Preparing your manuscript
Plain Language Summaries
In recent years, there have been calls to make scholarly articles more accessible to non-specialist audiences. Research has always helped shape the public realm, empowering people across all sectors of society to make informed decisions. Academic or topic-specific jargon can hinder the general understanding and impact of such publications, which is where Plain Language Summaries (PLS), Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSPs) or Plain Language Reviews (PLRs) can be very helpful.
Plain Language Summaries (PLS)
Plain Language Summaries (PLS) are extensions to the academic abstract of a scholarly article. They provide a clear summary of the article using non-technical language, making it accessible to a wider network of readers.
Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSPs)
PLSPs are standalone, peer-reviewed articles that explain the key findings of a previously published article in clear, non-technical language. They make research accessible to patients, carers, healthcare professionals and the public.
For full requirements, a content template and a submission checklist, please read the PLSP Guidelines for Authors before submitting. See an example of a published PLSP. For questions or pre-submission enquiries, contact the Publishing Solutions team at ([email protected]).
- PLSPs are an Acceptable Secondary Publication under the ICMJE recommendations.
- A PLSP can summarise any published article, including articles published in other journals or by other publishers.
- Each PLSP has its own DOI, so it can be indexed, cited and discovered.
- PLSPs are published open access under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) licence.
- At least one author of the original article must be an author of the PLSP. All authors must meet Sage’s authorship criteria.
- PLSPs should normally be submitted within two years of the original article’s online publication. If you would like to summarise an older article, please contact us first.
- If the original article was not published by Sage, you need written permission from its corresponding or lead author and from its publisher before you submit. We can help with this.
- The Journal of Medicine Access
- Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease
- Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease
- Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety
- Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology
- Therapeutic Advances in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Therapeutic Advances in Hematology
- Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease
- Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology
- Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease
- Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders
- Therapeutic Advances in Ophthalmology
- Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
- Therapeutic Advances in Rare Disease
- Therapeutic Advances in Reproductive Health
- Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease
- Therapeutic Advances in Urology
- Therapeutic Advances in Vaccines and Immunotherapy
- Women’s Health
If you would like to publish a PLSP in a journal not on this list, please contact us.
Everything else you need, including the suggested structure, figure requirements and a submission checklist, is in the PLSP Guidelines for Authors.
- The title should include the words “plain language summary of publication”.
- We recommend a summary of under 350 words and a total length of about 3,000 words or fewer.
- A PLSP should reflect the original article accurately, without adding new interpretation.
- Follow current best publication practice, including Good Publication Practice (GPP) 2022 and the ICMJE recommendations.
- Figures must be supplied as editable vector files (.eps or .ai) so our designer can adapt them.
- We recommend the Envision the Patient PLS of Publications Toolkit when developing a PLSP.
- Submit through the journal’s submission system and select PLSP as the article type.
- Include a copy of the original article and a clear link to it.
- Every PLSP is peer reviewed by both scientific and patient reviewers.
The Article Processing Charge (APC) for a PLSP is USD 5,500, regardless of journal.
To increase the reach and speed of your PLSP, you can add:
- Video abstracts: a short video presenting the key messages of your PLSP.
- Translations: your PLSP translated into additional languages for international readers.
- Accelerated Review and Publication Service (ARPS): a faster route through review and publication.
Plain Language Reviews (PLRs)
Plain Language Reviews (PLRs) are peer-reviewed, primary review articles that explain the current evidence on a medical or health topic in clear, non-technical language. They combine the rigour of a scholarly review with the accessibility of plain language, so that people without specialist knowledge can understand what is known about a topic and why it matters.
PLRs can be submitted to the same journals that accept PLSPs. See the list under “Journals that accept PLSPs” above.
If you would like to publish a PLR in a journal not on this list, please contact us.
- Submit through the journal’s submission system and select “Plain Language Review” as the article type. A Word document is preferred.
- Submit the text and each figure as separate, editable files. Sage produces the final layout and design.
- Include up to six keywords, including “plain language review”.
- We welcome pre-submission enquiries. Please contact the Publishing Solutions team at [email protected].
- Figures and infographics are strongly encouraged, and there is no limit on the number you can include.
- Supply them as editable vector files (.eps or .ai) in portrait orientation, so our designer can adapt them.
- Keep graphics simple, use limited colours that work for readers with colour vision deficiency, and keep body text black.
- Write figure captions in plain language.
- If you reuse figures, tables or images from published sources, obtain permission from the copyright holder before you submit.
- The title should be clear, free of jargon and abbreviations, and include the words “a plain language review”.
- Include a plain language abstract explaining what the topic is, why it matters, what the review covers and the main take-home messages.
- We recommend a length of up to 3,000 words, excluding the abstract, references and declarations.
- There is no fixed structure: choose the one that best suits what your review reports. A good starting point is to follow the questions readers are likely to ask, for example: What is [topic], and who does it affect? How is it managed today? What does the research tell us? How sure can we be? What is still unknown? What does this mean for patients, carers and professionals? Adapt, add or drop questions as needed.
- Short supporting sections help readers, such as “Who is this review for?”, a glossary, a “How to say it…” pronunciation guide and “Where can readers find out more?”.
- Write for an interested non-expert: use short sentences, active voice, everyday words and person-first language, and explain any technical term when it is first used.
- Present numbers simply, using whole numbers, percentages or natural frequencies (for example, “3 in 10 people”).
- Present the evidence in a balanced way, including what is still uncertain. Avoid promotional or speculative statements.
- Use current, credible references, prioritising guidelines, consensus statements, systematic reviews and major trials.
PLRs are written for readers who may have no specialist knowledge of the topic, including:
- Patients, carers and patient advocacy groups
- Members of the public with an interest in health or medicine
- Non-specialist healthcare professionals and researchers from other fields
- Policymakers, journalists and educators
- A PLR is a primary publication. It reviews the evidence on a topic from across the literature, rather than summarising one existing article as a PLSP does.
- PLRs include at least 20 scholarly references.
- Each PLR has its own DOI, so it can be indexed, cited and discovered.
- PLRs are published open access under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial, so they are free for everyone to read.
- PLRs are visually enhanced articles. Our specialist designer adapts all figures and lays out the final article to meet WCAG AAA accessibility standards.
