Journal profile · Genetics & Heredity
PLoS Genetics
ISSN 1553-7390 · eISSN 1553-7404 · Public Library of Science · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 2005
PLoS Genetics: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.84; fully open access; APC about USD 3,165; median 156 days to acceptance (108 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 58.33%; 406 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
PLoS Genetics is published by Public Library of Science and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics, DNA Repair Mechanisms and RNA Research and Splicing, together about 20.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Genetics and genomics research is evolving faster than ever. In the past two decades, advances in sequencing technologies, computational biology and integrative approaches have transformed the landscape of biological research. Today, these tools are applied across an extraordinary range of questions—from decoding the human genome to exploring microbial ecosystems, from understanding gene regulation to developing precision medicine. PLOS Genetics reflects this dynamic, interdisciplinary field by publishing outstanding original research that spans the full breadth of genetics and genomics. PLOS Genetics is more than a platform for publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research. We are a community-driven, Open Access and Open Science journal committed to advancing the field through rigorous standards of quality, ethics and scientific integrity. As a journal led by practicing scientists, we define key questions and set the standards for conducting and evaluating impactful evidence-based research. We welcome studies that deepen our understanding of biological principles and processes across all organisms and model systems, from microbes to humans. Interdisciplinary and translational research that bridges basic science and clinical or applied outcomes is especially encouraged. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Population genetics and evolution Human and medical genetics Functional genomics and gene regulation Computational, statistical and AI-driven genomics Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) Epigenetics and chromatin biology Developmental genetics Microbial, plant and host-microbe genomics Single-cell and spatial genomics Gene and genome editing Long-read sequencing and structural genomics Integrative multi-omics approaches Genomic medicine and precision health Non-coding genome function The sections in the journal are: Cancer Genetics, Cellular and Developmental Genetics, Epigenetics, Gene Expression and Regulation, Human Genetic Variation and Disease, Integrative Omics and Systems Biology, Methods, Microbial Genetics, Plant Genetics, Population and Evolutionary Genetics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Genetics & Heredity
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Genomics and Chromatin DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.4%
- DNA Repair MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.6%
- RNA Research and SplicingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.4%
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.9%
- Chromosomal and Genetic VariationsAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.6%
- Genetic Associations and EpidemiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Epigenetics and DNA MethylationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPMCEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, Dimensions, CNKI, AGRICOLA, Crossref
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.84LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.11LetPub ·
- h-index
- 194LetPub ·
- h-index
- 352OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,552OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.46OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 393LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 11,762 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 243 | 243 | 128 |
| 2025 | 406 | 406 | 1,422 |
| 2024 | 320 | 320 | 2,771 |
| 2023 | 424 | 424 | 6,648 |
| 2022 | 490 | 490 | 10,274 |
| 2021 | 584 | 584 | 18,857 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
156 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 119 days – 222 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (108 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 173 days
- Sample
- 108 articles with submission and acceptance dates (727 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 58.33%LetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 26 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 3,165 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 3,043 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 2,962 | Yes | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 4
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted2
- research articleIf you are submitting content other than a research article, read the guidelines for other article types.Length not stated
- systematic reviewA systematic review paper, as defined by The Cochrane Collaboration, is a review of a clearly formulated question that uses explicit, systematic methods to iden…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Preprints
- Authorship Consortia and group authorship
If a manuscript is submitted on behalf of a consortium or group, include its name in the manuscript byline. Do not add it to the author list in the submission system. You may include the full list of members in the Acknowledgments or in a supporting information file. PubMed only indexes individual consortium or group author members listed in the article byline. If included, these individuals must …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Financial Disclosure Statement
This information should describe sources of funding that have supported the work. If your manuscript is published, your statement will appear in the Funding section of the article. Include your statement in the Financial Disclosure section of the initial submission form. The statement should include: Specific grant numbers Initials of authors who received each award URLs to sponsors’ websites Also…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data availability policy requiring deposition of data in public repositories Model summary
All data and related metadata underlying the findings reported in a submitted manuscript should be deposited in an appropriate public repository, unless already provided as part of the submitted article.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions Model summary
Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright
Vancouver reference style Model summary
PLOS uses “Vancouver” style, as outlined in the ICMJE sample references.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
PLOS applies the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license to works we publish. Under this license, authors agree to make articles legally available for reuse, without permission or fees, for virtually any purpose. Anyone may copy, distribute, or reuse these articles, as long as the author and original source are properly cited. Learn more.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint policy allowing preprint posting without affecting consideration Model summary
PLOS encourages authors to post preprints to accelerate the dissemination of research and support authors who wish to share their work early and receive feedback before formal peer review. Deposition of manuscripts with preprint servers does not impact consideration of the manuscript at any PLOS journal. Authors posting on bioRxiv may submit direclty to PLOS journals through bioRxiv’s direct trans…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2005
- ISSN
- 1553-7390
- Electronic ISSN
- 1553-7404
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PLoS Genetics
What CAS zone is PLoS Genetics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, PLoS Genetics is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Genetics & Heredity; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of PLoS Genetics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.84; CiteScore 6.6, h-index 352.
How long does peer review take at PLoS Genetics?
Based on the dates recorded on 108 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 156 days (interquartile range 119–222 days); authors report an average review time of about 2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 58.33%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of PLoS Genetics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Vancouver; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required, 4; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index PLoS Genetics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, PLoS Genetics is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PMC, Embase, CAS and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is PLoS Genetics open access, and what is the APC?
PLoS Genetics is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,165.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .