JLO Best Paper Prize 2020

The Journal of Laryngology and Otology annual best paper prize has been awarded since 2011. A committee consisting of four of the journals’ assistant editors independently reviewed all papers published in the review and main articles section of volume 134 of the journal in 2020. Each paper was scored for importance in the field of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, originality and quality of content1. The mean scores of the individual committee members were used to draw up a long list of 16 papers that received the highest scores.

The long list was reviewed at a larger editorial prize committee meeting in June 2021 and two top scoring papers were selected by consensus with an emphasis on originality and likely impact on clinical practice2. It will come as little surprise that the outpouring of otolaryngology research in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is reflected in prize winners drawn from the 2020 publications of the journal. The judges selected the paper titled “Smell and taste recovery in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a 60-day objective and prospective study” by Vaira LA et al3 for the first prize and that titled “Prolonged intra-operative thermal exposure in endoscopic ear surgery: is it really safe?” by Das A et al4 for the runner up prize. The editors congratulate the best paper prize-winning authors.

1. Nunez D. The Journal of Laryngology and Otology best paper prize: 2011 scoring procedures. J Laryngol & Otol. 2011, 125: 1211-1211
2. Nunez, DA. (2020). The JLO best paper prize – past and present. J Laryngol & Otol. 2020, 134: 283-283.
3. Vaira LA, Hopkins C, Petrocelli M, Lechien JR, Chiesa-Estomba CM, Salzano G et al. Smell and taste recovery in coronavirus disease 2019 patients: a 60-day objective and prospective study. J Laryngol & Otol. 2020, 134: 703-9
4. Das A, Mitra S, Agarwal P, Sengupta A. Prolonged intra-operative thermal exposure in endoscopic ear surgery: is it really safe? J Laryngol & Otol. 2020, 134: 727-31