European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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The letter to the editor plays a dual role in the literature. It serves a corrective critical function but also has the capacity to spread and share knowledge. We sought to identify the role and theme of letters to the editor published in four leading otorhinolaryngology journals, to elicit how well this form of communication is being utilised. ⋯ Letters to the editor serve two main purposes; post-publication peer review and sharing experiences with fellow readers. Both are equally important in maintaining journals' high standards. Indexing needs to be improved otherwise valuable comment does not endure while the original manuscript's message lives on.