Preliminary evidence that letters to the editor are indexed inconsistently in PubMed and in exercise science and physical therapy journals: Implications and resolutions

Abstract

Key points Letters to the editor are important to science because they are a form of post‐publication review. Examination of 3,203 letters published in exercise science and physical therapy journals revealed letters are indexed inconsistently. Issues exist with letter titles, letter authorship, and letter digital object identifiers (DOIs) and PubMed identifiers (PMIDs). Implications are that some letters are difficult to discover and cite, and some letter writers are not recognized for their intellectual contributions. Resolutions include indexing letters in PubMed under the “letter” [pt] search term and indexing each letter with the author's name, a distinct but consistently formatted title, and a unique DOI and PMID.