We are delighted to announce the publication of our article titled Cross-publisher agreement on the defining principles of plain language summaries of publications (PLSPs)1 and the launch of the accompanying Open Pharma PLSP Playbook.
Our focus at Open Pharma is to drive open and efficient access to scientific information for anyone who wants it, anywhere in the world. Scientific research has the greatest impact when people can find and understand it. One of the ways we hope to improve access to scientific information is to advocate for the publication of plain language content to ensure research findings are understandable and accessible.
“Clear standards can help PLSPs become more discoverable, consistent and widely adopted.”
Joanne Walker, Becaris Publishing
PLSPs are standalone summaries of research publications that use easy-to-understand text and visuals to translate the key messages from peer-reviewed research articles for non-specialist audiences.
“PLSPs are an important source of information for non-specialists to help them understand the latest scientific developments.”
Sophie Nobes, Oxford PharmaGenesis
Despite the increased publication of PLSPs, until now there has been no cross-publisher definition of what they are and how they should be produced or handled by journals and indexing services. This is important because a lack of standardization can make them hard to find in major research databases such as PubMed and EuropePMC. It can also create confusion between PLSPs and other types of plain language materials such as abstract-style PLS that sit within a manuscript, graphical summaries or lay summaries of clinical trial results.
“PLSPs have the potential to be a fantastic resource, but they risk being lost within the vast databases of scientific research. The research community could do so much more to help people find this information.”
Kelly Soldavin, Taylor & Francis Group
We have previously published recommendations to help standardize PLS of peer-reviewed medical journal publications2,3 and, recognizing the need for similar guidance for the publication of PLSPs, Open Pharma has worked with PLSP-producing publishers Taylor & Francis, Sage and Becaris Publishing to develop the first cross-publisher definition and principles for PLSPs.
“A shared definition of PLSPs is essential for making them easier to identify, index and trust.”
Rachel Jenkins, Taylor & Francis Group
Defining PLSPs
The definition of PLSPs according to the cross-publisher steering committee is:
a standalone summary of a peer-reviewed article written according to plain language principles and published in a peer-reviewed journal. PLSPs are designed to meet the needs of diverse audiences, including different groups of readers to those of the original article and those with limited time to find and digest scientific content.
As peer-reviewed standalone articles with a unique digital object identifier (DOI), PLSPs differ from other types of research summaries, such as text and graphical PLS published within or alongside a peer-reviewed article and lay summaries of clinical trial results developed for regulatory purposes.
Our recommendations are that PLSPs should include a summary, clear reference to the original article and a combination of text and graphics. Process principles for authors include:
- seeking support/permission from the rights holder of the original article
- including at least one author from the original article
- following journal/publisher guidelines and policies.
Publishers should:
- ensure the PLSP is peer reviewed
- publish the PLSP as a standalone article with a unique DOI
- ensure PLSPs are published open access.
The full manuscript includes more detailed recommendations for authors and publishers, and we have also produced a handy checklist of content and process principles.
We are also pleased to announce the launch of the PSLP Playbook – a practical resource for authors, publishers and funders.
“PLSPs are peer-reviewed articles designed to make published research more understandable”
Hamish McDougall, Sage
The aim of the site is to translate the PLSP guidance principles into workflow and policy actions. The microsite includes links to the PLSP guidance manuscript, and additional resources including letter templates and links to existing external resources.4
“We hope these recommendations give authors and publishers a practical foundation to help them develop and publish PLSPs. Ultimately, we hope that they support our broader goal to make scientific research easier for more people to understand and use.”
Laura Dormer, Becaris Publishing
These recommendations represent a shared commitment from publishers, research and publication professionals to make scientific research easier to find, understand and use.
What next?
This shared understanding is an important first step, but meaningful change will require action across the research system. It requires indexing services to formally recognize PLSPs as a valid article type. It requires publication professionals to recognize PLSPs as acceptable secondary publications. It requires publishers to offer PLSPs as an article type and publish them, consistently.
Whether you are an author, publisher, publication professional, funder or indexing service, we invite you to use the guidance, explore the PLSP Playbook and join us in making scientific research more accessible to everyone.
“These recommendations offer a practical foundation for making trusted scientific evidence easier to find and understand.”
Vicky Sanders, Oxford PharmaGenesis
Don’t have time to read the full article? Take a look at our summary infographic.
References
- Nobes S, Soldavin K, Jenkins R et al. Cross-publisher agreement on the defining principles of plain language summaries of publications (PLSPs). Curr Med Res Opin 2026:1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2026.2700975.
- Rosenberg A, Baróniková S, Feighery L et al. Infographic: Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications. Curr Med Res Opin 2022;38:881–2. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2022.2072570,
- Rosenberg A, Baróniková S, Feighery L et al. Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications. Curr Med Res Opin 2021;37:2015–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2021.1971185.
- Envision the Patient. PLS of Publications Toolkit. 2026. [cited 24 June 2026]. Available from: https://www.envisionthepatient.com/our-toolkit.
The views expressed in this blog post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Open Pharma or its Members and Supporters.
Sophie Nobes is a Communications Consultant at Oxford PharmaGenesis, where she co-leads the Open Pharma patient involvement working group.
