OSA's Review of Applied Optics

The report's primary concern was the confusion that exists between manuscripts best suited for Applied Optics versus Optics Express. This issue is being addressed by OSA's Board of Editors. Consequently, the board asked the editors of all OSA journals to look carefully at their journal definitions and to update reviewer feedback forms to ensure the form properly reflects the journal's character. The report conveys an important message applicable to all OSA journals: Impact factor should not be the sole measure of a journal's value. Given the applied nature of the journal, impact factor is not an accurate reflection of Applied Optics' value. For example, a search of US patents issued in the past five years reveals that, in terms of optics journal citations, Applied Optics is second only to Physics Review.