How to write and publish a Plain Language Summary
A Plain Language Summary (also referred to as a lay summary in some subject areas) communicates the significance of scholarly and scientific research evidence to wide audiences in clear, jargon-free language. The audiences include, but are not limited to, practitioners, policy makers, the public, and/or professionals in nearby disciplines.
Plain Language Summaries (PLS) can describe original research, review articles, case reports, clinical trials, and conference/congress abstracts, among other scientific publications. As with journal abstracts, all PLS are freely available to read at Taylor & Francis Online.
Taylor & Francis encourages publication of PLS, but submission is not mandatory and not all journals offer PLS. If you would like to determine whether a journal offers PLS, you can:
View the journal lists in the Plain Language Summaries in different subject areas
Check the journal’s Instructions for Authors
Reach out to the journal’s editorial contact
Continue reading to learn why you should create a PLS, the different types of PLS published by Taylor & Francis journals, and how to write and develop your PLS.
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