An editorial is a piece of writing written by the editor or the editorial board and published in a newspaper. It expresses the opinion of the editorial board on the topic or issue at hand.
Editorials have been known to have a major impact on public perception and policy on topics related to a journal’s field. Often editorials are written to offer readers insight into the perspectives of the editor or authors on a particular subject, highlighting connections between papers included in an issue of the journal or linking this to important scientific, political or cultural events within the field. Occasionally journals will choose to publish a Special Issue on a specific topic and invite experts to write an editorial as part of that issue.
Traditionally editorials are not signed and are considered an opinion piece, although recently there has been a trend for some journals to skip them and instead publish the article in order of acceptance [1]. Editors should always consider the audience when writing their editorial as it is essential that the readership engage with the material in a way that is both thought provoking and relevant. A good editorial should have what Gray described as “the quinoa effect”; it is neither too bland nor too polemic but just right to get a reaction.
There are four main types of editorial: interpretation, criticism, praise and advice. An interpretative editorial aims to highlight the significance of an event or situation by offering facts, evidence and reasoning without any bias. A criticism editorial is meant to provoke thought on a topic by presenting a negative side of the issue while a praise editorial offers a positive outlook on an event or situation.
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