PLOS · Multidisciplinary

PLOS ONE: acceptance rate, review time, and how to prepare

PLOS lists PLOS ONE's 2025 acceptance rate as 26%, with a median of 32 days to a first decision and 209 days to publication, and 18,300 articles published. The journal's own timings table shows the rate falling from 48.2% to 30.74% across submission cohorts from early 2020 to mid-2023. Every figure below is quoted from PLOS's metrics page and the journal's information and submission pages, captured 2026-11-14.

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Sources: 3 journal and publisher pages · Scimago 2024
26%
Acceptance rate, 2025
average percentage
32 d
Time to first decision, 2025
median
209 d
Time to publication, 2025
median
18,300
Articles published, 2025
Acceptance rate

What is PLOS ONE’s acceptance rate?

PLOS publishes two sets of figures for PLOS ONE. Its metrics page gives one acceptance rate for 2025, which it describes as an average percentage. The journal's own information page prints a timings table by half-year submission cohort, with the acceptance rate and the share of submissions desk-rejected without peer review; the journal notes that cohort acceptance rates are only available with a delay, and the latest cohort printed is January–June 2023.

What is reportedFigurePeriodSource
Acceptance rate26%2025PLOS: Publication metrics (all metrics for 2025)
Acceptance rate, submission cohort30.74%Jan–Jun 2023PLOS ONE: Journal Information (Journal Timings table)
Desk rejections without peer review30.82%Jan–Jun 2023PLOS ONE: Journal Information (Journal Timings table)
Articles published18,3002025PLOS: Publication metrics (all metrics for 2025)
Timelines

How long does PLOS ONE take to reach a decision?

As published by the journal or its publisher. Nothing here is estimated.

For 2025 PLOS reports medians of 32 days to a first decision and 209 days to publication. The journal's timings table breaks the process into stages for each submission cohort; all times are median days.

What is reportedFigurePeriodSource
Time to first decision, median32 days2025PLOS: Publication metrics (all metrics for 2025)
Time to publication, median209 days2025PLOS: Publication metrics (all metrics for 2025)
PLOS ONE Journal Timings, as printed on the journal's information page (median days, by submission cohort)
MeasureJan–Jun 2020Jul–Dec 2020Jan–Jun 2021Jul–Dec 2021Jan–Jun 2022Jul–Dec 2022Jan–Jun 2023
Time to first editorial decision (rejection or peer review)12161215172217
Time to first decision44474853625645
Time to final decision (rejection or acceptance)83849010511811787
Time to acceptance144149157170196200188
Time to publication169162170177205215204
Time from acceptance to publication1311109101010
Desk rejections without peer review23.0%22.8%21.50%21.40%22.90%22.08%30.82%
Acceptance rate48.2%49.0%49.9%47.9%41.36%37.26%30.74%
All times are in days and are median numbers. Acceptance rates are calculated from submission cohorts and are therefore only available with delay.
Trend

How has it changed?

48.2% → 30.74%
Acceptance rate, Jan–Jun 2020 to Jan–Jun 2023 cohorts
23.0% → 30.82%
Desk rejections without peer review, same cohorts
44 → 45 d
Median days to a first decision, same cohorts
peak 62 d, Jan–Jun 2022
Rejection

What gets papers rejected at PLOS ONE?

PLOS ONE publishes its desk-rejection share and its criteria for publication; it does not itemize reasons for rejection. This is the general evidence, cited.
statistics #1

In a content analysis of 151 medical-education manuscripts, the top reasons for rejection were inappropriate or incomplete statistics, overinterpretation of results, and inappropriate or suboptimal instrumentation. [12][14]

44–76%

Lack of new or useful knowledge was the most common reason for rejection at AJR, accounting for 44–76% of rejections in every country. [3]

2.58 of 9

BMJ reviewers found an average of 2.58 of nine major errors deliberately inserted into a test paper; training raised this only to about 3. [18]

Before you submit

What PLOS ONE requires.

From the journal's author pages, captured 2026-11-14. Instructions change; verify on the journal's page before submitting.
Research article requirements
  • Any length: no restrictions on word count, number of figures, or amount of supporting information
  • Abstract of no more than 300 words, without citations
  • Full title up to 250 characters; short title up to 100 characters
  • References in Vancouver style, as outlined by the ICMJE
  • Data underlying the findings deposited in a public repository unless provided in the article, with a Data Availability Statement
  • Clinical trials registered in a registry approved by the WHO or ICMJE; registry name and registration number in the abstract
Reporting guidelines the journal names
  • CONSORT for randomized controlled trials: completed checklist as supporting information, the flow diagram as Fig 1, and the trial protocol
  • TREND for non-randomized trials
  • STROBE for observational studies
  • STARD for studies of diagnostic accuracy
  • PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: completed checklist and flow diagram
  • Other health-related research: the applicable guideline on the EQUATOR site
Cover letter: Uploaded as a separate file; the length limit is 1 page.

Does PLOS ONE have a word limit?

PLOS ONE sets no word limit on the manuscript. These are the limits its submission guidelines do print. Captured 2026-11-14.
ElementLimit
ManuscriptAny length; no restrictions on word count, number of figures, or amount of supporting information
Abstract300 words maximum
Full title250 characters
Short title100 characters
Cover letter1 page
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Sources

Where every number on this page comes from.

  1. PLOS: Publication metrics (all metrics for 2025). plos.org/metrics/ (captured 2026-11-14).
  2. PLOS ONE: Journal Information (Journal Timings table). journals.plos.org/plosone/s/journal-information (captured 2026-11-14).
  3. PLOS ONE: Submission Guidelines. journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines (captured 2026-11-14).
  4. Scimago Journal Rank, 2024 edition: SJR 0.803, Q1, H-index 467, ISSN 19326203.

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