The Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award

A biennial award funded by a personal gift from Joseph W. and Hon Mai Goodman, the Goodman Award recognizes a recent and outstanding book in the field of optics and photonics that has contributed significantly to research, teaching, or the optics and photonics industry.

This award is presented on a bi-annual basis (in even-numbered years) to the author(s) of the most influential scientific or technical book on optics published in the preceding six years. The book selected may be entirely new or a new edition of an old book, providing that it contains a significant amount of new material. The book may cover a broad area of optics, or may be intended to serve a narrow sub-specialty, provided that that sub-specialty has substantial impact on the field of optics and photonics. Books that originate or organize knowledge in a new branch of optics, offer a highly definitive review of an established branch of optics, or are unusually well suited for textbooks at the college or graduate level are all excellent candidates. This award is not intended for books that are primarily dedicated to popularizing science.

The influence of a book is judged by the impact it has had on research, teaching, or the optics business. In selecting a winning book, the awards panel may consider such measures of impact as numbers of citations, the degree of adoption for coursework, and number of copies sold, as well as other factors at its discretion.

The next nomination deadline will be in August 2009 with the award presented in 2010.

Specific Stipulations and Criteria

• Eligible books must have been first published (first edition or first revised edition) no more than six years prior to 1 January of the year of the award; 1 January of the book copyright year will be assumed as the date of first publication.
• Only authored books are eligible, including books with more than one principal author. Edited compilations, handbooks, reviews, etc., with multiple contributing authors will not be considered.
• Textbooks, research monographs, scientific or technical reviews, or any other book type or genre that covers its subject in depth are eligible.
• Books from any publisher worldwide are eligible.
• Book must be currently in print and readily available from the publisher and suppliers.
• Only books in the English language will be considered.

Any member of the optics and photonics community may nominate a book meeting the eligibility requirements. Nominations consisted of a 300- to 500-word narrative describing how the nominated book has “contributed significantly to research, to teaching, or to the optics and photonics industry,” a short biographical note on the person making the nomination, and basic book information, including its full title, the full name of author, publisher, and date of publication.

SPIE will manage the nomination process in 2007.