July 1st marked the 5-year 1 anniversary of my editorship of Optometry and Vision Science. The Academy's Executive Council has re-appointed me for 3 more years, with limited opportunity for parole. In keeping with the spirit of the Optometry and Vision Science Task Force Report, 2 I will not seek any further extension. I have requested that the search for my successor begin at this year's Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. He or she is out there somewhere. Beginning the search for the next Editor of Optometry and Vision Science over 2 years before my release date may seem premature, but I believe that the journal's long-term health is best served by a generous transition period. Hopefully, this editorial will encourage some of the many qualified candidates to apply. Editing the Academy's journal has been one of the most fulfilling responsibilities of my career. It has also been one of the most time consuming. Nonetheless, the endless flow of new submissions, reviewers’ recommendations, revised manuscripts, and proofs has been offset by the intellectually engaging task of trying to make the journal a publication of which all Academy Fellows can be proud. Elsevier Science, one of the giants of the publishing world, recently decided to terminate Clinical Eye and Vision Care, one of the few other peer-reviewed optometric journals. In the sometimes fickle world of publishing, Optometry and Vision Science has the advantage of being what is often referred to as a society publication. This means a guaranteed circulation at least as large as the Academy membership and, if the editor performs his or her duties well, a guaranteed readership. I believe, however, that the Academy's responsibility for the journal goes beyond its membership. As the top-ranked optometry journal, the Academy has a responsibility to preserve and advance the profession's flagship publication. One of my mentors, Ian Bailey, once told me that we need journals like Optometry and Vision Science so that we can document the academic advancement of our profession. Being free from politically or financially motivated editorial pressures has helped to consolidate Optometry and Vision Science’ s position. Optometry and Vision Science’ s stature as the top-ranked optometry journal was confirmed by the 2000 Impact Factors, recently released by the Institute for Scientific Information (http://jcrweb.com). A journal's Impact Factor is a measure of the frequency with which the “average article” in that journal has been cited in a particular year. It assists in the evaluation of a journal's relative importance, especially when compared to others in the same field. As shown in Figure 1, Optometry and Vision Science’ s Impact Factor has risen steadily and significantly over the past 5 years. I believe that the next Editor of Optometry and Vision Science will inherit a journal that is in good shape. This is due in no small way to the energy and expertise of the Editorial Board, the organizational abilities of our Managing Editor, Kurt Zadnik, and the work of our publisher, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. As a period of transition approaches, I would urge all Academy Fellows to support the journal through submission of manuscripts, participation in the peer-review process, and continued readership.
Mark A. Bullimore (Sat,) studied this question.