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What Readers Read in the American Journal of Ophthalmology
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY1 FRANK
W.
NEWELL,
Publisher and
Editor-in-Chief
Tribune Tower, Suite 1415, 435 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60611 EDITORIAL BOARD Thomas M. Aaberg, Milwaukee Mathea R. Allansmith, Boston Douglas R. Anderson, Miami Charles J. Campbell, New York Ronald E. Carr, New York Claes H. Dohlman, Boston Fred Ederer, Bethesda Eugene Helveston, Indianapolis Frederick A. Jakobiec, New York
Herbert E. Kaufman, New Orleans Steven G. Kramer, San Francisco Carl Kupfer, Bethesda Irving H. Leopold, Irvine Robert Machemer, Durham A. Edward Maumenee, Baltimore Irene H. Maumenee, Baltimore Edward W. D. Norton, Miami G. Richard O'Connor, San Francisco Arnall Patz, Baltimore
Deborah Pavan-Langston, Boston Steven M. Podos, New York Stephen J. Ryan, Los Angeles David Shoch, Chicago Bruce E. Spivey, San Francisco Bradley R. Straatsma, Los Angeles H. Stanley Thompson, Iowa City Gunter K. von Noorden, Houston George O. Waring, Atianta
Published monthly by the Ophthalmic Publishing Company Tribune Tower, Suite 1415, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611 Directors: A. EDWARD MAUMENEE, President; DAVID SHOCH, Vice President; FRANK W. NEWELL, Secretary and Treasurer; EDWARD W. D. NORTON, BRUCE E. SPIVEY, BRADLEY R. STRAATSMA
WHAT R E A D E R S R E A D IN T H E AMERICAN JOURNAL O F OPHTHALMOLOGY Recently at our request, Readex, Inc., an independent survey organization, con ducted a reader interest study of t h e August issue of T H E JOURNAL. The re sponses were surprising in some in stances, and all were most helpful. Subscribers' names and addresses were randomly selected from our domestic list. Labels were generated for mailing and an unprintable computer code was generat ed for each name so they would not be selected again for future surveys. T h e package sent to those selected contained a copy of the August issue, a red marking pencil, instructions, and a three-page questionnaire. In our desire to find out everything we have always wanted to know about our readers and ourselves, this first time around we packed those three pages with multiple-choice and fillin-the-blank questions. We learned a lot about surveys as well. At the advice of the consultant and after one director com plained about how long it took to answer, we have been convinced to reduce future questionnaires to two pages.
The editorial portion of T H E JOURNAL, as we all suspected, is carefully read. Divided into tenths of approximately 25 pages each, reader interest in all of the editorial matter was scored above 90%. All portions of t h e advertising sections scored above 80%, which we are told is extremely high. Reader interest score was highest for the articles and editori als concerning radial keratotomy. Least reader interest was recorded for experi mental studies. Correspondence and book reviews scored high. Meetings and con ferences were lower; however, they still were well above the average. The chief criticism directed toward the editorial portion of T H E JOURNAL con cerned publication of single case reports. In future issues we will try to correct this by encouraging authors to resubmit such reports as letters to the editor. The advertising section measured well above industry norms for reader interest. Some of the technical points concerned the inability to read what is called reverse type, that is, white type on dark or black backgrounds, and a selection of a type size smaller than that used in the editorial section. Such advertisements seem to b e
867
868
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
DECEMBER, 1981
less successful in attracting the reader's attention. Placement in the front or the back portion of T H E JOURNAL had little effect on the reading scores, which indi cates that the entire JOURNAL is read. The reader survey indicated that T H E JOURNAL is considered the single most useful publication by a three-to-one ratio. The average subscriber had subscribed for 13.5 years and spent one to two hours reading T H E JOURNAL. The current size of T H E JOURNAL was
preferred
by
68%.
Some 78% of the readers preferred that editorial matter not be interrupted by advertisements. Additionally, the survey indicated that during the past year the majority of purchases were for diagnostic instruments, books, and cameras. Read ers attend from one to six or more semi nars annually, with a median of three. During the past year about 38% of the respondents practiced a subspecialty of ophthalmology more than 50% of the time. Anterior segment surgery, retina, and vitreous comprised about 25% of the subspecialties practiced. We plan reader surveys in January, April, and August 1982. Our computer is programmed so that different subscribers will be queried each time. The responses are enormously helpful and we thank all of those who have and will participate. But it is not necessary to be included in a survey to tell us your likes and dislikes. Everyone at T H E JOURNAL welcomes your comments. MARY L. BORYSEWICZ
OBITUARY Algernon B. Reese, M . D . 1896-1981 Algernon B. Reese died in his home in Bedford Hills, New York, Oct. 19, 1981, after a long illness. Alan C. Wood de-
Algernon B. Reese, M.D. scribed Dr. Reese's career in an apprecia tion on the occasion of his receipt of the Proctor Medal of the Association for Re search in Ophthalmology in 1958. This was reprinted in the January 1971 supple ment to T H E JOURNAL, edited by Ira Snow Jones, to celebrate Dr. Reese's 75th birthday. Dr. Reese was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 28, 1896. His father, the son of a Virginia physician, was a pharmacist. His mother, Mary Cannon (Wadsworth) Reese, came from a promi nent North Carolina family. Dr. Reese graduated from Davidson College in 1917 and received an M.D. degree from Har vard Medical School in 1921. He was an extern at the Allgmeines Krankenhaus in Vienna in 1921 and again in 1925 and 1926. He spent two years in general surgery at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and was a resident at the Massa chusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary with Frederick Verhoeff in pathology. From
W.
NEWELL,
Publisher and
Editor-in-Chief
Tribune Tower, Suite 1415, 435 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60611 EDITORIAL BOARD Thomas M. Aaberg, Milwaukee Mathea R. Allansmith, Boston Douglas R. Anderson, Miami Charles J. Campbell, New York Ronald E. Carr, New York Claes H. Dohlman, Boston Fred Ederer, Bethesda Eugene Helveston, Indianapolis Frederick A. Jakobiec, New York
Herbert E. Kaufman, New Orleans Steven G. Kramer, San Francisco Carl Kupfer, Bethesda Irving H. Leopold, Irvine Robert Machemer, Durham A. Edward Maumenee, Baltimore Irene H. Maumenee, Baltimore Edward W. D. Norton, Miami G. Richard O'Connor, San Francisco Arnall Patz, Baltimore
Deborah Pavan-Langston, Boston Steven M. Podos, New York Stephen J. Ryan, Los Angeles David Shoch, Chicago Bruce E. Spivey, San Francisco Bradley R. Straatsma, Los Angeles H. Stanley Thompson, Iowa City Gunter K. von Noorden, Houston George O. Waring, Atianta
Published monthly by the Ophthalmic Publishing Company Tribune Tower, Suite 1415, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611 Directors: A. EDWARD MAUMENEE, President; DAVID SHOCH, Vice President; FRANK W. NEWELL, Secretary and Treasurer; EDWARD W. D. NORTON, BRUCE E. SPIVEY, BRADLEY R. STRAATSMA
WHAT R E A D E R S R E A D IN T H E AMERICAN JOURNAL O F OPHTHALMOLOGY Recently at our request, Readex, Inc., an independent survey organization, con ducted a reader interest study of t h e August issue of T H E JOURNAL. The re sponses were surprising in some in stances, and all were most helpful. Subscribers' names and addresses were randomly selected from our domestic list. Labels were generated for mailing and an unprintable computer code was generat ed for each name so they would not be selected again for future surveys. T h e package sent to those selected contained a copy of the August issue, a red marking pencil, instructions, and a three-page questionnaire. In our desire to find out everything we have always wanted to know about our readers and ourselves, this first time around we packed those three pages with multiple-choice and fillin-the-blank questions. We learned a lot about surveys as well. At the advice of the consultant and after one director com plained about how long it took to answer, we have been convinced to reduce future questionnaires to two pages.
The editorial portion of T H E JOURNAL, as we all suspected, is carefully read. Divided into tenths of approximately 25 pages each, reader interest in all of the editorial matter was scored above 90%. All portions of t h e advertising sections scored above 80%, which we are told is extremely high. Reader interest score was highest for the articles and editori als concerning radial keratotomy. Least reader interest was recorded for experi mental studies. Correspondence and book reviews scored high. Meetings and con ferences were lower; however, they still were well above the average. The chief criticism directed toward the editorial portion of T H E JOURNAL con cerned publication of single case reports. In future issues we will try to correct this by encouraging authors to resubmit such reports as letters to the editor. The advertising section measured well above industry norms for reader interest. Some of the technical points concerned the inability to read what is called reverse type, that is, white type on dark or black backgrounds, and a selection of a type size smaller than that used in the editorial section. Such advertisements seem to b e
867
868
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
DECEMBER, 1981
less successful in attracting the reader's attention. Placement in the front or the back portion of T H E JOURNAL had little effect on the reading scores, which indi cates that the entire JOURNAL is read. The reader survey indicated that T H E JOURNAL is considered the single most useful publication by a three-to-one ratio. The average subscriber had subscribed for 13.5 years and spent one to two hours reading T H E JOURNAL. The current size of T H E JOURNAL was
preferred
by
68%.
Some 78% of the readers preferred that editorial matter not be interrupted by advertisements. Additionally, the survey indicated that during the past year the majority of purchases were for diagnostic instruments, books, and cameras. Read ers attend from one to six or more semi nars annually, with a median of three. During the past year about 38% of the respondents practiced a subspecialty of ophthalmology more than 50% of the time. Anterior segment surgery, retina, and vitreous comprised about 25% of the subspecialties practiced. We plan reader surveys in January, April, and August 1982. Our computer is programmed so that different subscribers will be queried each time. The responses are enormously helpful and we thank all of those who have and will participate. But it is not necessary to be included in a survey to tell us your likes and dislikes. Everyone at T H E JOURNAL welcomes your comments. MARY L. BORYSEWICZ
OBITUARY Algernon B. Reese, M . D . 1896-1981 Algernon B. Reese died in his home in Bedford Hills, New York, Oct. 19, 1981, after a long illness. Alan C. Wood de-
Algernon B. Reese, M.D. scribed Dr. Reese's career in an apprecia tion on the occasion of his receipt of the Proctor Medal of the Association for Re search in Ophthalmology in 1958. This was reprinted in the January 1971 supple ment to T H E JOURNAL, edited by Ira Snow Jones, to celebrate Dr. Reese's 75th birthday. Dr. Reese was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 28, 1896. His father, the son of a Virginia physician, was a pharmacist. His mother, Mary Cannon (Wadsworth) Reese, came from a promi nent North Carolina family. Dr. Reese graduated from Davidson College in 1917 and received an M.D. degree from Har vard Medical School in 1921. He was an extern at the Allgmeines Krankenhaus in Vienna in 1921 and again in 1925 and 1926. He spent two years in general surgery at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and was a resident at the Massa chusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary with Frederick Verhoeff in pathology. From