Comments on Articles Published in the AER, the AER: Insights, and the AEJs
In January 2025, the AER, the AER: Insights, and the AEJs adopted a set of internal guidelines for handling new information received about published articles. The policy is designed to strike a balance between (i) limiting the resources devoted to the formal publication of comments, replies, errata, and corrigenda, and (ii) making sure that the journal offers a path for the progression of science when new information becomes available.
As stated in the journals' editorial policy pages, formal publication of a comment or reply in one of the 蝌蚪网’s general interest journals is limited to (i) "new information that provides a substantial and general-interest contribution beyond what could be known from the original article and other articles in the literature.” For the AEJs, such a comment is reserved for "a substantial contribution that is of broad interest within the field, going beyond what could be known from the original article and other articles in the literature.”
For comments that do not meet the standard for formal publication, the editor may, depending on the substance and merit of the comment, the reaction of the authors of the article being commented on, and possibly the advice of reviewers, provide an option for the comment to be posted on the article’s landing page under "Additional Materials." The terms “e-comment,” “e-reply,” and “e-amendment” (a cooperative document between the authors of the comment and the authors of the original publication) will be used for online postings to ensure that they are clearly distinguished from formal publications in the journal.
In light of this new set of guidelines, the 蝌蚪网 has discontinued a feature added some years ago for the AEJs, which allowed members to directly post informal comments. The feature did not gain widespread adoption (with only two postings in 2024 across all titles), and the Association feels this new set of guidelines will provide an improved mechanism for bringing important new information to light. All existing member comments will be moved under Additional Materials and will be titled, "Public (Legacy) Comment."