Revitalising rapid responses

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1284

BMJ 2005;330:1284 (4 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1284

Editorial

Revitalising rapid responses

We're raising the bar for publication

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

I will go root away
The noisome weeds, which without profitsuck
The soil's fertility from wholesome flowers.

Shakespeare, Richard II

When we were somewhat greener, we likened websites to gardens:both combine amazing opportunities for experiment with the optionof obliterating mistakes when things go wrong.¹ But even thenwe warned, "Turn your back on them for a few weeks, and they'reoverrun with weeds." This is the fate that has befallen rapidresponses, and why we're raising our threshold for publication.

On their launch, these electronic letters to the editor werehailed as the salvation of the journal's need to provide opportunitiesfor timely debate. Previously, we had published only about onethird of the letters to the editor that we received, and thoseabout six months late.²

Marking the publication of the 20 000th response in 2002, wejudged the experiment a success, even suggesting that . . . [Full text of this article]

Sharon Davies, letters editor

BMJ (sdavies@bmj.com)

Tony Delamothe, web editor

BMJ

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Rapid Responses:

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Bores: Jamie Cunliffe
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
The shrinking violet and its revitalization: Mark Struthers
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Anger is the weed, hate is the tree.: Dr. Herbert H. Nehrlich
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
A welcome move: John Hopkins
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Good to see: Sandip Talukdar
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
The right decision: Brian Deer
bmj.com, 5 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Other fora and technical means: Adrian K Midgley
bmj.com, 5 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Re: The right decision: Stevie M Gamble
bmj.com, 6 Jun 2005 [Full text]
"Hapless parents" and dubious data: jump, don't cut.: Lenny Schafer
bmj.com, 6 Jun 2005 [Full text]
High absurdity: John Stone
bmj.com, 6 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Re: Revitalising rapid responses: Theo H Fenton
bmj.com, 7 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Time to 'Get Real': Michael D Innis
bmj.com, 7 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Re: Re: Revitalising rapid responses: Stevie M Gamble
bmj.com, 7 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Little Weed: MAGDA TAYLOR
bmj.com, 8 Jun 2005 [Full text]
The evil of silencing opinion: James Penston
bmj.com, 11 Jun 2005 [Full text]
The Supreme Liberal: John Hopkins
bmj.com, 12 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Applause...: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 12 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Re: The evil of silencing opinion: Jayaprakash Gosalakkal
bmj.com, 12 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Re: The evil of silencing opinion: Nicholas Bennett
bmj.com, 13 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Two suggestions for revitalising rapid responses.: Cl�ment Vidal
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