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.
Open Code refers to custom, author-generated code used in a scientific research study—often during data collection, interpretation or analysis—and subsequently made publicly available under an Open Access license via a linked repository, or as Supporting Information.
Like all methodological documentation, open code gives context that helps readers understand the work, supports reproducibility, and improves the efficiency of subsequent related research.
Earn readers’ trust
Demonstrate the credibility of your results by sharing the code used in your analysis.
Accelerate progress
Empower others to adapt and build upon your accomplishments. Did you know that 48% of surveyed researchers consult code in order to reuse or repurpose it? Post your author-created code to a repository linked to your published article to help your field progress faster.
Reach new communities
Methodological documentation like Open Code transcend discipline, bringing together researchers with a broad range of expertise to address research questions in new ways.
Expand your influence
Transparency increases trust and sharing code increases usability, maximizing your own citation potential.
In a survey of PLOS Computational Biology authors conducted in February and March of 2021, over 75% of respondents report consulting the code associated with published manuscripts when available. Their aims when consulting code included…
Aiding understanding of the article
Verifying or exploring code directly
Reusing or repurposing code
Better understanding methods
Assessing the quality of the research
Replicating the study using their own data
Just over a year ago, PLOS Computational Biology introduced a new journal policy requiring authors to make public any code directly related to the results of their article upon publication of the work. We look forward to sharing...
Sharing of code supports reproducible research but fewer journals have policies on code sharing compared to data sharing, and there is little evidence on researchers’ attitudes...
PLOS Computational Biology has adopted an enhanced code sharing policy for all papers submitted from 30 March 2021. The change, announced in…
Listen as Nikola Stikov of University of Montreal and Jean-Baptiste Poline of McGill University explore subjects relating to Open Code practice, the role of data and code in communicating reproducible research, and what the future may hold.
Learn more about the benefits of Open Science. Open Science