Editor's Editorial in Issue 1, 2023 announced the Web of Science (WoS) indexation for the Journal of Optometry.1 WoS is in the words of Birkle et al.,2 “the world's oldest, most widely used and authoritative database of research publications and citations”. It is based on the Science Citation Index (SCI), founded by Eugene Garfield in 1964.3
Indexation of the scientific literature is a key aspect of the system implying an external validation of the contents published and its impact in a global perspective. It has been an early aspiration of the Journal of Optometry as a strategic development goal. The main global indexation systems soon recognized the robustness of the Editorial process and impact of the matters published in JOptom, first by Scopus, followed by PubMed and more recently WoS (Table 1).
Summary of indexation achievements by Journal of Optometry from its inception.
The methodologies followed by different databases are diverse and often not well understood.4 The indices and rankings produced have also their advantages and limitations that have been extensively discussed and new approaches are being developed.5 Despite that, there is no doubt that being ranked high in the main international databases is important for Journal of Optometry that is now in the best position to attract an increasing number of submissions from highly reputed laboratories around the world.
Sponsored by the Spanish Council of Colleges of Optometry, the achievements of JOptom, have encompassed the development of a flourishing research activity in optometry and vision sciences in Spain over the last decades.6
These indices are nothing more than metrics, and we should not transform them into objectives in themselves. The most important goal for JOptom is to continue increasing the international prestige of the journal, and collectively elevate knowledge in the domains of optometry, vision sciences and related areas.7