Q: Are short communication articles the same as commentaries or perspective pieces?

Perspective pieces, commentaries, and short communications are three different types of articles and each has its own characteristics. 

Perspective pieces are scholarly reviews of fundamental concepts or prevalent ideas in a field. These are usually essays that present a personal point of view critiquing widespread notions pertaining to a field. A perspective piece can be a review of a single concept or a few related concepts. 

Commentaries are short articles that draw attention to or present criticism of a previously published article, book, or report, explaining why it interested them and how it might be illuminating for readers.

Short Communications are short papers that present original and significant research that needs to be published quickly. A short communication article may focus on a hot topic or may have new findings that are expected to have a significant impact on a current problem, for example, an epidemic outbreak.  As short communications are expected to have higher than average impact, and since their relevance is often dependent on timely publication, they are usually prioritized by journals over other article types.

Considering that you wish to draw attention to an existing published work, a commentary could be a good option. However, you would be the best person to understand which format would be most appropriate for the content you have in mind.

Related reading:

• 7 Common article types that journals publish
• 6 Article types that journals publish: A guide for early career researchers
• Are you aware of the different types of articles you can publish?