Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A 2,500-word short communication in an Elsevier journal with one figure and abbreviated methods
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A full 8,000-word original article is not a short communication regardless of how 'short' the author considers it
Editorial commentary
Different journals use the label inconsistently: some use it as a synonym for research letter, others as a distinct middle-length category. The operational identifier is the journal’s stated word-limit, structure (often abbreviated methods/discussion), and category in the table of contents.
References
- NLM Publication Type Vocabulary
- Elsevier Short Communication format guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a short communication in a research journal?
A short communication is a compact, peer-reviewed research format: shorter than a full research article but longer than a letter. Journals do not use the label consistently — some treat it as a synonym for research letter, while others define it as a distinct middle-length category with its own word limit and structure.
How is a short communication different from a research letter?
The distinction depends on the journal. Some journals use “short communication” and “research letter” interchangeably, while others define them as separate categories with different word limits and structural requirements. The reliable way to tell them apart for a specific journal is to check its stated word-limit and its listed category in the table of contents, not to assume a universal rule.
How long is a short communication and how is it structured?
Short communications are typically 2,000-3,000 words — longer than a letter but shorter than a full article — and often use an abbreviated methods and discussion section compared with a standard research article. The exact word limit and structural requirements are set by each journal individually.
Does Elsevier have its own short communication format?
Yes. Elsevier publishes its own short communication format guidelines, and other publishers do the same. Because the format is not standardized across the industry, the applicable word limit and structure come from the specific journal’s author guidelines rather than a single fixed definition.
Is short communication a recognized publication type?
Yes, it appears in standard bibliographic vocabularies used for indexing scholarly literature, such as the NLM Publication Type Vocabulary. Even so, individual journals still set their own specific word limits and structural requirements for what qualifies as a short communication.
Also known as
Brief communication · Short paper
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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