommend authors use the “cover letter” space on the online submission system to provide context to your submitted LTE. The cover letter should identify the primary purpose of your LTE, declare conflicts of interest, and provide a clear rationale as to why this letter should be published.
This month’s LTEs
In this issue of the JOEH, readers will see a pair of letters that continue the discussion of a 2017 article on using the reciprocal calculation procedure (RCP) for setting exposure limits to hydrocarbons.[Citation3] The first letter addresses concerns regarding data selection for guidance values, presented in the manuscript and the online supplemental materials, and discusses the divergence in RCP results between German methods and those presented in the original article. The response letter addresses the authors’ rationale for why they used the OELs in the manuscript. Readers should note that these letters exceed both word length (nearly twice as long) and reference citation limitations (three times as many), expressed above, only because this discussion began prior to the development of the formal procedures communicated here (and on-line as instructions to authors). LTEs submitted after August 2018 will be held to the new criteria discussed above.
This sums up information on the article types published in the JOEH. Check out issues 15(11–12) of JOEH for details about the other article types we publish. Next issue, we will delve into some topics about data management.
Editor-in-Chief, JOEH
References
- Johnson, C., and B. Green: How to write a letter to the editor: An author’s guide. J. Chiropr. Med. 5(4):144–147 (2016). doi: 10.1016/S0899-3467(07)60147-5.
- Süer, L., and Ö. Yaman: How to write an editorial letter? Turk. J. Urol. 39(Supp. 1):41–43 (2013). doi: 10.5152/tud.2013.053
- McKee, R.H., M.D. Adenuga, and J.-C. Cabrillo: The reciprocal calculation procedure for setting occupational exposure limits for hydrocarbon solvents: An update. J. Occup. Environ. Hyg. 14 (8):573–582 (2017). doi: 10.1080/15459624.2017.1296236