Oryx - The International Journal of Conservation, is to become fully open access from 1 January 2021, making it free to read by anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world.
New research submitted after 1 August will be published Open Access from next year. Thanks to a grant from long-time supporter, The Rufford Foundation, unfunded authors will benefit from a generous APC (article processing charge) waiver policy. The support of the Rufford Foundation has also enabled all past content dating back to 1950 to be made freely available.
Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the wildlife conservation charity, Fauna & Flora International, Oryx is the world's longest running conservation journal - and one of its most renowned. Today, it is a go-to publication for anyone interested in biodiversity conservation, conservation policy and related social, economic and political issues.
Editor Dr Martin Fisher, who has overseen Oryx for almost 20 years, said: "This is the most significant development in the journal's eminent history. Thanks to the support of the Rufford Foundation and Cambridge University Press's commitment to Open Access publishing, the research published in Oryx will be freely accessible to all readers, no matter where they live or work."
He added: "To be most effective, conservation research needs to be read and shared widely without barriers to access. This move will support conservation scientists and practitioners globally and help to maximize the impact of vital research that has the potential to improve conservation management and practice.
"It will ensure greater visibility and impact for the high-quality research that the journal publishes, strengthening its contribution to conservation science."
To ensure Oryx continues to support its broad and diverse author community, there will be automatic discounts and waivers to publishing fees for researchers from developing countries, based on the Research4Life eligibility list. In addition, authors from institutions covered by one of Cambridge University Press's Open Access Read & Publish deals will be able to publish free of charge.
The Press's STM Publishing Director, Caroline Black, said: "It's fantastic that we we're able to publish Oryx as Open Access. Making such a highly respected journal available to all is a major step forward in our efforts to support open research.
"We're committed to making all of our journal content available Open Access, reflecting the belief that the pursuit of knowledge benefits directly from collaboration, transparency, rapid dissemination and accessibility."
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