Skip to main content Accessibility help
×

1. What sort of publishing agreement will I be asked to sign?

Below are two examples of Licence to Publish agreements (LTPs), © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022. Please note these Licence to Publish agreements are provided for sample and reference purposes only. The terms for individual LTPs may include variations depending on the author’s personal circumstances and the requirements of individual journals.

2. I haven’t received the Information Request Form (IRF) from Ironclad yet. There is nothing in my junk mail folder.

It is most likely that your article has not yet been fully processed. Please wait until 3 working days have passed and then contact authorcontracts_journals@cambridge.org.

3. I am unable to access the Information Request Form (IRF) from the link provided.

Please try copying the link and pasting it into a browser other than your default. If you are still unable to access the link, please contact authorcontracts_journals@cambridge.org.

4. The title of my article is incorrect on the Information Request Form (IRF) and/or the Author Publishing Agreement.

The title listed in the contract is provisional and not used to determine the final title as published in the Journal. You will have the opportunity during production to check the proofs and request any changes before your article is published. 

Please complete the IRF/sign the agreement as your article cannot pass into production until the agreement is signed.

5. The order of authors is incorrect on the Information Request Form (IRF)/Author Publishing Agreement.

The order of the authors in the contract is not the order of the authors that will appear in the published article. We do not have control over the order that the authors appear in the Ironclad contract system – this is an administrative record. You will be able to confirm the correct author order to Production during the proofing process.

Please complete the IRF/sign the agreement as your article cannot pass into production until the agreement is signed.

6. I have signed the Licence to Publish, but would like to change my article to Gold Open Access.

Please contact authorcontracts_journals@cambridge.org, who will request an amendment to your Author Publishing Agreement. Please ensure that you include the reason for requesting the change, e.g.:

  • Chose to decline Gold OA publication in error
  • Subsequently discovered the article is eligible for Gold OA publication without payment of any APC thanks to an applicable waiver
  • Any other reason for requesting the change

7. Our paper has two or more corresponding authors, but the Information Request Form (IRF) only lists one

Although some journals allow more than one corresponding author to be indicated on the final published article, only a single corresponding author may be listed in the Information Request Form. This is so Cambridge University Press can liaise with one nominated contact, to whom a copy of the completed Author Publishing Agreement is sent, and has no bearing on how authors are listed in the published article. This corresponding author also signs the contract on behalf of all authors if the copyright belongs to the authors. Please specify which author should be listed as corresponding author for these purposes.

Note that the actual Author Publishing Agreement should list all authors, but does not indicate which is the corresponding author.

Please also confirm during production that it is possible for this journal to list multiple corresponding authors on published papers. A definition of the role of corresponding author may be found here.

8. I already completed a PDF Author Publishing Agreement, but I am being asked to complete another via Ironclad.

Your journal has now adopted the Ironclad system and we need you to complete the new form. Please locate this email and complete the Information Request Form (IRF) / Author Publishing Agreement at your earliest convenience.

9. I am attempting to complete the Information Request Form (IRF) and I am unsure about the choices available for Gold Open Access publication:

  • What is the Article Processing Charge (APC) for my selected journal? Do taxes apply?
  • Am I eligible for any waivers or discounts?
  • What CC licence is appropriate for my Gold Open Access paper?

Information about APCs can be found here. You can also use our online tool to check if you are eligible for any waivers or discounts for Gold OA publication.

Information about each journal’s open access licensing options is available on their homepages. Additional information about open access can be found here, and descriptions of the various CC licences can be found here.

If you have any further questions about APCs please contact oaqueries@cambridge.org.

10. I have queries about formatting and submitting my manuscript.

Please refer to the author instructions that can be found in your chosen journal's information pages, or contact the Editorial Office directly.

11. How do I know who owns the copyright in my manuscript?

This is usually either the author(s) or their employer(s), which may in some cases be government (or non-governmental) entities for whom special copyright conditions apply.

Most commonly, if you work for a university or other academic institution, you will own the copyright in any academic content you write and submit to a journal. If you work for a government agency or private commercial entity, your employer may own the copyright in any work you produce.

If you are not sure who owns the copyright in the submitted work, it’s a good idea to check your employment contract or speak with your employer about copyright ownership of content you have produced during or for the course of your employment.