PLOS (for Public Library of Science; PLoS until 2012 ) is a nonprofit open-access science, technology, and medicine publisher with a library of open-access journals and other scientific literature under an open-content license. It launched its first journal, PLOS Biology, in October 2003 and (as of October 2015[update]) publishes seven journals. The organization is based in San Francisco, California, and has a European editorial office in Cambridge, Great Britain. The publications are primarily funded by payments from the authors.
Authorship remains the primary currency of academic credit and a cornerstone of research integrity, yet current practices often fail to reflect the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of modern science and questionable authorship practices persist. We argue that addressing these shortcomings is a collective responsibility shared by researchers, journals, research funders, scholarly societies, and research institutions. We examined authorship guidelines issued by journals and research institutions and found that their recommendations to researchers are highly variable. We propose that fostering a responsible authorship culture requires a shared, principle-based framework grounded in transparency, credit, and accountability. These three interconnected principles highlight when authorship practices are questionable and offer a framework for constructive reflection on the meaning of authorship. We outline practical ways research leaders can embed these principles into everyday practice by initiating early, inclusive, and fair authorship discussions and ensuring transparent description of contributions. Research institutions have a unique opportunity to inculcate good practices and lead this culture change with harmonized guidance, education, fair conflict resolution, and reform of researcher assessment. Anchoring authorship in transparency, credit, and accountability will strengthen the credibility of individual research, the fairness of recognition systems, and, ultimately, the trustworthiness of science itself.
Immunometabolism describes more than just metabolic shifts in immune cells. A new collection of articles shines a light on the many facets of immunometabolism, exploring the effects of molecular, cellular, and systemic metabolic mechanisms in health and disease.
Research into neurodegeneration is often confined to a single disease, cell type or mechanism. A new collection of articles explores neurodegeneration within its physiological context, looking beyond diseased neurons to the surrounding tissue microenvironment.
Despite recent progress in clinical research into Women's Health, basic research is still lagging behind. Until we understand the fundamental physiology of women across the life span, we cannot expect to bring about meaningful change.
Despite affecting 190 million women worldwide, endometriosis remains underdiagnosed, under-researched, and underfunded. Tackling awareness gaps, diagnostic delays, and inadequate treatment requires earlier education, increased funding, and recognition of endometriosis as a systemic disease-redefining pain, equity, and investment in women's health.
