PLOS Journal Submission Checker
Validate your manuscript against PLOS ONE, PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine, and PLOS journal submission requirements.
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PLOS submission requirements
PLOS (Public Library of Science) journals, PLOS ONE, PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine, PLOS Computational Biology, are fully open access and have specific requirements that differ from traditional journals. All PLOS papers require: all underlying data available and linked, a reporting checklist (CONSORT, ARRIVE, STROBE etc. as appropriate), author summary for non-specialist readers, and a complete data availability statement with links to deposited datasets. PLOS journals do not make editorial decisions based on perceived impact, focusing instead on scientific rigor.
PLOS compliance checks
Data availability (mandatory)
All underlying data must be available, PLOS requires this, not optional.
Reporting checklist
Applicable reporting checklist must be completed (CONSORT, ARRIVE, STROBE, PRISMA).
Author summary
200-word plain-language author summary required for all PLOS papers.
Ethics statement
Explicit IRB/ethics approval required for human and animal research.
Competing interests
Full competing interest disclosure required.
Funding sources
Complete funding information with grant numbers.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
Data availability (required)
PLOS requires all underlying data be available.
Author summary (200 words)
Plain-language summary for non-specialists.
Reporting checklist
Applicable reporting guideline checklist completion.
Ethics approval
IRB/ethics approval for human/animal subjects.
The practical edge your peers already use
Across disciplines and career stages, researchers reduce bottlenecks and submit with confidence: clearer drafts, easier guideline compliance, and less back and forth with co‑authors and reviewers.
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
Yes: PLOS has a strict data sharing policy. All data underlying the findings must be fully available, either in the paper, as supplementary materials, or in a public repository. This is non-negotiable.
PLOS requires a 200-word plain-language summary for non-specialist readers, in addition to the technical abstract. This should explain why the research matters to a general audience.
PLOS ONE has an impact factor, though it's lower than many specialist journals because of its broad scope. PLOS does not make decisions based on impact, only scientific rigor.