Sage Journals Information

A PLSP is a standalone, peer-reviewed article that explains the key messages and findings of a previously published article in clear, non-technical language.

• 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 and are free for everyone to read.

• Authorship: at least one author of the original publication must be an author of the PLSP. All authors must meet Sage's authorship criteria, and patient co-authors are welcome where they meet them ( patientauthorship.com is a useful guide).
• Timeliness: PLSPs should normally be submitted within two years of the original article's online publication. Older research can still be relevant, for example a landmark study or work in a rare disease. If you would like to summarise an older article, please contact us before submitting.
• Permissions: If the original article was not published by Sage, you need written permission from the corresponding or lead author and from the original publisher before you submit. Submissions without the required permissions cannot go to peer review. We can help with these discussions.
• Please also confirm that the corresponding author of the original article knows about and agrees to the PLSP.

• Write for readers with little or no specialist knowledge. Explain technical terms where you need them and focus on the key messages.
• Reflect the original article accurately. Do not add interpretation, speculation or claims that the original does not support.
• Title: include the words "plain language summary of publication" and make clear that the article summarises a primary publication.
• Summary: we encourage under 350 words (excluding glossary, pronunciation guide and keywords).
• Length: about 3,000 words or fewer, excluding text in figures. This is a guide, not a strict limit.
• Structure: we suggest these sections, where relevant: Why was this research needed? What did the researchers want to find out? How was the research carried out? What did the researchers find? What do the findings mean? What are the limitations? What does this mean for patients, healthcare professionals or the public?
• Include a clear link to the original publication and to other reliable resources where readers can find out more.
• Figures and design: see the PLSP Guidelines for Authors for figure requirements and the style template.

Sage recommends that authors use the cross-publisher principles for PLSPs, the Envision the Patient guide and the other recommended resources when developing a PLSP. The full list is in the Key resources section of the PLSP Guidelines for Authors.

• We welcome pre-submission enquiries if you would like to discuss a publication or approach: [email protected].
• Submit through the journal's usual submission system and select PLSP as the article type. A Word document is preferred.
• Include a copy of the original publication and a clear link to it.
• Add up to six keywords, including "plain language summary" and "lay summary".
• Peer review: every PLSP is reviewed by both scientific and patient reviewers, following the journal's standard peer-review process.

The Journal of Medicine Access
Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease
Sage Open 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

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• All authors must meet Sage’s authorship criteria and follow Good Publication Practice (GPP) 2022. Professional medical writers should be named in the Acknowledgements.
• We welcome patient co-authors who meet the authorship criteria.
• Every PLR is peer reviewed by both scientific reviewers, who check accuracy and balance, and patient or public reviewers, who check clarity and usefulness for a non-specialist audience.
• The Article Processing Charge (APC) for a PLR is USD 5,500.
• Optional add-on services, such as video abstracts, translations and accelerated review, are available for an additional fee.

• 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].