POLICY ON COMMENTARIES, CRITIQUES, AND AUTHOR RESPONSES

The Link journal of Speech, Language and Audiology (JSLA) accept scholarly commentaries, critiques, and author responses that provide informed perspectives, constructive challenges, or clarifications relating to previously published work. These submissions contribute to academic debate, improve interpretation of the scientific record, and support the advancement of knowledge through transparent scholarly exchange. JSLA expects all such submissions to be evidence-based, focused on scientific discourse, and respectful in tone, and it applies consistent editorial standards to ensure fairness for all parties.

Scope and Eligibility

JSLA considers constructive commentaries or critiques addressing articles previously published in JSLA and may also consider critiques of work published in other reputable scholarly outlets where the topic is directly relevant to JSLA’s scope and readership. The journal also considers responses submitted by original authors addressing critiques of their work and may permit rejoinders by commentators responding to author replies when further scholarly clarification is justified. Commentaries and critiques may include primary research data where relevant, provided that the data are ethically obtained, appropriately governed, and used solely to support scholarly analysis of the claims under discussion.

Editorial and Review Process

All commentaries, critiques, and related submissions are first evaluated editorially for clarity, relevance, scholarly value, and appropriateness of tone. Where the submission raises complex technical issues, introduces primary research data, alleges substantive methodological flaws, or could reasonably affect interpretation of the scientific record, the journal may send the submission for peer review by independent subject-matter experts selected by the editorial team. When a critique concerns an article published in JSLA, the original article’s corresponding author is normally notified and offered an opportunity to submit a response. Author responses are evaluated under the same editorial standards and may be peer reviewed where necessary to ensure accuracy, fairness, and scientific rigor. Where a rejoinder is permitted, it is evaluated under the same principles, with peer review applied when complexity or evidentiary claims justify it.

Process Flow

When a critique is submitted, the editorial office first assesses suitability and determines whether peer review is required. If the critique proceeds, the journal invites the original author(s) to respond within a defined timeframe appropriate to the matter’s complexity and urgency. If both critique and response are accepted, the journal may consider a rejoinder from the critique author, particularly where important issues remain unresolved or where the response introduces new claims requiring scholarly reply. When feasible and appropriate, the journal may publish the critique and response together, and may include a rejoinder, to provide readers with full context and to support balanced interpretation. Once this exchange is published, JSLA may determine that further correspondence on the same matter is unlikely to add scholarly value and may decline additional submissions to avoid indefinite serial debate.

Ethical and Transparency Considerations

JSLA applies ethical safeguards to ensure that scholarly debate is conducted responsibly and that all parties are treated fairly. Original authors are ordinarily notified and given an opportunity to respond before a critique is published, particularly when critique content could affect the interpretation of the original work or the reputations of involved parties. All submissions in this category are held to comparable standards of scrutiny, evidence, and professional tone. If a critique addresses an article published in another journal, JSLA expects appropriate citation and accurate representation of the original publication context, and may include a neutral note where necessary to clarify that the original work appeared elsewhere. If a critique identifies plausible serious errors, omissions, or integrity issues in a JSLA-published article, the editorial team evaluates whether a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or editorial note is warranted in line with the journal’s post-publication procedures.

Submission Requirements

Commentaries and critiques are generally subject to section-based limits to maintain focus and readability. As a typical standard, JSLA may apply word limits in the range of approximately 1,000 to 2,000 words, with up to around 10 references and a small number of tables or figures when necessary for clarity; however, limits may vary by section and the nature of the scholarly issue. Submissions must clearly identify the article being discussed and must state the purpose and scope of the commentary, critique, or response. Authors should submit a cover letter explaining the reason for submission, disclosing conflicts of interest, and confirming ethical compliance, particularly if new data are included. The journal may request revisions to improve clarity, tone, and evidentiary support prior to final consideration.