Boyton R J, Arnold P C
British Medical Journal, London.
BMJ. 1990;301(6766):1419-20. doi: 10.1136/bmj.301.6766.1419.
To see whether some sections of the BMJ attract more comment than others, whether letters submitted in response to different sections of the journal are rejected at different rates, and whether the balance between letters that agree and disagree with articles in the published correspondence reflects that in submitted letters.
Retrospective audit of letters submitted for publication in the correspondence columns of the BMJ in response to articles published between 1 January and 21 May 1989.
A total of 1319 letters received by the journal, 974 submitted in response to the 1501 published articles and a further 345 raising new issues.
The total numbers of letters submitted in response to the four main sections of the journal--editorials, news, papers, and middles--and the numbers published. Submitted and published letters were analysed according to whether they agreed or disagreed with articles.
The overall rejection rate was 63% (831/1319), but among letters relating to articles it was 56% (543/974). Editorials and middles attracted proportionately more letters than papers, but letters relating to papers had a lower rejection rate (43% v 57% for editorials and 43% v 66% for middles). For all sections more letters disagreed than agreed, but a higher proportion of letters in response to editorials and middles disagreed than those submitted in response to papers (64% and 72% v 53%). Among the published letters, however, broadly equal numbers of letters agreed and disagreed with articles, irrespective of section.
Those sections of the journal that aim at stimulating debate succeeded in attracting the most comment. The relative importance of original scientific research papers was reflected by the priority given to letters submitted in response to papers, and the final correspondence column was a balanced platform of debate despite an unequal submitted response in terms of letters that agreed and disagreed with different sections of the journal.
探究《英国医学杂志》（BMJ）的某些板块是否比其他板块吸引更多评论，针对该杂志不同板块所提交的信件被拒率是否不同，以及在已发表的读者来信中，赞同和反对文章观点的信件比例是否与提交信件时的比例一致。
对1989年1月1日至5月21日期间发表的文章所引发的、提交至BMJ读者来信专栏以供发表的信件进行回顾性审计。
该杂志共收到1319封信件，其中974封是针对1501篇已发表文章提交的，另有345封提出了新问题。
针对该杂志四个主要板块（社论、新闻、论文和述评）所提交的信件总数及发表的信件数量。根据信件对文章的赞同或反对态度，对提交和发表的信件进行分析。
总体拒稿率为63%（831/1319），但与文章相关的信件拒稿率为56%（543/974）。与论文相比，社论和述评板块吸引的信件相对更多，但与论文相关的信件拒稿率较低（社论板块为43%对57%，述评板块为43%对66%）。所有板块中，反对的信件多于赞同的信件，但针对社论和述评板块的反对信件比例高于针对论文板块的（分别为64%和72%对53%）。然而，在已发表的信件中，无论涉及哪个板块，赞同和反对文章观点的信件数量大致相等。
该杂志旨在激发讨论的板块成功吸引了最多评论。对回应论文提交的信件的优先处理，体现了原创科研论文相对重要性；尽管在提交的信件中，对杂志不同板块赞同和反对的比例不均衡，但最终的读者来信专栏是一个平衡的辩论平台。
