Spotlight on PLoS

PLoS, or the Public Library of Science, was born in 2000 as the brainchild of Patrick Brown, Harold Varmus, and Michael Eisen. It originally took the form of an online open letter that was supported by tens of thousands of scientists from around the world. This radical idea gradually took the form of a full fledged and prestigious scientific publisher. It currently has a whopping seven journals, including: PLoS Biology, PLoS Medicine, PLoS ONE, PLoS Computational Biology, PLoS Pathogens, PLoS Genetics, and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

PLoS Medicine and PLoS Biology have reached the pinnacle of their respective subject areas, with ISI impact factors of 13.8 and 14.1 respectively. This profound success simply demonstrates that open access and prestige are anything but mutually exclusive. Overall, PLoS has published thousands of excellent papers that are made available for all interested.

The Public Library of Science is a 501(c) nonprofit organization that relies upon both publication fees and private donations to continue in its mission to throw open the locked doors that once hid scientific research. Recognizing its foundation upon the internet, PLoS encourages participation in the online community, including its very own blog. PLoS ONE, in fact, allows online users to rate and discuss content. In a way, PLoS is the American Revolution of 21st Century science, returning the power to the people in a uniquely noble manner.

Nathan