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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.

Preprints

A preprint is a version of a scientific manuscript posted on a public server prior to formal peer review. As soon as it’s posted, your preprint becomes a permanent part of the scientific record, citable with its own unique DOI.

Ready. Set. Share.

We make it easy to take control of your scientific communications and share your research when you’re ready. 

Use preprints to establish priority, broadcast results, and seek community feedback. Increase readership. Bolster grant, job or tenure applications.

Three ways to get started

Direct Transfer from bioRxiv and medRxiv
Have you already posted to bioRxiv and medRxiv? You can choose to have your preprint forwarded for consideration at the PLOS journal of your choice via Direct Transfer.

Post on bioRxiv, medRxiv, or EarthArXiv during PLOS submission process
Want to post a preprint to one of our partner servers? We’ll take care of it for you! During initial submission, just opt-in to have your manuscript posted on your behalf. It will appear on the site in less than 5 days.

Post directly to the preprint server most relevant for your field
Is there a more appropriate or more specialized server for your research? Post to the relevant preprint server and share the DOI with us when you submit.

Benefits of preprints

Preprints help to create a more efficient and Open peer review process—open in terms of access, transparency, and inclusivity.

Rapid Dissemination of Your Results

Whether you’re applying for grants or tenure, working on time-sensitive research, or simply eager to share your latest work, preprints are a free, easy option for communicating your research on your own timeline without compromising potential future publication.

Increased Attention

The sooner your research becomes available, the sooner it can begin to attract attention. Share sooner with preprints and ensure that your research achieves its full potential—for readership, for citations, and for change.

Career Advancement

Post a preprint to establish priority in a competitive field, or showcase your work for grant, hiring, or tenure committees. A link to a publicly posted preprint is more illustrative and compelling than a title on a CV with the annotation “in development” or “under review.”

Community Feedback

Preliminary feedback helps authors improve manuscripts. Collegial discussion can lead to new ideas, follow-up studies, or collaborations with other research groups. Plus, you can cite your preprint in your letters of inquiry.

Inclusion

Preprints free all researchers to participate in the scientific discourse. Any author can share their latest advances on their own terms, and any interested researcher can read and provide feedback without waiting for an invitation from a journal.

Unlimited and Timely Updates

From the moment a preprint appears online to the day that the article is published in a peer reviewed journal, you can make as many updates as you want or need. Each version is numbered and incorporated into the preprint record.

Read more about Preprints

PLOS announces partnership with EarthArXiv

SAN FRANCISCO —The Public Library of Science (PLOS) today announced that it has partnered with EarthArXiv, which enables authors submitting to PLOS Climate, PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, and PLOS Water to post preprints with ease.

Read more...
Extending support for preprint sharing

All PLOS journals welcome submission of papers that have been shared as preprints. PLOS was amongst the first publishers to adopt this policy, as we recognise the value in early sharing of community-curated research, a value borne out in the COVID pandemic.

Read more...
Power to the Preprint

Preprints are here!!! Starting today authors submitting their manuscript to most PLOS journals* can also choose to post their article on bioRxiv, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s preprint server for the life sciences.

Read more...

The PLOS Open Science Toolbox

The future is Open

The PLOS Open Science Toolbox is your source for sci-comm tips and best-practice. Learn practical strategies and
hands-on tips to improve reproducibility, increase trust, and maximize the impact of your research through Open Science.

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Ready to post your preprint?

Explore your options for facilitated posting at the PLOS journals.

Journal Direct transfer
from bioRxiv
Facilitated posting
to bioRxiv
Direct transfer
from medRxiv
Facilitated posting
to medRxiv
Facilitated posting
to EarthArXiv
PLOS Biology x x
PLOS Climate x x x
PLOS Complex Systems x
PLOS Computational Biology x x
PLOS Digital Health x x
PLOS Genetics x x
PLOS Global Public Health x x
PLOS Medicine x x x
PLOS Mental Health x
PLOS NTDs x x x x
PLOS ONE x x x x
PLOS Pathogens x x
PLOS Sustainability and Transformation x x x
PLOS Water x x x
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