What citation style does PLOS ONE require?

PLOS ONE uses APA 7. Used in psychology, education, and most social sciences. 7th edition published 2020.

Is there a specific PLOS ONE citation style file?

Yes — the Citation Style Language repository includes a dedicated style for PLOS ONE. DEEPNOTIS ships all 2,800+ CSL styles, so formatting your bibliography in PLOS ONE's exact style is a one-click switch.

Where can I find PLOS ONE's full submission guidelines?

Public Library of Science maintains the author guidelines. Reference formatting is just one part — check the journal's submission portal for manuscript structure, word limits, and figure requirements before submitting.

Citation examples›Journal · PLOS ONE

How to cite a paper in PLOS ONE

Peer-reviewed open-access megajournal.

Quick answer

PLOS ONE uses the APA 7 citation style. Format every reference in your bibliography accordingly, and include DOIs for every source that has one.

Journal details

ISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Field: Multidisciplinary sciences
Citation style: APA 7

Example reference

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: A reinterpretation. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4

Submit to PLOS ONE? Format every reference in one click.

Upload your manuscript. DEEPNOTIS reformats your bibliography in PLOS ONE's exact style, verifies DOIs, and exports a clean .docx.

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