Announcing changes to the definition of Letters to the Editor and to the scope of the journal

Abstract

The Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Editorial Board has reassessed the purpose of a Letter to the Editor. This follows a discussion by the Board that highlighted the change in the way that the community uses Letters. Originally the idea of a Letter was to publish urgent work that required a follow-up paper containing more details. However, increasingly, authors are using Letters as a way to publish small amounts of work that they feel requires fast publication but does not necessarily require a follow-up paper. The Board believes that the definition of a Letter has become very blurred and needs to be redefined.