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Editorial Policy
The Journal of Paleontology publishes authoritative manuscripts on all aspects of paleontology, including systematics, phylogeny, paleoecology, paleobiogeography, biostratigraphy, taphonomy, and evolution. It emphasizes specimen-based research and features illustrations of the highest quality possible. Manuscripts treating all fossil organism groups are welcome, including invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, algae, and microorganisms of all sorts, as well as ichnofossils (trace fossils).
Manuscripts that demonstrate broad significance will be given a higher priority for acceptance, e.g., those that explain the significance of the findings in a broader context. Those that simply describe a single new taxon (particularly a single new species) have a low priority—a taxon that is simply new to science or newly reported in a region is not in itself sufficient justification for publication. Splitting faunas or floras into a series of short descriptive manuscripts is less desirable than a more comprehensive contribution. Manuscripts giving just a catalog of taxa and only limited application are also given a low priority. Assessing the significance of manuscripts is ultimately at the discretion of the editors.
Benefits of Publishing in the Journal of Paleontology
- Open Access Options
- Gold vs. Green OA. Gold Open Access papers can be accessed, posted, and read anywhere by anyone. Without discounts, Gold OA has an article processing charge (APC) of $2000+taxes. All papers not given Gold OA are Green OA, and have limitations on distribution. Green OA is free for authors. See the bottom of our Preparing your Materials page (linked) for further information.
- Read and Publish Agreement for Full or Discounted Gold OA. If your institution has a Read and Publish agreement with Cambridge University Press, you may publish your article Gold Open Access at no cost to yourself, or with a discount for your article processing charge (APC). You can also enjoy access to all of the journal's content via Cambridge Core.
- Paleontological Society Gold OA Discount. If any author is a PS member, they can receive a $1000 APC discount on publishing their papers Gold Open Access.
- Upload to Dryad and Zenodo at no cost. The Journal of Paleontology covers the cost of uploading all supplemental files to Dryad and Zenodo, making this free for authors.
- ZooBank registrations updated after publication. Authors must register new zoological taxonomic names on ZooBank, but the Journal takes on the responsibility of updating this information after publication. This removes extra burden from authors and ensures new names from Journal of Paleontology articles are always searchable online.
- PDF of article. Each author will receive a PDF of their article for personal use and unlimited e-mail or personal distribution. Gold Open Access papers can be uploaded to file-sharing sites.
- Authors retain copyright of their articles.
Translational Program
Since October 2023, the Paleontological Society Council has set aside funds to support English language assistance for Paleontological Society member authors submitting to the Journal of Paleontology. Authors who wish to benefit from this program may contact the editor-in-chief (jonathan.calede@gmail.com) prior to the submission of their manuscript or inform the journal of their interest in the cover letter accompanying their manuscript submission.
Contact
Questions and concerns should be directed to the Managing Editor, Jessica Kastigar, at journalofpaleontology@cambridge.org
Pre-submission Inquiry
If you are unsure if your manuscript is suitable for consideration in the Journal of Paleontology, you are welcome to submit a pre-submission inquiry consisting of a title page and an abstract. Please submit such inquiries to journalofpaleontology@cambridge.org
Article Types Accepted
- Articles*
- Comment
- Memoir*
- Regular Article*
- Reply*
- Taxonomic Note*
- Invited Article*
* If publishing Gold Open Access, all or part of the publication costs for these article types may be covered by one of the agreements Cambridge University Press has made to support open access.