Oryx is fully open access and all new content is published under a Creative Commons licence. All previous content, back to Volume 1 of 1950, is also freely available.
Oryx is committed to supporting all conservationists, with flexible discounts and waivers available for authors who do not have funds to pay for publication.
Why publish open access?
Is there a charge for publishing in Oryx?
How can authors obtain funding for publication?
Can authors without funds publish in Oryx?
What other support is Oryx receiving to cover the costs of publication?
What does open access mean for members of Fauna & Flora International?
What is the process for submitting articles?
How do I apply for an ad-hoc waiver?
Why publish open access?
Open access publishing under a Creative Commons licence makes scholarly research permanently and freely available to view, download and share. Depending on the licence chosen, readers may also redistribute, re-use and adapt the content in new works. This allows scientists, practitioners, journalists, policy makers and members of the general public to freely read, download and share journal content, ensuring that everybody can benefit from and build upon the work. This improves the impact, reach and citation of open access publications.
To help secure biodiversity and the environment, conservation research needs to be read and shared widely, without barriers to access. By making content available freely online, Oryx supports conservation scientists and practitioners globally and helps to maximize the impact of vital research that has the potential to improve conservation management and practice. Since Oryx transitioned to open access in January 2021, the monthly number of views and downloads of articles has approximately tripled.
Is there a charge for publishing in Oryx?
Open access journals do not require the reader to pay to access content, and like most open access journals Oryx is in part funded through article processing charges. These are fees paid by authors, usually via their institutions or funders, upon acceptance of an article for publication. The article processing charge for publishing in Oryx in 2022 is £1,950/$2,950. Upon acceptance for publication the corresponding author will be contacted by RightsLink on behalf of Cambridge University Press, who will administer the collection of the article processing charge. At that stage the corresponding author can pay by credit card or arrange for an invoice to be issued to their funding body or institution.
There are a number of ways to secure funding to pay this charge, and flexible discounts and waivers are available to authors unable to pay.
How can authors obtain funding for publication?
Read & Publish agreements
Cambridge University Press has made a number of Read & Publish agreements that cover the article processing charges for authors from affiliated institutions. Please check if you are eligible to publish under one of these agreements.
Funding bodies
Your funding body may have funds available specifically for paying article processing charges, or money that can be used for this purpose. Please check your agreement with them. You may also consult the SHERPA Juliet resource, which allows you to browse for this information by funding body.
Institutions
Your institution may have funding available to cover article processing charges. This is not always well advertised, so check with your institution’s library or research services department whether there are any funds for which you may be eligible.
SSC–Oryx Partnership Fund
The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) has a partnership with Oryx to cover the open access publication costs of papers authored by SSC members. To qualify, the first or corresponding author must be an SSC member, their SSC affiliation must be included in the author details, and the manuscript must report research carried out as part of the work of the SSC group they engage with. Qualifying authors need to provide the relevant details when submitting their manuscript.
Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition
The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition maintains a resource listing institutions in the USA that cover article processing charges.
Other resources
The Open Access Directory includes a list of open access publication funding bodies and institutions.
Can authors without funds publish in Oryx?
Yes, absolutely—lack of funds is no barrier to publishing in Oryx!
Although scholarly publishing and research funding are increasingly moving towards open access, many authors do not have sufficient funds to cover the article processing charge in full.
In addition, corresponding authors from institutions included in one of Cambridge University Press’ Read & Publish agreements will not pay an article processing charge, or will pay a reduced fee (depending on the agreement). If you are covered by one of these agreements, the processing charge will be automatically waived or discounted after acceptance of your article—there is no need to apply for a waiver.
Authors who do not qualify for these automatic waivers but do not have sufficient funds can apply to Cambridge University Press for an ad-hoc discount or waiver, using our straightforward application form. Oryx provides flexible discounts, allowing authors to contribute to the costs of publication based on their individual funding situation.
Please see the Guidelines for authors for full details.
What other support is Oryx receiving to cover the costs of publication?
Transitional funding from the Rufford Foundation
The Rufford Foundation is major long-term supporter of Oryx, and also funded the development of the journal’s Writing for Conservation guide. The Foundation recognizes the value of open access publishing and the special role that Oryx plays in building capacity and enabling researchers to publish their research no matter where they live or work, and is supporting the journal’s transition to open access. The grant from The Rufford Foundation also allows us to make historical content freely available: volumes 1–54 of Oryx (1950–2020) are now free to access.
Other donors and individual supporters
Oryx is grateful for the support of additional donors such as the John Spedan Lewis Foundation and Thriplow Charitable Trust, and of individual members of Fauna & Flora International, whose subscriptions grant exclusive access to print copies and/or a magazine-style online view of the journal.
What does open access mean for members of Fauna & Flora International?
Members of Fauna & Flora International who have opted to receive Oryx will continue to receive print copies and/or an online magazine view of each issue, depending on their personal preference. The support of our members remains vital for Oryx, especially now that the journal is open access and no longer funded via library subscriptions. Membership contributions allow us to support all conservationists, no matter where they live or work.
An additional member benefit is a 15% discount on the article processing charge to publish in Oryx.
What is the process for submitting articles?
Articles should be submitted in the usual way via our online submission system and will undergo the same rigorous peer review. All new submissions that are subsequently accepted for publication will be processed as open access.
When you submit your article, and if it is accepted for publication, you will need to pay the article processing charge, unless:
- you are submitting a Conservation News item, Letter, Letter Response, Book Review or Editorial,
- you are eligible for a discount or waiver based on the Research4Life eligibility list,
- you are based at an institution that has an open access publishing agreement with Cambridge University Press, or
- you have successfully applied for an ad-hoc discount or waiver.
Applying for a discount or waiver is easy with our straightforward application form.
Please see the Guidelines for authors for full details.
How do I apply for an ad-hoc waiver?
To apply for an ad-hoc waiver, please provide letters from the institutions of all authors, on the relevant letterhead, stating they do not have funds available for payment of the APC. Complete the waiver application form and send it, together with the letters, to cmcentee@cambridge.org, before you submit your manuscript to the journal. You will normally receive a response within 3 business days.
Note that any approval or denial of a waiver request does not reflect or impact on the decision to accept or reject an article for publication in Oryx. Waiver requests are handled by Cambridge University Press, independently of editorial decisions. Decisions on whether to publish an article in the journal will be made by the Editor, following thorough peer review.
If you have any questions about APC payments, waivers and discounts, please contact cmcentee@cambridge.org.