PLoS JOURNALS

Thank you and your staff so much for making the publication process very simple. I feel that PLoS Pathogens fills a critically important niche that is not served by other high-profile journals, and I look forward to reading the outstanding work of my colleagues (and hopefully more from my lab) in your journal." — Aaron Mitchell, Harold S. Ginsberg Professor of Molecular Pathogenesis, Columbia University

Media Inquiries

Media inquiries should be sent to our contact form or phone Sally Hubbard (PLoS Biology) +44(0)1223 463 342, Andrew Hyde (PLoS Medicine) +44(0)1223 463 330, Rebecca Walton (PLoS ONE) +44(0)1223 463 333, Mary Kohut (PLoS Computational Biology/Genetics/NTDs/Pathogens) +1-415-568-3457.

Access press releases and read about news coverage of articles published in PLoS journals in our News & Events section.

About the Embargo Policy

The following guidelines apply to research and to other selected materials published in PLoS journals. PLoS releases advance notices of upcoming articles of special interest to a restricted media list one week before publication, including a link to the PDF of selected articles. Distribution and use of all advance materials--including the content of media releases and research articles--are subject to the PLoS embargo policy. The embargo ensures that primary research articles are available to all readers when they are reported in the general press. The releases include contact information for the corresponding authors, along with institutional affiliation, address, phone number, and e-mail address.

PLoS believes this embargo policy serves scientists, journalists, and the public by ensuring that the research article is available to all at the time in which it is reported on in the media. The policy also provides for fair and equal access to our content, ensuring that no one reporter or organization receives preferential treatment or advantage over any other. It also gives the media the opportunity to research and accurately report on scientific articles while ensuring that publicity does not appear before the articles are accessible to the public. And it gives authors the chance to comment on research before it appears in the media. It is likewise designed to give public information officers adequate time to coordinate coverage with scientists at their institutions.

Eligibility to Access Embargoed Materials

Journalists and freelancers writing for daily or weekly publications which are registered with EurekAlert or with AlphaGalileo are eligible to receive advance, embargoed material from PLoS. For a trial period science bloggers of good standing may also be eligible to receive advance, embargoed material from PLoS. Bloggers wishing to apply for inclusion in our press list should do so through our contact form including links to 6 blog postings written by them in the last 6 months discussing the content of primary research papers. In general such posts should conform to the guidelines set out by Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting. Public information officers are eligible to receive advance, embargoed materials from their own institutions only. Eligible individuals must agree to follow the terms of the embargo policy. Individuals who break the embargo policy will be removed from the media release circulation list for a period to be determined by the editors of PLoS, after consultation with its advisory committee.

Journalists, PIOs and Bloggers are asked to credit the appropriate journal, such as PLoS Biology or PLoS Medicine, as the source of the information and in addition provide a link to the journal and or original paper from all online coverage. Supporting materials provided by PLoS, such as graphics and video, are to be properly credited to the appropriate source.

Conditions of the PLoS Embargo Policy

  • Stories or reports on research articles may not be published, broadcast, posted online, or placed in the public domain before the embargo date and time. Precise embargo dates and times will be clearly marked on all advance material.
  • Advance material is for background research only. Recipients may share embargoed materials only with experts in the field to seek comment, but such materials must be clearly identified as embargoed and must include the embargo date and time. Recipients are responsible for taking all necessary steps to ensure that all third parties honor the embargo.
  • Public information officers may not distribute embargoed materials in the public domain before the embargo date. However, embargoed materials may be distributed to the media by public information officers one week before the embargo date, using services such as EurekAlert, which has strict policies governing media access to embargoed materials. Such releases must be clearly identified as embargoed and must include the embargo date and time. PIOs are responsible for taking all necessary steps to ensure that all third parties honor the embargo.
  • Failure to adhere to the embargo policy will result in suspension of privileged access to all embargoed materials from PLoS publications.

A Note to Scientists

Authors and potential authors are encouraged to communicate with other researchers (for example, in the context of formal presentations at a conference), and this embargo policy is intended to have no adverse effect on such discourse. However, scientists should be cautious about discussing their unpublished work with the media to ensure that the work is not reported ahead of publication and that the work receives the maximum attention once the peer-reviewed article is publicly available in a PLoS journal. Regardless, prior publicity in the media will not affect decisions to publish a paper in a PLoS journal.