PLOS Journals / PLOS Open Science Publishing Platform

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

PLOS Journals (Open Science Publishing) provides open access, open science publishing across disciplines, with a mission to drive research integrity, equitable access, and innovation in scholarly communication.

Target Customer

Researchers and scholars; librarians; funders; institutional leaders; editors and reviewers involved in academic publishing.

Key Differentiator

A nonprofit, mission-driven publisher that champions open science throughout the research lifecycle, emphasizes research integrity, policy engagement (e.g., COPE affiliation, DORA alignment), and sustainable, inclusive models for knowledge creation and sharing.

Implementation Timeline

Not specified for customers; PLOS references ongoing 25-year legacy and a revitalized brand planned for 2025 and beyond, but no implementation timelines are provided for customer value realization.

Pain Points

1Limited accessibility to scholarly outputs due to paywalls
2Lack of transparency and reproducibility in research processes
3Fragmented or inequitable access to publishing opportunities and data

Key Features

1Portfolio of open access journals (e.g., PLOS Biology, PLOS Climate, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS One, etc.)
2Open science practices such as data availability, open code, open methods, preregistration, and published peer review
3Policies to enhance integrity (COPE membership, ethics guidelines, AI tool disclosure requirements)
4Data sharing mandates and ORCiD ID requirements for authors and contributors
5Institutional sales and partnerships for broader access and collaboration

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Chief Executive Officer
2Executive Director, Marketing and Communications
3Associate Editorial Director
4Executive Editor, PLOS Climate
5Chief of Staff and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
6General Counsel
7Executive Director, Global Publishing Development & Sales
8Editorial Director / Editorial roles on editorial boards (implied in content)

Client Results

1Increased accessibility and reuse of research outputs through open access publishing
2Enhanced transparency and reproducibility via data availability, open code, open methods, and published peer review
3Stronger alignment with open science principles across disciplines and sectors

Competitive Advantages

1Non-profit, mission-driven focus on open science rather than shareholder profits
2Structured around integrity, equity, and inclusion in scholarly publishing
3Active engagement with policy and standards bodies (COPE, FORCE11, NISO, etc.)
4Comprehensive open science requirements (ORCiD, data availability, open code, etc.)
5Diverse journal portfolio spanning life, health, sustainability, engineering, and technology

Key Benefits

1Open access to a wide range of scholarly outputs

2Transparent research practices (data/code availability, open methods, peer review history)

3Stronger research integrity and ethical publishing standards

4Support for inclusive, globally accessible knowledge sharing

5Partnerships and institutional programs to expand access and adoption of open science

Additional Product Information

Product Description

A portfolio of open access scholarly journals across multiple disciplines, built around open science principles, rigorous editorial integrity, and innovative scholarly communications practices.

Target Market

Researchers and scholars; librarians; funders; institutional leaders; editors and reviewers who contribute to academic publishing

Unique Value Proposition

A nonprofit, mission-driven publisher advancing open science with integrity, inclusive policies, and sustainable models, plus active policy engagement and mechanisms to improve transparency, reproducibility, and access across the research ecosystem.

Technical Requirements

ORCiD ID required for corresponding authors; data availability mandated; data deposition encouraged; open code encouraged; open methods encouraged; ability to publish peer review history; adherence to ethics and integrity policies; AI tool usage disclosures required where applicable

Pricing Model

Not disclosed in the provided content

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