Celebrating 10 years

Abstract

This issue of the journal marks the tenth anniversary of the amalgamation of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery and the European Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. This gives us the opportunity briefly to look back and forward. The history of the merger is notable for how easily and quickly it occurred. Steve Obstbaum first suggested it to Emanuel Rosen in early 1995, and their efforts led to joint approval by the ruling bodies of both organizations in time to publish the first issue in January 1996. What has changed from then to now? The first joint issue had 151 pages, and hot topics included automated lamellar keratoplasty for myopia, comparison of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and radial keratotomy for the treatment of myopia, the role of pressure patching in improving epithelial wound healing following PRK, evaluation of a 5-zone multifocal intraocular lens (Array, AMO), and astigmatism after clear corneal incisions of varying lengths. The January 2006 issue has 179 pages, and major topics include changes in aberrations from shifts in undilated and dilated pupil centers, new methods of delivering ultrasonic energy in phacoemulsification, mitomycin and PRK, intracorneal lenses for hyperopia, and refractive surgery in children. Where is JCRS today? We have an editorial board of 39 members, including individuals from Europe, United States, Canada, and many other nations around the world. Circulation is 14,500. The impact factor places us in the top 11 clinical journals in ophthalmology. As Charles McGee recently reported,1 nearly one quarter of the 500 most cited cataract surgery articles have been published in JCRS, a figure that is higher than that of any other journal. Likewise, nearly one third of the 500 most cited refractive surgery articles are published in JCRS, again highest among all journals. We have converted to electronic submission of manuscripts via EES, which has greatly shortened the review process. We have been reducing the time from acceptance to submission and are now down to 7 months, with a goal of 4 months. The JCRS web site displays videos related to selected technique articles and publishes supplemental material from selected articles. The Editors' Choice link provides quick access to material of special interest to JCRS readers. We believe that publishing a peer-reviewed journal is critical to scientific advancement in our field. There clearly has been a proliferation of non-peer-reviewed publications, and these provide much information that is valuable to clinicians. Nevertheless, the peer-review process, although far from perfect, remains the gold standard for communicating scientific progress.2 It is our best tool for verifying new discoveries, uncovering new truths, and dispelling unfounded myths. We recognize the challenges ahead, among them (1) the need for rapid turnaround of information, (2) the countervailing need to be appropriately meticulous throughout the entire review process, (3) the competition among publications for advertising dollars, and (4) the increasing encroachment of clinical practice on clinicians' time for conducting good studies and for writing and reviewing papers. However, we draw great optimism from many factors: the globalization of our ophthalmologic community, with superb manuscripts now coming from so many parts of the world and communication remarkably easy among colleagues throughout the world, the ever-increasing scientific quality (and quantity) of the manuscripts that we receive, and the strong interest we find among ophthalmologists in reading and discussing the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The editors would like to express their gratitude for the strong support we receive from the editorial board, the many other reviewers on whom we call so frequently, our remarkable editorial staff headed by Christine Ford, and the boards of ASCRS and ESCRS. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions regarding how we can better serve our readers.