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PLoS Pathogens

Public Library of Science · United States · Est. 1919

ISSN1553-7374

SJR Q1✓ WOS SCIE✓ Scopus / SJR✓ DOAJ✓ Open Access

100

/ 100

High Trust

PubScope credibility score from verifiable indexing & ethics signals

Score Breakdown

◆ WoS flagship (SCIE/SSCI/AHCI)78

✓ Corroboration (4 more)+22

Total100

Level data: Norwegian Register (HK-dir), NLOD 2.0. · Third-party records · how this is calculated · Report an error →

⚡ Speed vs Prestige

How does this journal balance review speed with impact level?

weeks to publish · journal-reported

Slow · vs ~15 wk median

SJR Rank

Top 25% in field

Impact Factor & Quartile · Web of Science (JCR)

✓ Indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (SCIE) — Clarivate publishes an official Journal Impact Factor and JCR quartile for this journal.

See the official Impact Factor & quartile on the journal’s page ↗

The Impact Factor & JCR quartile are licensed by Clarivate — we link you to the official source instead of reprinting a number that can go out of date. Open metrics below: SCImago Q1. Source: Clarivate Journal Citation Reports.

SJR Scorei

1.932

H-Indexi

313

CiteScore

View ↗

Scopus metric · on the journal’s page

SNIPi

1.217

Total Worksi

12,498

Total Citationsi

863,585

2yr Mean Citednessi

4.45

Open Impact Factor alternative

Retractions

Source: Retraction Watch

Aims & Scope

PLOS Pathogens is an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science. It covers all areas of infectious disease, from basic research to clinical aspects. The journal aims to publish high-impact research that advances our understanding of pathogens and the diseases they cause. Topics include virology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, immunology, epidemiology, and public health. The journal also publishes research on host-pathogen interactions, microbial pathogenesis, and the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics.

General Information

Country / RegionUnited States

Primary LanguageEnglish

1st Year Published1919

FrequencyMonthly

StatusActive (last: 2026)

Total Publications12,498

Publisher OrgPublic Library of Science

OA Since2004

Visit Journal Website

Submission Info

Peer ReviewSingle-blind

Review Time~24 weeks

Acceptance Rate—

OA LicenseCC BY

OA Rate—

Ethics & Quality

COPE Member✗ No

OASPA Member✗ No

Not on Predatory Lists✓ Yes

Plagiarism Detection✓ Yes

Think.Check.Submit Compliance

thinkchecksubmit.org

9/12 · 75%

✅

Do you know the journal / publisher?

Public Library of Science

✅

Does the journal have a website?

✓ Linked

✅

Is the ISSN verified?

1553-7374

✅

Indexed in a trusted database?

WoS, Scopus, DOAJ, PubMed

✅

Peer review process documented?

Single-blind

❌

Follows ethical publishing standards (COPE)?

N/A

❌

APC fees clearly disclosed?

N/A

✅

Not on predatory/blacklists?

✓ Clean

❌

Long-term digital preservation?

N/A

✅

Plagiarism detection in place?

Yes

✅

Listed in DOAJ (verified OA)?

DOAJ verified

✅

Primary language documented?

English

Based on the Think.Check.Submit framework by DOAJ, COPE & OASPA. All data from verified open sources.

Publication & Citation Trend

Articles published

Citations received

558

29k

2019

728

34k

2020

838

31k

2021

656

17k

2022

656

11k

2023

702

6.7k

2024

770

2.6k

2025

400

156

2026

Source: OpenAlex · Each year’s green bar = citations earned by that year’s papers, counted to date — so recent years look lower simply because their papers haven’t had time to be cited yet.

SJR Quartile by Discipline

Scimago ranks this journal separately in each subject category — its quartile can differ by discipline.

Subject Classification

Web of Science Categories

MicrobiologyParasitologyVirology

Scopus Categories

ImmunologyGeneticsVirologyMicrobiologyParasitologyMolecular Biology

Research Topics (OpenAlex)

HIV Research and TreatmentImmune Cell Function and InteractionMosquito-borne diseases and controlCytomegalovirus and herpesvirus researchinterferon and immune responsesViral Infections and VectorsHerpesvirus Infections and TreatmentsViral gastroenteritis research and epidemiologyPlant Virus Research StudiesImmune Response and Inflammation

Frequently asked questions about PLoS Pathogens

Is PLoS Pathogens a predatory journal?

PubScope has no integrity flags on record for PLoS Pathogens: it is indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, DOAJ, and is not on DOAJ's withdrawn list. Its PubScope Trust Score is 100/100. Indexing is a transparency signal, not a guarantee — always confirm fit and policies before submitting.

What is the impact factor of PLoS Pathogens?

PLoS Pathogens is indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, so Clarivate publishes an official Journal Impact Factor for it (since the 2023 Journal Citation Reports, every Core Collection journal — including Arts & Humanities and Emerging Sources titles — receives one). PubScope links to Clarivate's official source rather than reprinting the number, which can be out of date. Its open 2-year mean citedness is 4.45.

Is PLoS Pathogens indexed in Scopus and Web of Science?

PLoS Pathogens is indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, DOAJ.