WASHINGTON - The Optical Society (OSA) is celebrating 20 years of its bold experiment--the rapid publication, open access Journal, Optics Express. Optics Express was developed in 1997 as a testbed to explore the capabilities of all-electronic publishing, and simultaneously launched what is now known as Gold open access publishing.
With Optics Express, OSA pioneered the model for making research articles freely accessible on the Internet with a rapid online peer review and a template-driven production process, supported by author fees. After just a few years in the market, the Journal experienced a period of exponential growth in the number of articles submitted and published.
Today the Journal publishes 3,000 articles per year with an incredibly short submission-to-publication time of <65 days, and it is one of the largest publications indexed by Web of Science. Currently ranked number two in Google Scholar's metrics for Optics and Photonics publications, Optics Express plays an important role in the field. It has also earned an Impact Factor of 3.0 or higher for the past 13 years.
While reflecting on the Journal's anniversary, Joseph H. Eberly, founding editor of Optics Express and Andrew Carnegie Professor of Physics, University of Rochester, New York, stated "Optics Express is a first of its kind. There were no previous examples of a regularly published, peer-reviewed, open access journal in the physical sciences. It's wonderful to know that over 34,000 papers have been published since the Journal began 20 years ago."
"Since its inception, Optics Express has provided a platform for quick dissemination of groundbreaking optics and photonics research, enabling the growth and expansion of the field," said current Optics Express Editor-in-Chief and Scifres Family Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Andrew M. Weiner, Purdue University, Indiana. "I look forward to seeing the continued influence Optics Express will have in the vibrant optics and photonics community."
To acknowledge the Journal's milestone, OSA has launched an anniversary website featuring commemorative editorials, a list of the top 100 most-cited Optics Express articles, recognition of all current and past editors, and historic material, as well as a series of Topical Editors' Picks Collections. These features will be posted and updated throughout the remainder of the year.
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About Optics Express
Optics Express reports on scientific and technology innovations in all aspects of optics and photonics. The open-access, all-electronic journal provides rapid publication of original, peer-reviewed papers, published every two weeks by The Optical Society.About The Optical Society
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and entrepreneurs who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.
Media Contacts:
Rebecca B. Andersen
The Optical Society
randersen@osa.org
+1 202.416.1443
Joshua Miller
The Optical Society
jmiller@osa.org
+1 202.416.1435
Journal
Optics Express