SOME GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Abstract

Letter to the editor is a tool offered to readers most often to react to articles published in a journal. From the standpoint of journals, this genre is very important as it prolongs the process of peer review and maintains the integrity of evidence. These letters have a specific structure often determined by the journals in terms of the number of words, authors, references, figures, and tables. With regard to the style, letters to the editor should be clear, precise and to the point, stating the purpose directly and avoiding unnecessary information. Compared to research articles, letters to the editor rarely use passive constructions and hedging, the most commonly used tense is the present simple and they are often laden with nouns and verbs belonging to the critical style and reflecting strong subjectivity. Although a tool for questioning previously validated research, letters to the editor need to be written in a respectful manner, maintaining the professional level of communication and always having in mind that the purpose is sharing and promotion of knowledge.