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When you choose to publish with PLOS, your research makes an impact. Make your work accessible to all, without restrictions, and accelerate scientific discovery with options like preprints and published peer review that make your work more Open.

Guidelines for Authors and Press Officers

PLOS (Public Library of Science) is a nonprofit Open Access publisher, empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication.

Press & Media Tips for Authors

Embargoes

Embargo Policy

PLOS articles are embargoed until 11:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date of publication.

  • We do not discuss any manuscript with the media until it has been accepted for publication and assigned a publication date. 
  • Unless otherwise noted, all information provided by PLOS journals is subject to a press embargo whose date and time will be clearly stated.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR EMBARGO POLICY

Why embargo articles? Our embargoes enable authors to achieve accurate, high-quality media coverage which disseminates their peer-reviewed research to non-expert readers. They ensure that peer-reviewed published articles are accessible to everyone when first reported in the media

Talking about research under embargo: We wish to encourage communication between scientists. For that reason, authors may communicate research for scientific purposes prior to publication – when an embargo will apply. This includes talking about your research at conferences, on social media, and on preprint servers.

Once your research has been accepted and assigned a publication date, it is subject to embargo. You may discuss your research under embargo with journalists and other members of the media, and you should inform journalists of the embargo in all your communications. We discourage actively seeking publicity for your research before that point. If you do choose to discuss your research at the preprint stage, you should stress that your work is still undergoing peer review and you may not disclose the journal where the work is under consideration.

Social media embargoes: We recognize that blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and many other social media sites are powerful tools in information dissemination. If you choose to blog about or promote your accepted manuscript via social media, please wait until the embargo lifts and include a link to your article. If you choose to discuss research at the preprint stage, you should stress that your work is still undergoing peer review and you may not disclose the journal where the work is under consideration.

Communicating Your Research

Media Toolkit for PLOS authors
To help you navigate the media process, we’ve developed a free media toolkit for your use. The toolkit has information on promoting your research and speaking to the media, as well as further press and media resources.

Speaking to the media
If you agree to be the contact for journalists, please note that you could be contacted by reporters from around the world. It is important that you respond to their queries in a timely manner as journalists work under tight deadlines. Failure to respond to them could result in a story being published without your input and might end up containing inaccurate information.

Before giving an interview, please ensure that the journalist will agree to abide by the embargo. Please also inform the journalist of the name of the journal in which your work is publishing and share the link to your online article so that the journalist may include it in their story. Please note that PLOS does not grant exclusives to journalists or news outlets, and neither may authors or press officers unilaterally grant exclusives.

Promoting your research with social media
We encourage you to promote your accepted manuscript via social media, but please wait until the embargo lifts and include a link to your article.

Communication between scientists
We wish to encourage communication between scientists. For that reason, authors may communicate research for scientific purposes prior to publication. This includes talking about your research at conferences, on social media, and on preprint servers

Tips for Press Officers

Contacting PLOS
If your institution is planning to promote research publishing in any of the seven PLOS  journals, contact the appropriate journal as soon as possible after the research is accepted. Please copy the corresponding author on all press-related communication.

Writing Press Releases
In your press release, be sure to abide by the following:

Journal name
Refer to the appropriate journal as follows:

  • PLOS Biology 
  • PLOS Climate
  • PLOS Complex Systems
  • PLOS Computational Biology
  • PLOS Digital Health
  • PLOS Genetics 
  • PLOS Global Public Health
  • PLOS Medicine
  • PLOS Mental Health
  • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
  • PLOS ONE 
  • PLOS Pathogen
  • PLOS Sustainability and Transformation
  • PLOS Water

Organization name
The organization’s name is written as PLOS and pronounced to rhyme with “boss”.

Article URL
Include a link to the article in the press release.

Embargo Information
Include the correct embargo information–2pm Eastern Time on the date of publication.

Journal Contacts

PLOS Biology:
biologypress@plos.org

PLOS Climate:
climate@plos.org

PLOS Complex Systems:
complexsystems@plos.org

PLOS Computational Biology:
ploscompbiol@plos.org

PLOS Digital Health:
digitalhealth@plos.org

PLOS Genetics:
plosgenetics@plos.org

PLOS Global Public Health:
globalpubhealth@plos.org

PLOS Medicine:
medicinepress@plos.org

PLOS Mental Health:
mentalhealth@plos.org

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases:
plosntds@plos.org 

PLOS ONE:
Bethany Baker, +44 (0) 1223 442842
onepress@plos.org

Charlotte Bhaskar, +1 (415) 624-1215
onepress@plos.org 

PLOS Pathogens:
plospathogens@plos.org

PLOS Sustainability and Transformation:
sustaintransform@plos.org

PLOS Water:
water@plos.org

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