Last Updated on September 3, 2026 by Dr. Bhagat
PLOS ONE’s 2025 Journal Impact Factor is 2.8, reported for the 2026 Journal Citation Reports cycle. This page separates the current JIF from other citation metrics and combines the verified figure with historical context, indexing, publishing information and practical author guidance.
2026 data update
Journal Impact Factor year: 2025 · JCR release year: 2026 · Current status: 2.8 · Quartile: Q2
PLOS ONE metrics at a glance
| Metric | Current value |
|---|---|
| 2025 Journal Impact Factor | 2.8 |
| 5-year Journal Impact Factor | Verify in the current JCR record |
| JCR category | Multidisciplinary Sciences |
| Quartile | Q2 |
| Indexing | SCIE, Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE and DOAJ |
| Publisher | Public Library of Science |
| Publishing model | Gold open access |
| Additional current metric | Current standard article publication fee is listed by PLOS as US$2,477, subject to programs and waivers |
Primary source: the journal’s official publisher page. Operational details and fees can change, so authors should recheck the live publisher instructions before submission.
About PLOS ONE
PLOS ONE publishes methodologically sound research across science, engineering, medicine and related social sciences and humanities, including negative and null results. Its audience, article types and editorial threshold should be considered alongside the citation metric.
Journal-level metrics summarize citation behavior across a publication. They do not predict the quality, citation count or practical value of an individual article.
What is PLOS ONE’s current Impact Factor?
PLOS ONE’s 2025 Journal Impact Factor is 2.8, reported for the 2026 Journal Citation Reports cycle. The metric year and release year are different: a 2025 JIF is released in the 2026 reporting cycle.
Why the 2025 JIF appears in JCR 2026
Journal Citation Reports names the metric for the citation year and publishes it in the following year. “2025 Journal Impact Factor” and “2026 JCR release” therefore describe the same reporting cycle.
Quartile and indexing status
The current category context is Multidisciplinary Sciences. The quartile is Q2, and the verified indexing summary is SCIE, Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE and DOAJ. Quartiles are category-specific, so a journal can have different quartiles in different categories.
PLOS ONE Impact Factor trend, 2017–2025
| Impact Factor year | Journal Impact Factor | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2.766 | — |
| 2018 | 2.776 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.740 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 3.240 | +18.2% |
| 2021 | 3.752 | +15.8% |
| 2022 | 3.7 | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 2.9 | -21.6% |
| 2024 | 2.6 | -10.3% |
| 2025 | 2.8 | +7.7% |
Changes in a JIF can reflect citation timing, publication volume and subject-wide citation patterns. A one-year rise or fall should not be treated as direct evidence that editorial quality changed.
How to interpret the trend
Use the historical series as context, not as a forecast. Compare the journal with titles in the same subject category and inspect the articles it currently publishes. For multidisciplinary journals, compare the category that best matches the manuscript.
Scope and suitable manuscripts
A suitable manuscript should make a clear contribution to methodologically sound research across science, engineering, medicine and related social sciences and humanities, including negative and null results. Authors should compare their abstract, methods and main conclusion with recent papers before investing in journal-specific formatting.
Publishing model and possible charges
Gold open access. Any current article processing charge, taxes, waiver eligibility, color charge or optional service should be confirmed on the official publisher page. Do not rely on an old fee copied by a directory.
Editorial process and timing
Current standard article publication fee is listed by PLOS as US$2,477, subject to programs and waivers. A publisher-reported median is not a promise for an individual manuscript. Timing varies with editor assignment, reviewer availability, revisions, article type and author response time.
Submission checklist
- Confirm that the article type and scope match the current author instructions.
- Use the journal’s required structure, reference style and reporting checklist.
- Prepare ethics, conflict-of-interest, funding, data and code statements where applicable.
- Check every figure, table, supplementary file and author detail before upload.
- Verify the current fee, waiver rules and indexing status on first-party pages.
- Write a concise cover letter explaining the journal-specific contribution.
Important journal-specific note
PLOS states that it does not consider Impact Factor a reliable measure of individual articles. The journal evaluates scientific validity, methods and ethics rather than perceived significance.
What the Impact Factor cannot tell you
The JIF does not measure novelty, methodological rigor, research integrity, reproducibility or fit for a particular audience. It is an average at journal level and can be influenced by a small number of highly cited articles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest Impact Factor?
The current status reported on this page is 2.8. Cite it with the metric year and release year, and note the special status where the publisher does not report a verified 2025 JIF.
Is the journal indexed?
The verified summary is SCIE, Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE and DOAJ. Because database coverage can change, check the exact journal title and ISSN in the database before a deadline.
Is it open access?
Gold open access. Consult the publisher for the licence, fee and waiver that would apply to a specific submission.
Does the metric guarantee that my paper is suitable?
No. Scope, article type, methods, evidence and readership are more useful for deciding where to submit.
Where should authors verify changes?
Use the official journal home page, author guide, fee page and the relevant indexing database rather than an unsourced directory.
Sources and further reading
- Official PLOS ONE publisher page
- Clarivate Journal Citation Reports overview
- Clarivate Master Journal List
Editorial note: JIF, CiteScore and SJR are different metrics with different sources and citation windows. They should not be substituted for one another.
