“Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my name. But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game.”
M. Jagger/K. Richards, 1968
To assign a name to something is to define and limit that object. Naming does more than just label an entity for convenience of communication amongst those who speak that language. The words used will also convey meaning and can shape the object being named by influencing how that object is perceived. Consequently, naming is a solemn responsibility.
The journal you are now reading was formerly entitled the American Orthoptic Journal (AOJ). Like all names, this one generated views and beliefs about the contents of the journal based on the bias of the reader or author. And arguably, no word in the eye care professions is more misunderstood than “orthoptics”! Many researchers and readers may have disregarded or misjudged the AOJ because of a misinterpretation of the word, “orthoptic.” Even the word, “American,” in the title led to confusion! To some, it implied an ownership; to others, it narrowed the scope and reach of the journal.
The new editors of this journal, in collaboration with AOJ, Inc., have renamed this publication to better represent its mission and contents. We have removed the one word that was paradoxically both ambiguous and constraining and replaced it with its definition. And with that I welcome you to the first issue of the Journal of Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility, a quarterly collection of peer-reviewed articles and original research concerning binocular function, vision development, strabismus, and disorders of eye movements. This is a journal for ophthalmologists, vision researchers, and orthoptists around the world. For those familiar with the previous incarnation, it will be at once familiar and fresh, combining the best of the AOJ with new features and content. And for those new to the journal, we trust you will find it practical and inspiring.
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