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PLOS Genetics (also written PLoS Genetics, abbreviated PLOS Genet or PLoS Genet) is an open access journal from the nonprofit Public Library of Science. It publishes original research in genetics and genomics. This page is for researchers deciding whether to submit to it or to rely on what it publishes: it sets out the scope, indexing, metrics, fee and submission requirements as stated on the journal’s own pages, checked on 2026-11-07.
What PLOS Genetics is
PLOS Genetics is published by PLOS, a nonprofit publisher. Every article is open access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence, so readers need no subscription and reuse is permitted with attribution. The journal’s information page describes it as a venue for original research across genetics and genomics. It appears in search results under several names (PLOS Genetics, PLoS Genetics, PLOS Genetics journal); they are the same journal.
The archive-style pages that rank for this name, such as the PubMed Central journal page and the 2005 launch editorial, describe the journal’s history. They do not tell you the current fee, submission rules or indexing, which is what the sections below cover.
Who runs it and what it covers
The journal information page lists Aimee Dudley and Anne Goriely as Editors-in-Chief. Scope, as the journal states it:
- Original research on genetics and genomics, in any organism or model system.
- Interdisciplinary and translational work is encouraged.
- Topics named on the page include population genetics, human genetics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and single-cell genomics.
Methods articles follow an alternative structure, and a systematic review is submitted as a Research Article with a PRISMA checklist and flow diagram.
Is PLOS Genetics a reputable journal?
This page does not issue verdicts on journals. It reports what the journal states. The journal lists its indexing as Crossref, PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase and CAS, among others. It is published by a nonprofit publisher, is open access under CC BY, requires a data availability statement, and asks for a competing interests statement and CRediT author contributions. Confirm any indexing claim in each database’s own source list before relying on it.
PLOS Genetics impact factor and other metrics
The journal offers Article-Level Metrics, SJR, CiteScore and h-index. It says it does not consider the Impact Factor a reliable measure for individual articles, and provides it on request. No impact-factor figure is given here because the journal’s page does not state one; for a year-specific value (2025, 2026) use the journal’s own metrics or the indexer that issues the figure.
Publication fee (APC)
On the PLOS fees page (read 2026-11-07), the article processing charge for a PLOS Genetics Research Article is $3,165, payable on acceptance. PLOS states that fees are subject to change and are charged at the rates effective on your submission date, so check the PLOS fees page when you submit.
- Research4Life Group A countries, without external funding: no fee. Group B: reduced to $940 for PLOS Genetics.
- Publication Fee Assistance: apply at submission; PLOS gives a decision in about 10 business days.
- Institutional partnerships and funder support exist. The Community Action Publishing model does not apply to PLOS Genetics.
For the publisher-wide picture, see the Public Library of Science (PLOS) guide.
How to submit: steps from the submission guidelines
Submissions go through PLOS Genetics’ Editorial Manager site at editorialmanager.com/pgenetics, where the sign-in is found. The journal’s submission guidelines set out the following.
- Prepare the manuscript as DOC, DOCX, RTF or PDF (LaTeX as PDF). An initial submission can be a single PDF; revisions need separate files.
- Write an abstract of at most 300 words and a separate Author Summary of 150 to 200 words.
- Provide a separate cover letter.
- Include CRediT author contributions, a competing interests statement and a financial disclosure. The corresponding author needs an ORCID iD.
- Suggest at least four reviewers or editors.
- Add a data availability statement. All underlying data must be available without restriction, and “data not shown” is not accepted.
- Register clinical trials in a WHO or ICMJE-recognised registry.
- Decide on a preprint: they are encouraged and do not affect consideration, and bioRxiv posting can be opted into at submission.
For the role wording used in contribution statements, see the CRediT taxonomy overview.
Strengths and limits
| Point | What the journal’s pages state |
|---|---|
| Access and licence | Open access, CC BY, nonprofit publisher |
| Indexing | PubMed, PMC, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, CAS, Crossref and others |
| Data policy | Data availability statement required; underlying data available without restriction |
| Cost | $3,165 APC for a Research Article, with waiver and reduction routes |
| Metrics | Impact Factor available on request only; the journal does not consider it reliable for individual articles |
Alternatives within the PLOS family
| Journal | Focus | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| PLOS Genetics | Original genetics and genomics research in any organism | This page |
| PLOS Computational Biology | Computational methods, modelling and simulation applied to living systems, including a genomics, epigenomics and proteomics section | PLOS Computational Biology guide |
The fee differs by PLOS journal; confirm it on the PLOS fees page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most harmful gene mutation?
No single mutation holds that title, and a journal profile cannot rank them: harm depends on the gene, the variant, the organism and the context. For human variants, search PubMed for the specific gene, and ask a clinical geneticist about a specific result. This page is not medical advice.
What are the top 10 genomics companies?
That is a market question, not a question about this journal, and PLOS Genetics publishes research articles rather than company rankings. Industry rankings vary by year and criterion, so use a dated market report rather than a journal page.
What are some good research papers on genetics?
Browse the journal’s articles, or search PubMed with the journal abbreviation PLoS Genet combined with your topic. PubMed Central holds the full text of open access articles. Judge a paper by its methods, data availability statement and replication rather than by the journal name alone.
Is PLoS Genetics the same as PLOS Genetics?
Yes. The publisher is now styled PLOS, and the journal’s name is written PLOS Genetics; older records and the PubMed abbreviation still use the PLoS spelling.
Sources
- PLOS Genetics, Journal Information, read 2026-11-07.
- PLOS Genetics, Submission Guidelines, read 2026-11-07.
- PLOS, Publication Fees, read 2026-11-07.
