The best keys are still in a drawer
WildKeys only grows on what gets shared. We're looking for authors and institutions that hold the rights to a key and want to open it to the public.
We don't sell keys. We open them.
Before we ask you for anything, this is exactly what we do with a key you hand over.
Open access
Every published key stays within everyone's reach. No paywall, no subscription, no premium tier: that is not our model and it won't be.
Scientific rigour
We don't rewrite keys. We digitise exactly what its author wrote and review it with you before publishing.
Authorship stays untouched
Every key carries the name of whoever signed it and the institution that holds it, visible at all times and at every step.
Who can hand over a key
We need whoever holds the rights to the key: having the PDF isn't enough to publish it.
Authors and taxonomists
You wrote the key, or you sign the publication it appeared in.
Herbaria and museums
You hold material and keys of your own, published or unpublished.
Universities and centres
Teaching or research keys produced in your departments.
Scientific societies
Keys published in your bulletins, monographs or conference proceedings.
Public administration
Parks, reserves and agencies with field guides of their own.
Three steps, and you do the reviewing
- 01
You write to us
Tell us which key you have and what rights you hold over it. A PDF, a scan or even photos of a book will do.
- 02
We digitise it
We turn it into a navigable key: every question, every fork, with a glossary and images.
- 03
You validate it and it goes live
Nothing ships without your approval. Once you give it, the key is open to anyone, under your name.
What everyone asks first
Do I lose the rights to my key?
No. You remain the rights holder. You only grant us permission to publish it, and you can withdraw it whenever you want.
Does it cost anything?
Nothing, neither for whoever hands over the key nor for whoever uses it. Digitising is our job.
Is it exclusive?
No. You can keep printing, publishing or licensing your key wherever and however you like.
What if the key isn't mine?
Then we can't publish it. Write to us anyway: we'll help you track down whoever holds the rights.
What format do you need?
Whatever you have. The cleaner it is the faster it goes, but we won't turn anything away over its format.
What if my key has errors?
We fix them with you during the review. The final word on the content is always the author's.
Tell us which key you have
Write to us with no strings attached. We answer everything, even if it's to tell you we can't publish that particular key.