Vision | Free Full-Text | Vision

We are not aligned to any particular discipline or professional training. Thus we welcome and encourage research contributions and reviews that are rooted in any of the following: anatomy, cell biology, physiology, genetics, psychology, engineering, computational science, ophthalmology, neurology, optometry, clinical medicine and other disciplines. The uniting feature is that this journal will cover all aspects of human and biological vision and how its normal functioning may go wrong.

 

An important question is whether another journal in the field of vision is needed. Vision research has developed tremendously over the last years and has been well served by some of the available journals. We feel that a new journal, with no historical or societal affiliations, offers a chance for a broad interdisciplinary coverage and a means of highlighting the increasing number of interesting results and ideas arising from this convergence. We are therefore convinced that the launch of a truly interdisciplinary journal in the area of vision science is worthwhile, timely and necessary. Vision is a journal for, and by, all vision scientists, committed to the advancement of their field of interest.

 

Behind the launch of a new journal lies a fundamental question about why we do research at all. Our answers to this are thoroughly conventional. We want to increase understanding and fundamental knowledge about how we see. We want to see this knowledge applied to the benefit of people. This can happen individually when people receive clinical treatment. But benefit can also extend to economic and social goods, when new knowledge stimulates the creation of new systems or devices, or new ways of conducting commerce or business.

 

For these broader reasons, we are committed to the open-access model of publication. We feel that knowledge generated by the use of public or charitable funds should be available to all. We think that this is an important step in demonstrating and providing public benefit from the use of those funds. There will be readers who have concerns about the open-access model. It is argued that the model encourages the publication of anything, even material of weak quality, provided the author can pay. The editors are jointly committed to advancing high standards to prevent any perceived slide in this direction."