Skip to content

PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice.

Building on a strong legacy of pioneering innovation, PLOS continues to be a catalyst, reimagining models to meet open science principles, removing barriers and promoting inclusion in knowledge creation and sharing, and publishing research outputs that enable everyone to learn from, reuse and build upon scientific knowledge.

We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all.

PLOS BLOGS EveryONE

Facilitated Preprint Posting is now available for Lab Protocols at PLOS ONE

Author: Marcel LaFlamme, Open Research Manager, PLOS

When authors submit a Lab Protocol to PLOS ONE, they prepare a short manuscript that contextualizes their step-by-step protocol, describing the value it adds to the published literature and providing evidence that the protocol works. This additional context helps readers to decide whether and, if so, how to adapt the protocol for their own research.

In 2023, PLOS is making it easier for authors to share these protocol manuscripts as preprints, by expanding our partnership with the preprint server bioRxiv to include Lab Protocols.

During the submission process, Lab Protocol authors will now be asked if they want PLOS to forward their manuscript to bioRxiv to be considered for public posting within a few days. Facilitated posting to bioRxiv has been offered at PLOS ONE since 2018. Extending this service to Lab Protocols means that authors can share and get credit for their methods development work sooner, even as the peer review process unfolds.

In keeping with PLOS ONE’s multidisciplinary scope, Lab Protocol submissions are welcomed from any scientific field. Through the end of 2022, 61% of submitted Lab Protocols were in the life sciences, making bioRxiv an especially suitable partner to promote their early sharing.

“bioRxiv has always encouraged authors to post new methods as preprints,” said Richard Sever, co-founder of bioRxiv. “Formats like Lab Protocols that put protocols in context and provide data supporting their use are a great way to make methods more discoverable, and we’re delighted to partner with PLOS to make these manuscripts immediately available to researchers.”

Related Posts
Back to top