What is PLOS ONE and when was it first published?

PLOS ONE is a peer-reviewed, open-access mega journal published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS). It was first launched as a beta version in December 2006 and officially came out of beta in October 2008.

What is the primary scope of PLOS ONE's publications?

PLOS ONE covers primary research from any discipline within science and medicine. It aims to publish research based on the rigor of the methodology rather than the perceived importance of the findings.

Who were the key figures involved in the founding of the Public Library of Science?

The Public Library of Science was initiated by Nobel Prize winner Harold E. Varmus, biochemist Patrick O. Brown, and computational biologist Michael Eisen.

What is the business model that finances PLOS ONE's open access publication?

PLOS ONE is financed through an article processing charge (APC), typically paid by the author's institution or the author themselves. This model allows all published articles to be freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication.

What was the initial impact factor of PLOS ONE when it was first included in the Journal Citation Reports?

Upon its inclusion in the Journal Citation Reports in January 2010, PLOS ONE received its first impact factor of 4.4.

What is the current impact factor of PLOS ONE as of 2024?

As of 2024, PLOS ONE has an impact factor of 2.6.

Under what type of license are articles published in PLOS ONE released?

Articles published in PLOS ONE are released under Creative Commons licenses, specifically the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International.

How did PLOS ONE's publication schedule change in August 2008?

In August 2008, PLOS ONE shifted from a weekly publication schedule to a daily one, publishing articles as soon as they were ready.

What functionality did PLOS ONE add in July 2007?

In July 2007, PLOS ONE added the ability for users to rate articles.

What kind of data did PLOS ONE make publicly available in September 2009?

As part of its article-level metrics program, PLOS ONE began making its full online usage data publicly available, including HTML page views and PDF or XML download statistics for every published article.

When did PLOS ONE change its name to reflect the rebranding of PLoS?

The journal changed its name from PLoS ONE to PLOS ONE in mid-2012 as part of the rebranding of PLoS to PLOS.

How did the number of papers published by PLOS ONE change between its inception and 2013?

The number of papers published by PLOS ONE grew rapidly from its inception, reaching a peak around 2013, after which it saw a slight decline.

By what year was PLOS ONE estimated to have become the largest journal in the world?

By 2010, PLOS ONE was estimated to have become the largest journal in the world based on its output.

What was the median review time for papers submitted to PLOS ONE in its first ten years?

According to an analysis for Nature, the median review time for papers submitted to PLOS ONE increased from 37 days to 125 days over its first ten years of operation.

How did the median time between acceptance and posting of a paper on the PLOS ONE site change over its first ten years?

The median time between the acceptance of a paper and its posting on the site decreased from 35 days to 15 days over the first ten years of PLOS ONE's operation.

What was the acceptance rate for PLOS ONE articles between January 2021 and June 2023?

The acceptance rate for PLOS ONE articles decreased from approximately 50% to 31% during the period from January 2021 to June 2023.

Who were the early managing editors or chief editorial figures at PLOS ONE?

Chris Surridge was the founding managing editor, succeeded by Peter Binfield in March 2008. Damian Pattinson then held the chief editorial position until December 2015, followed by Joerg Heber from November 2016, and Emily Chenette starting in March 2021.

What is the core principle behind PLOS ONE's publication concept that differentiates it from traditional publishing?

PLOS ONE's publication concept is to not exclude papers based on a lack of perceived importance, instead focusing on verifying the rigor of experiments and data analysis, leaving the assessment of importance to the scientific community post-publication.

How does the peer review process begin for submissions to PLOS ONE?

The peer review process begins with initial checks by the journal's staff and in-house editorial team to ensure compliance with policy and ethical standards, including verification of competing interests, financial disclosure, and data availability.

What role does an academic editor play in the PLOS ONE review process?

An academic editor, typically an expert in the relevant field and a member of PLOS ONE's editorial board, reviews the paper and decides whether external peer review is necessary to obtain expert feedback.

What is the stated aim of PLOS ONE regarding journal status and impact factors?

According to Nature, PLOS ONE aims to challenge academia's obsession with journal status and impact factors.

How does being an online-only publication benefit PLOS ONE?

Being an online-only publication allows PLOS ONE to publish a greater volume of papers than a traditional print journal and facilitates the publication of research on topics that may fall outside or between traditional scientific categories.

What is the current article processing charge for publishing in PLOS ONE?

As of April 2021, the publication fee to publish an article in PLOS ONE is $1,745. The journal may waive or reduce this fee for authors lacking sufficient funds.

How did PLOS ONE contribute to the financial sustainability of the Public Library of Science?

The rapid growth and success of PLOS ONE, particularly its revenue from article processing charges, helped the Public Library of Science cover its operational costs for the first time in 2010, moving from a previous operating loss.

What kind of journals has the success of PLOS ONE inspired?

The success of PLOS ONE has inspired a series of other open-access journals, including other mega journals that feature a broad scope, lower selectivity, and a pay-to-publish model using Creative Commons licenses.

Which databases index PLOS ONE?

PLOS ONE is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and major scientific databases such as AGRICOLA, BIOSIS Previews, Chemical Abstracts Service, Embase, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, The Zoological Record, and Web of Science.

What controversy arose regarding a PLOS ONE peer review instance in April 2015?

In April 2015, PLOS ONE faced controversy when a rejection letter from a peer reviewer was posted online, containing comments perceived as sexist and unprofessional towards authors Fiona Ingleby and Megan Head, whose paper discussed gender differences in PhD-to-postdoc transitions.

How did PLOS ONE respond to the alleged sexism in the peer review instance?

Following the incident, PLOS ONE announced it was severing ties with the reviewer responsible for the comments, asked the editor who relayed them to step down, and issued an apology statement.

What was the 'CreatorGate' controversy involving a PLOS ONE article?

The 'CreatorGate' controversy occurred in March 2016 when PLOS ONE initiated a reevaluation of an article about the human hand that referenced 'Creator.' This led to reader outrage, and despite the authors explaining it as a mistranslation of a Chinese idiom meaning 'nature,' the article was retracted.

What explanation was offered for the use of the term 'Creator' in the retracted PLOS ONE article?

The authors stated that 'Creator' was a poorly translated idiom from Chinese ('造化者' or '造化') that means 'that which creates or transforms,' essentially referring to 'nature.' However, Chinese-language experts suggested a less sympathetic interpretation, noting the academic editor's previous affiliation with a Chinese church.

What was the main criticism of Lisa Littman's study on rapid-onset gender dysphoria published in PLOS ONE?

Lisa Littman's study, which described rapid-onset gender dysphoria as a phenomenon of social contagion, was criticized by transgender activists and medical professionals for being politicized, using self-selected samples, lacking clinical data, and not including perspectives from the adolescents themselves.

How did PLOS ONE address the controversy surrounding the rapid-onset gender dysphoria study?

PLOS ONE conducted a reevaluation and ultimately republished the study with corrections to its framing, methodology, and conclusions, while acknowledging that ROGD is not a formal diagnosis and requires further research. The journal also issued an apology for the inadequate framing in the original publication.

What specific changes were made to Lisa Littman's study upon republication?

Upon republication, the study's Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Discussion, and Conclusion sections were updated. The Results section remained largely unchanged, and Littman emphasized that the study was based on parental observations and served to develop hypotheses, not validate the phenomenon as a formal diagnosis.

What is the stated purpose of PLOS ONE's article-level metrics program?

The article-level metrics program, which includes making online usage data publicly available, aims to provide transparency and allow the scientific community to assess the impact and reach of published articles.

What is the significance of PLOS ONE's decision to publish papers regardless of perceived importance?

This approach challenges traditional academic publishing norms that often prioritize novelty or perceived significance, aiming instead to ensure that scientifically sound research, regardless of its perceived impact, is accessible.

How many external peer reviewers did PLOS ONE utilize in its first four years?

In the first four years following its launch, PLOS ONE made use of over 40,000 external peer reviewers.

What is the average number of experts who review submissions to PLOS ONE?

PLOS ONE publishes approximately 50% of all submissions after review by an average of 2.9 experts.

What is the current editor-in-chief of PLOS ONE?

As of March 2021, Emily Chenette serves as the editor-in-chief of PLOS ONE.

What was the purpose of the PLOS Wiki for PLOS Computational Biology and PLOS Genetics?

The PLOS Wiki was intended as a platform for collaborative content creation related to specific scientific topics, such as quantum physics, in partnership with Wikipedia.

What is the meaning of the journal's abbreviation 'ISO 4'?

The ISO 4 abbreviation for PLOS ONE is 'PLOS ONE', which is a standardized way to abbreviate the journal's title for citation purposes.

What is the role of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in PLOS's history?

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation provided significant financial support to PLOS, awarding grants totaling $10 million between December 2002 and May 2006 to aid its financial sustainability and the launch of new journals.

What does the term 'mega journal' signify in the context of PLOS ONE?

A 'mega journal' like PLOS ONE is characterized by its broad scope, covering many scientific disciplines, and its high volume of publications, often with a focus on rigorous peer review rather than perceived impact.

How does PLOS ONE handle the potential for bias in its publication process?

PLOS ONE aims to mitigate bias by not excluding papers based on perceived importance and by having an international board of academic editors and over 6,000 academics handle submissions. They also offer open signed reviews to ensure accountability.

What is the significance of PLOS ONE's inclusion in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?

Inclusion in the DOAJ signifies that PLOS ONE adheres to the principles of open access publishing, making its content freely available and adhering to certain standards of quality and transparency.

What was the nature of the 'CreatorGate' controversy's impact on the journal's handling of the situation?

Sarah Kaplan of The Washington Post suggested that PLOS ONE's hasty retraction of the 'Creator' paper might have been a greater offense than its initial publication, contrasting it with the slower retractions of fraudulent or debunked studies in other major journals like The Lancet and Science.

How did social media influence the retraction of the 'CreatorGate' paper?

Social media outrage played a significant role in expediting the retraction of the 'CreatorGate' paper, highlighting how online discussion can rapidly influence editorial decisions in academic publishing.

What is the stated goal of PLOS ONE regarding challenging academic norms?

PLOS ONE aims to challenge academia's traditional emphasis on journal status and impact factors by focusing on the scientific validity of research rather than its perceived importance or the prestige of the publishing venue.

What is the typical fee for publishing an article in PLOS ONE?

The typical fee for publishing an article in PLOS ONE is $1,745, as of April 2021.

What is the journal's stance on publishing research that falls between traditional scientific fields?

PLOS ONE actively encourages the publication of research that spans or falls outside traditional scientific categories, leveraging its broad scope and online format to accommodate diverse scientific inquiries.

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About PLOS One

Scholarly Foundation

PLOS One is a peer-reviewed, open-access mega journal published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS). Established in 2006, it covers primary research across all disciplines within science and medicine, embodying a commitment to broad scientific accessibility.

Multidisciplinary Scope

Unlike traditional journals focused on specific fields, PLOS One embraces a multidisciplinary approach. This allows for the publication of research irrespective of perceived importance or adherence to a particular scientific domain, fostering cross-disciplinary discovery.

Open Access Model

Operating under an open-access framework, PLOS One makes all published articles freely available to the public. This accessibility is financed through an article processing charge (APC), typically paid by the author's institution or funding body.

Historical Trajectory

Genesis and Evolution

Launched in December 2006 as a beta version named PLoS ONE, the journal was an initiative of the Public Library of Science, founded by prominent scientists including Nobel laureate Harold Varmus. It introduced features like article commenting and rating, and transitioned to a daily publication schedule, publishing articles as soon as they were ready.

2006: Initial launch as PLoS ONE.
2007: Added article rating and trackback functionality.
2008: Shifted to a daily publication schedule.
2009: Introduced public online usage data for articles.
2010: Received its first impact factor (4.4) and was indexed in Journal Citation Reports.
2012: Rebranded to PLOS One as part of a larger PLOS rebranding.
2013: Experienced rapid growth, becoming one of the world's largest journals.
2017: Confirmed publication of over 200,000 articles.

Output and Turnaround

PLOS One experienced exponential growth in published papers from its inception until around 2013. While the volume has since moderated, it remains a significant publisher. Analysis indicates a trend of increasing median review times, aligning with industry averages for biological journals, while the time from acceptance to online posting has decreased.

Year	Papers Published
2007	1,200
2008	2,800
2009	4,406
2010	6,749
2011	13,798
2012	23,468
2013	31,500
2014	30,040
2015	28,107
2016	22,054
2017	21,185
2018	18,859
2019	16,318

Publication Concept

Rigor Over Prestige

PLOS One's core principle is to evaluate manuscripts based solely on the rigor of the research methodology, data analysis, and ethical standards, rather than on the perceived importance or novelty of the findings. This approach aims to decouple scientific validation from journal-based prestige metrics.

Peer Review Process

Submissions undergo initial checks by journal staff for policy compliance. Subsequently, an academic editor, an expert in the relevant field, reviews the manuscript. This editor may solicit external peer review for expert feedback. The editor then decides on acceptance, rejection, or revision based on the review outcomes.

Unrestricted Publication

As an online-only publication, PLOS One is not constrained by print limitations. It readily publishes articles of any length, incorporates full-color figures, and hosts extensive supplementary materials, including multimedia files, thereby facilitating comprehensive data sharing.

Business Model

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

The journal operates on an open-access business model funded by Article Processing Charges (APCs). As of April 2021, the standard APC was $1,745, with provisions for fee waivers or reductions for authors facing financial constraints, ensuring broader participation.

Financial Viability

The success and high volume of publications in PLOS One were instrumental in achieving financial sustainability for the Public Library of Science, enabling it to cover operational costs and support its mission of open science dissemination.

Influence on Publishing

PLOS One's model has significantly influenced the academic publishing landscape, inspiring the creation of numerous other open-access journals and the emergence of the "mega journal" format, characterized by broad scope, minimal selectivity, and a pay-to-publish structure.

Reception and Recognition

Industry Accolades

PLOS One has received recognition for its innovative approach, including the Publishing Innovation Award from the Association for Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) in 2009. This award acknowledges originality, utility, and community benefit.

Impact Factor

The journal's impact factor, first recorded in 2010 at 4.4, has fluctuated over the years. Its 2024 impact factor stands at 2.6, reflecting its position within the scientific publishing metrics landscape.

Indexing and Visibility

Major Databases

PLOS One is indexed in prominent scientific databases and directories, ensuring broad visibility and accessibility for its published research. This includes:

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
MEDLINE / PubMed
Scopus
Web of Science
Embase
Chemical Abstracts Service

Standard Identifiers

The journal maintains standard identifiers crucial for academic cataloging and discovery:

ISSN: 1932-6203
LCCN: 2006214532
OCLC: 228234657
ISO 4 Abbreviation: PLOS ONE

Notable Controversies

Sexism in Peer Review

In 2015, PLOS One faced scrutiny following allegations of sexism in a peer review process. The journal responded by severing ties with the reviewer involved and issuing an apology, highlighting its commitment to addressing misconduct.

#CreatorGate Incident

The publication and subsequent retraction of a paper referencing a "Creator" in its description of human hand biomechanics led to significant debate regarding scientific integrity and editorial processes. This event, dubbed #CreatorGate, prompted discussions on the journal's handling of potentially controversial content.

Gender Dysphoria Study

In 2018, PLOS One reevaluated a study on "rapid-onset gender dysphoria" following criticism regarding its methodology and potential politicization. The journal republished the article with clarifications, emphasizing its nature as a hypothesis-generating study rather than a diagnostic validation.

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References

Welcome, IBM. Seriously (from Apple in 1981) on Flickr. August 21, 1981.

Rhodri Jackson and Martin Richardson, "Gold open access: the future of the academic journal?", Chapter 9 in Cope and Phillip (2014), pp. 223â248. The Future of the Academic Journal, 2nd ed., Chandos Publishing, July 1, 2014, 478 pages.

A full list of references for this article are available at the PLOS One Wikipedia page

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Academic Disclaimer

Important Notice

This document has been generated by an AI content specialist, synthesizing information from publicly available sources, primarily Wikipedia. It is intended for academic and educational purposes, providing a structured overview of PLOS One.

This is not professional advice. The content herein is based on data that may not be exhaustive or entirely current. It does not substitute for consultation with academic publishing experts or legal counsel. Always refer to official documentation and scholarly analyses for definitive information.

The creators of this content are not liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, or actions taken based on the information presented.

PLOS One: The Nexus of Open Access Scientific Discourse

💡 Dive in with Flashcard Learning! 💡

About PLOS One ℹ️

📚 Scholarly Foundation

🌐 Multidisciplinary Scope

💰 Open Access Model

Historical Trajectory 📈

🚀 Genesis and Evolution

📊 Output and Turnaround

Publication Concept 💡

⚖️ Rigor Over Prestige

🔍 Peer Review Process

🎨 Unrestricted Publication

Business Model 💸

🔄 Article Processing Charges (APCs)

📈 Financial Viability

💡 Influence on Publishing

Reception and Recognition ⭐

🏆 Industry Accolades

📊 Impact Factor

Indexing and Visibility 🔍

📚 Major Databases

🔗 Standard Identifiers

Notable Controversies ⚠️

🗣️ Sexism in Peer Review

🙏 #CreatorGate Incident

❓ Gender Dysphoria Study

Teacher's Corner 🧑‍🏫

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References

📜 References

Feedback & Support 👍

To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.

Academic Disclaimer ⚖️

📜 Important Notice

Dive in with Flashcard Learning!

About PLOS One

Scholarly Foundation

Multidisciplinary Scope

Open Access Model

Historical Trajectory

Genesis and Evolution

Output and Turnaround

Publication Concept

Rigor Over Prestige

Peer Review Process

Unrestricted Publication

Business Model

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

Financial Viability

Influence on Publishing

Reception and Recognition

Industry Accolades

Impact Factor

Indexing and Visibility

Major Databases

Standard Identifiers

Notable Controversies

Sexism in Peer Review

#CreatorGate Incident

Gender Dysphoria Study

Teacher's Corner

True or False?

Test Your Knowledge!

Gamer's Corner

Discover other topics to study!

References

Feedback & Support

Academic Disclaimer

Important Notice