Mission

The New Phytologist Foundation is an independent, non-profit-making organization dedicated to the promotion of plant science.

 

 

What does the not-for-profit remit of the Foundation mean in practice?

The Foundation’s main activity is the publication of the journals New Phytologist, an international, online-only journal, which publishes original research on all aspects of plant science and Plants, People, Planet, an Open Access interdisciplinary journal focusing on the interface between plant-focused research and society.

The majority of the Foundation’s funds come from subscription and Open Access income across our two journals.

Any excess revenue from the publication of the journals is put straight back into supporting our community. This is achieved by funding a wide range of activities, for example: the organisation and sponsorship of symposia, workshops and meetings; grant schemes; sponsorship of various awards for early-stage career scientists, including the Tansley Medal named after New Phytologist’s founder Sir Arthur Tansley; and ensuring that research published in the journals is as widely and openly available as possible. For example, all of our New Phytologist Tansley reviews and insights and Forum articles are immediately available to access free of charge upon publication, and all other content is made freely available one year after publication and Plants, People, Planet is fully Open Access. Similarly, the Foundation issued over £600,000 of funds in 2019 to support symposia, workshops and in charitable grants. All of these actions have a common goal to promote emerging areas of plant science and to encourage continued progress and innovation in the field.

As a hybrid journal, New Phytologist receives subscription income as well as Open Access income. New Phytologist offers authors the opportunity to publish Open Access upon payment of an Article Publication Charge (APC), should their funder require it, or via the traditional route, where no fees are required of the author whatsoever and where the work is available to subscribers only. Ensuring easy access to research was a founding principle of New Phytologist, and authors publishing via the traditional route enjoy licence terms that allowing them to self-archive the accepted version of their paper, ensuring compliance with Plan S funders, for example.

Plants, People, Planet is an Open Access journal, and income comes from APCs which are charged to authors upon acceptance, however, the Foundation is committed to ensuring that the existence of an APC should not act as a barrier to publication and a number of fee waivers are available to authors.

Our partnership with Wiley ensures that many authors can publish their work Open Access via institutional and funder agreements, and New Phytologist is made available to over 6000 libraries through philanthropic initiatives.

 

Why support the journals New Phytologist and Plants, People, Planet?

The production of the journals, New Phytologist and Plants, People, Planet, is at the core of the Foundation’s work, and the success of the journals allows the Foundation to fulfil its overarching aim of promoting plant science. Therefore, the Foundation’s key objectives are: to continue to publish the highest-quality science; to provide an excellent service to authors, readers and reviewers at all stages of publication; and to enhance the functionality of the journals to ensure that New Phytologist Foundation continues to be a leader in the field of innovative plant science publishing.

We invite you to support New Phytologist and Plants, People, Planet, and in doing so to support the New Phytologist Foundation, but we also invite you to question our practices if you believe that we could be doing better. 

 

On what basis is the relationship with the publisher Wiley founded?

The Foundation has contracted Wiley to support the publication of the the journals, particularly in respect to typesetting and production of accepted articles and their dissemination. Wiley is, in the view of the Trustees, a responsible publisher. Wiley’s business is intimately connected to the publishing operations of some 500 scientific societies, and the success of those societies is central to the success of Wiley. The Foundation’s relationship with Wiley began in January 2001, after very careful consideration of the operations of a number of publishers. Nevertheless, the Foundation retains full independence, in all aspects of its operations, and regularly reviews its publishing partnerships.

 

Governance

The Foundation is overseen by a group of Trustees who are active Editors, have served as Editors, or have extensive experience of scholarly publishing or business and academic expertise relevant to the aims of the Foundation.

An Ethical Investment Policy has been adopted by the Foundation. Full details are available upon request. Please feel free to contact the Executive Editor (s.lennon@lancaster.ac.uk) to request a copy.

 

Core principles

The Trustees have established a set of core principles that outline the standards expected of Trustees, employees and volunteers, including individuals involved in the Foundation’s activities as Editors or as symposia or workshop organisers.

  • We respect the rights of all individuals to dignity, privacy and confidentiality.
  • We are committed to challenging any instances of sexism, gender inequality, or any other power imbalances that leave some people at risk of harm.
  • We treat all individuals with respect, and promote a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, and victimization.
  • We value and strive to support our employees, volunteers, and all individuals associated with our journals as authors and reviewers.
  • Trustees, employees and volunteers should conduct themselves in a manner that does not damage or undermine the reputation of the New Phytologist Foundation.
  • The New Phytologist Foundation celebrates diversity and we expect our Trustees, Staff and volunteers to be respectful, considerate and supportive of each other, to offer constructive critiques and embrace the variety of opinions on offer. This also applies to participants in all New Phytologist Symposia, Workshops and Next Generation Scientists symposia.
  • We are committed to the highest standards of integrity and we expect similar ethical behaviour from our suppliers and partners. We expect all conflicts of interest to be disclosed.
  • We value our relationships with suppliers and other business partners and endeavour to create mutually honest, open, and reliable working practices.

 

Any activities or behaviour inconsistent with the principles above should be reported to us (np-centraloffice@lancacster.ac.uk).

 

The New Phytologist Foundation is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company number 08789102; Charity number 1154867).

 

Who was Sir Arthur Tansley?

 

Shaping Ecology: The Life of Arthur Tansley by Peter Ayres

Click here to read about Sir Arthur Tansley

Please visit our section on Sir Arthur Tansley for information on Tansley's life, work and publications or read the book Shaping Ecology: The Life of Arthur Tansley by Peter Ayres, former Editor-in-Chief of New Phytologist.