January 2013
Volume 54, Issue 1
Free
Editorial  |   January 2013
IOVS Inaugural Editorial
Author Affiliations
  • David C. Beebe
    Editor-in-Chief
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science January 2013, Vol.54, 1. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/IOVS.12-11372
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      David C. Beebe; IOVS Inaugural Editorial. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013;54(1):1. https://doi.org/10.1167/IOVS.12-11372.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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It is my great pleasure to begin my term as Editor-in-Chief of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, with the benefit of the numerous improvements made to the journal over the past 5 years by outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Paul Kaufman. I also want to express my sincere thanks to those who elected me to this prestigious position. I will dedicate the next 5 years to validating your confidence in me and to expanding the quality and stature of IOVS
IOVS is one of the most comprehensive and respected journals in eye and vision research. The large number of manuscripts managed by the IOVS editors each year (more than 2000 submitted and 1000 published in 2012) reflects the diversity of the ARVO membership and the breadth and strength of eye research throughout the world. IOVS publishes manuscripts in areas as diverse as low vision therapy, ophthalmic imaging, visual psychophysics, stem cell therapy, ocular immunology, neuro-ophthalmology, the genetics of ocular disease, epidemiology, and the physiology and pathology of all of the tissues of the eye. To maintain quality in the face of such diversity, we rely on an expert and experienced group of Associate Editors and Editorial Board Members. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to these hard-working and dedicated individuals for their service in the past and their dedication to the future of IOVS
IOVS and its “Impact Factor”
Although the diversity of the work published in the journal contributes to the strength of ARVO and IOVS, it adds a complication. Most papers published in IOVS are relevant to a subset of ARVO members and a similarly small slice of vision scientists. This naturally dilutes the “impact score” of articles published in IOVS, since the number of citations received by each paper typically comes from a small segment of vision scientists, but is divided by the total number of papers published in the journal. I understand that many authors seek to publish in “high impact” journals and that some institutions reward authors for publishing in these journals. With this in mind, we will work to maintain and improve our “impact factor,” while recognizing that our primary job is to serve the members of ARVO by publishing high-quality papers in all areas of vision research. 
Reviewers, the Heart and Soul of the Journal
It is difficult to overstate the exceptional value provided to the journal by the thousands of colleagues who review manuscripts for IOVS each year. We all benefit immensely from their dedication and service. While serving as an EBM and AE for IOVS, I have been consistently impressed by the time, effort, and expertise generously offered by the vast majority of reviewers. However, we all know that our manuscripts do not always land on the desk of the most expert or thoughtful reviewer. It may come as a surprise to the readers of IOVS that all reviews are now scored for quality. These scores are saved, so that when Editorial Board Members seek a reviewer for a paper, they can invite someone who has performed well in the past. As recognition of the service provided by the very best reviewers, we instituted a new category for scoring reviews, “Exceptionally Good Review.” Reviewers who achieve this ranking receive a special email thanking them for “going above and beyond” expectations in their review. Ultimately, it is the reviewers who maintain the quality of a journal and assist authors in improving their work. If you have served as a reviewer for IOVS, Thank You! I hope that we will be able to count on your expertise in the future. 
50 Years of IOVS
My term as Editor-in-Chief begins the second half of the “Century of IOVS.” As recognition of the “life-changing” contributions made by papers published in IOVS, a group of previous Editors and members of the Board of Trustees assembled a collection of the most important papers from the first 50 years of the journal. The collection is being published in a book that will serve as a reminder of the exceptional progress that we have made and as a tribute to those who led the way. I am sure that many will want to have a copy as a memento or to offer as a gift to a special mentor. Our challenge is now to exceed these accomplishments in the second half of the journal's first century. 
You can expect that IOVS will not change radically in the next few years, but will continue to make gradual changes that improve the quality of the journal and increase access to it by vision scientists around the world. I will always be open to your suggestions for making IOVS better. I look forward to working with you for the next 5 years to improve and extend our IOVS
I especially wish to acknowledge the IOVS staff, Alice O'Donnell, Director of Journals, Ilana Ostrin, our Editorial Assistant, and Debbie Chin, our production coordinator. They keep everything (and everyone) on track. Their efforts ensure that the journal runs smoothly and efficiently, allowing our main focus to be on the science. 
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