IOVS - the flagship journal

By Donald C. Hood, PhD

The vision community has come to know and respect ARVO as a champion and gatekeeper of high standards in research in vision and ophthalmology and since its inaugural issue in 1962, ARVO’s Investigative Ophthalmology & Vision Science (IOVS) journal has been a foundation for the eye and vision community — the format for hypothesis-based research for 58 years.

IOVS’ reputation is demonstrated by the citation rate of its articles (52,362 citations received to IOVS articles in 2019) — significantly higher than any other journal in the field — and a Google H5-index of 69, meaning that 69 of its articles that were published in the last five years were cited 69 times or more, ranking IOVS second in the field. Behind these impressive metrics is a talented ARVO membership that has assured the highest quality of reviews from EBMs and referees, plus a supportive Board that has invested in the success and reputation of this champion journal.  

It is an honor to serve as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of IOVS, in part for the opportunity to witness this journal’s evolution in recent years. We have made two related changes that will strengthen both ARVO and IOVS for years to come. First, we have taken steps to sharpen IOVS’s scope, better differentiating it from ARVO's Translational Vision Science & Technology (TVST) journal. The result is a large increase in the number of papers published by TVST, with no loss in the combined total of papers published in TVST and IOVS. The hope is that this adjustment will pave the way for an increased impact factor for both journals and boost the quality of IOVS publications. Second, the revised triage process put in place in response to this scope adjustment has already reduced time spent by EBMs and referees on IOVS paper submissions. We anticipate that this too will improve the quality of the papers being published.

In addition, the premier of the “Focus on Data” section is an exciting development. My hope is that this new section will provide quality statistical tutorials needed for high quality research. 

As an EIC, my goal has always been to grow IOVS and maintain its status as THE premier publication for high quality statistically valid and hypothesis-based research that improves our understanding of normal and/or abnormal visual processing. As an ARVO member, my hope is that IOVS continues to serve as a bedrock for the eye and vision research enterprise. Looking back on its history and towards its bright future, I am confident that IOVS is poised to achieve and exceed its potential.