Reg. Charity No. 1168330
Thinking of publishing in the journals Palaeontology or Papers in Palaeontology? If so please read our guide to publishing within our journals (covering: how to submit a manuscript; initial assessment; editorial decision; production; copyright and open access; offprints).
The Palaeontological Association’s journals, Palaeontology and Papers in Palaeontology, are members of COPE (the Committee on Publication Ethics) and follow the principles and recommendations of COPE. Details of our Publications Policies and Ethics are available on the Publication Policies and Ethics page.
A 'Publishing with PalAss' short guide is available here:
Instructions for authors are available here:
Authors are also strongly advised to read the following:
Please visit our online submission site: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pala
Note that the same submission site should be use for both Palaeontology and Papers in Palaeontology and all papers will be considered for both journals.
An initial assessment of the manuscript is undertaken by the Editorial Board, usually within two days of submission. The Editorial Board may also recommend that the scope of the paper is more suitable for Palaeontology’s sister journal Papers in Palaeontology. In this case, the corresponding author will be contacted directly and the paper may be transferred without resubmission. Currently, the journal receives many more articles than can be published in a year. Papers that lack novelty, or are too restricted in their scope, will be rejected without review. A manuscript that lacks broad appeal to the readership and is instead, at best, a worthwhile but not exceptional contribution to specialists is unlikely to succeed. Similarly, papers dealing with one or a few new taxa belonging to well-documented groups will be rejected. Authoritative synoptic taxonomic revisions of faunas/floras or reports of new taxa of international importance are welcome, but must use the new insights gained to address, ideally resolve, a broader issue in palaeobiology. It is imperative that the author demonstrates the wider appeal of the paper to the readership. This should be stated clearly in a covering letter, be obvious from the abstract, be developed in the introduction to the paper, and explored in the Discussion.
A paper may also be returned to the author without review if it has not been prepared in accordance with the Instructions to Authors, or if there is room for linguistic improvement. A list of independent suppliers of editing services is available from Wiley Author Services. All services are paid for and arranged by the author, and do not guarantee acceptance for publication.
If the Editorial Board recommends review, the paper will be passed to a Scientific Editor who will manage the peer review process. A decision on whether or not to publish the manuscript will be made in the light of the comments of at least two referees, an assessment of the technical aspects of the paper (including style and figure formats), and the opinions of the Scientific Editor and Editor-in-Chief. The corresponding author will be notified.
Details of palaeontological samples and specimens should include clear provenance information to ensure full transparency of the research methods. Samples should always be collected and exported in accordance with relevant permits and local laws, and in a responsible manner. Any submission detailing new material from protected sites should include information regarding the requisite permission obtained. Palaeontological and type specimens should be deposited in a recognised museum or collection to permit free access by other researchers in perpetuity.
Preprints are versions of scientific manuscripts that have not been through formal peer-review or publication in a journal. They may be posted online prior to or at the same time as submission to a journal. We are happy to consider submissions to our journals that have been made available as preprints, but authors should be aware that initial Editorial Board decisions take novelty and timeliness of submissions into account, and this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Authors are asked to upload any preprint of their submitted manuscript at the submission stage as a Supplementary File. Should their article be accepted for publication authors will be required to update preprint records with a DOI link to the final published article.
Upload of a preprint at the same time as submission or following submission is also acceptable. Please be aware that preprints including new taxonomic names should not be uploaded to preprint servers unless the new proposed taxonomy is redacted before publication of the final version of record.
The Palaeontological Association asserts copyright on all articles and images in its electronic and print publications unless otherwise stated. Articles or figures in the journal Palaeontology may be reproduced in print or electronic medium for teaching, and for non-profit educational and research purposes, without fees or further permissions, providing that acknowledgements to 'The Palaeontological Association' is given, and that the source of the reproduced material is quoted in full. The Palaeontological Association reserves the right to withdraw this permission without notice. Written permission is required by the Association for all other forms of capture, reproduction and/or distribution of any of its publications or items in its publications. Permission should be sought from the Executive Officer (executive@palass.org).
