Aperta User Guide for Authors

Signing In

You must have a PLOS account to access Aperta. You only need one account to access all of your manuscripts in Aperta, whether you are an author, reviewer, or Editorial Board member.

If you have previously used a PLOS account to comment on published articles on the PLOS journal websites or to sign up for eTOC alerts, you will use the same credentials to access Aperta. You may also have a PLOS account if you have served as an Editorial Board Member.

Go to the Aperta homepage and click Sign in with PLOS.

Enter your credentials on the PLOS sign-in screen to access the system. If you need to recover your password, click the Forgot your password link to have reset instructions emailed to you. 

Your Aperta Profile

Your Profile in Aperta displays your account information. To access your Profile, click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of your screen and select Profile in the dropdown menu.

The Profile includes a button to connect or create an ORCID iD. This opens a popup window where you can enter your ORCID information or register for a new ORCID iD.

PLOS requires that all corresponding authors provide an ORCID iD when submitting a manuscript, and we encourage everyone participating in the peer review process to have one. Learn more about ORCID at PLOS. For more information about how to set up your ORCID iD in Aperta, watch this short video. 

Creating Your Initial Submission

To create an initial submission, start on the Your Manuscripts page. Click the green Create New Submission button to begin the submission process.

Your first task is to enter basic information and upload your manuscript file. Green check marks indicate you have filled in each field. 

The following information is required:

• Title
• Select the journal from the dropdown menu
• Select the article type
• Upload your manuscript document

After completing the information on the create submission screen, you will be brought to a new page and the next step of the submission process. The text of your manuscript file will load on the left side of the screen (this may take a few seconds). On your right are a few submission cards where you will provide additional information and files. 

You can adjust the width of the manuscript or the cards by clicking and dragging the divider between the two sides. If you experience any issues with the manuscript view, click the Downloads button to access and check the original file.

Click a card title to expand the contents and enter the requested information. When you are done, complete the task by clicking I am done with this task at the top of the card. This will add a green check mark next to the card name.

If you need to make changes to the card before sending your submission to the journal, click the Make changes button.

For the initial submission, you will need to complete the following cards. Once all submission cards are complete, you will be able to submit your manuscript to the journal office.  

• Title and Abstract
• Cover letter (Read the submission guidelines for formatting details)
• Figures
• Supporting Information
• Additional Information

When you have completed all of the cards, a green Submit button will appear at the top of the card list. Click Submit to complete the submission of your manuscript to the journal office for evaluation.

You will receive an automated confirmation email when your manuscript is submitted. If you do not receive an email, please double-check that all cards have been completed and that you have clicked Submit.

Title and Abstract

Open the Title and Abstract card to verify that your title exactly matches the title in your manuscript file. Use the text box to make any changes. If you need to change the title in your manuscript file, upload a new version of the file and then update the text box accordingly.

You will also need to enter your abstract on the Title and Abstract card. The abstract should exactly match the abstract in your manuscript file. If you need to make changes to your abstract, upload a new version of your manuscript file and then update the abstract text box accordingly.

 

Figures

For detailed instructions about preparing your figure files for submission, please consult the figure guidelines. You may also use a tool called PACE to prepare and review your figures for submission.

If you are submitting a manuscript in Word format, upload figures separately to the Figures card. Do not embed them as images in the manuscript.

If you are submitting a PDF for initial assessment, you can embed your figures directly in the manuscript or upload them to the Figures card. If you are uploading figures to the card, the system will not generate a preview of the figure files in the manuscript body. However, you can download a PDF copy of the submission, which includes the figures appended at the end.

If you are invited to send us a full submission, you will need to add all figures to the Figures card. Follow the detailed instructions below to upload your figures to the card.

Add each new figure by clicking the Add New Figures button or by dragging and dropping your files. If the file is successfully uploaded, you will see a preview of the image on the card.

Figure labels (e.g., Fig 1) are generated from file names and will automatically insert your figures in the corresponding place in the body of the manuscript.

You can also add multiple figure files at once, but double-check your file names before uploading to make sure the system can register the correct order.

• Edit an uploaded figure: Click the pencil icon.
• Delete a figure: Click the trash icon.

• Re-order figures: Click the pencil icon, and change the figure number. The figure will automatically slide into its new position on the card. 

• Replace an uploaded figure: Click the replace link next to the file name.

Tables

Place each table in your manuscript file directly after the paragraph in which it is first cited (read order). Do not embed your tables as images or submit them in separate files.

Equations

Use MathType for display and inline equations, as it will provide the most reliable outcome. Please do not embed equations as images. Read the Submission Guidelines for further information about formatting equations.

Supporting Information

To provide supporting information files with your submission, (1) upload the files to the Supporting Information card and (2) include a caption for each item at the end of your manuscript. 

Upload files

Click Add Files on the Supporting Information card to begin uploading files. You can also drag and drop your files to the card. 

After you upload, an error message will prompt you to enter a number label and category for each file. 

• Number label: Number your files beginning with S1 and then increase sequentially (e.g., S1, S2, S3, etc.). If you have files in multiple categories, start at S1 within each category (e.g., if you upload a text file and a table, both files will be numbered S1 because they are in different categories). 
• Category: Choose from table, data, text, figure, or other (please specify).

By default, all supporting information files will be published with the manuscript if it is accepted. For any uploaded file that is not meant to be published (such as an ethical approval document), you need to uncheck the “For publication” box. 

Once you have entered the relevant details for the file, click Save. 

When you are finished uploading files, mark the card task as done.

Insert captions

Insert the captions for your supporting information files at the end of your manuscript, after the reference list. Captions should include the following information:

• Number label (required)
• Category (required)
• Title (strongly recommended)
• Legend (optional)

In-text citations

We recommend that you cite supporting information in the manuscript text, but this is not a requirement. If you cite supporting information in the text, citations do not need to be in numerical order. Place in-text citations within parentheses and include the “S” prefix, number label, and category. For example: (S1 Text). 

Striking Images

Use the Supporting Information card to nominate a striking image: 

• Upload your image file

• Enter XX for the number label.  
• Select Other as the file category and enter Striking Image when prompted
• Uncheck the publication box

Additional Information

The Additional Information card contains quick questions about your submission for the journal to reference:

Dual publication	Read our policy on dual publication​.
Related submissions	Read our policy on related submissions.
Previous interactions with PLOS	Indicate any previous interactions here by checking the appropriate box. If you have received any prior correspondence regarding this submission, please enter the name of the staff editor who handled your inquiry, along with the reference code for the correspondence. If a previous version was submitted via Aperta or Editorial Manager, please include the manuscript tracking number.
PLOS Collections	If you are submitting to a PLOS Collection, enter the title here and also include it in your cover letter. Read more about PLOS Collections.
Short title	Read our guidelines for titles.

Submissions Selected for Peer Review

If your manuscript is selected for peer review, you will receive an email requesting additional information for the peer review process. Follow the link in your email or click the manuscript title in Your Manuscripts to view your submission. Your additional tasks will appear in the card list along with the information you have already entered.

For the peer review process, you will need to complete the following cards. Once all cards have been completed, a green Submit button will appear at the top of the card list. Click the button to complete your submission and send it to the journal office. 

• Authors
• Reviewer Candidates
• Competing Interests (read our competing interests requirements)
• Financial Disclosure (read the financial disclosure requirements)
• Ethics Statement (read the ethics statement requirements)
• Data Availability (read the data availability requirements)
• Early Version (read about early versions)
• Billing (your billing information will not be seen by the journal’s editorial staff)

Author and Coauthor Information

Add each author by clicking Add a New Author. You can add an individual author or a group author. Make sure the authors are listed in the correct publication order.

Information required for each individual author

Full name	Match each full name given in the Authors card with the full name given in the manuscript.
Affiliation	Enter only the preferred or primary affiliation for each author on the card. If an author has multiple affiliations, enter the full list of affiliations on the manuscript title page.
Author initials	Enter initials for each author on the Authors card. Ensure that the initials match the author’s name in full, as written on the title page of the manuscript, and that each set of author initials is unique. The initials should use the format of first name initial, middle initial(s) if applicable, and surname initial. In order to distinguish between authors that have the same initials, use middle initials or the second letter of the last name.
Email address	Provide an active email address where the author can be contacted. When you submit the manuscript, an email will be sent to the author at this address to confirm authorship.
Author contributions	Provide at minimum one contribution for each author. PLOS uses the CRediT Taxonomy to describe author contributions. Read the policy and full list of roles.
U.S. Government affiliation status	Provide if applicable.

Reordering the author list

To change the order after adding an author, hover over the author’s name on the card and click and drag it to the desired position.

Entering group authors

To add a group author, (e.g., for a Consortium) click Add a New Author and choose the group author option. Then enter the requested information for the group. Remember to also include the name on the manuscript title page.

If the manuscript is accepted for publication, the name will display as shown on the Authors card. If the full member list is too long to add to the Acknowledgments, add a supporting information file with the list to the Supporting Information card and check For publication.

Corresponding author

The submitting author is automatically designated the corresponding author in Aperta upon submission. You can only designate one corresponding author on the submission during editorial consideration. 

Note: We do not restrict the number of corresponding authors that may be listed on the article in the event of publication. Whoever is designated as a corresponding author on the title page of the manuscript file will be listed as such upon publication.

Each author entry has a tick box that allows you to designate a corresponding author on the published manuscript. Checking this box will not change the corresponding author during editorial consideration.

Responding to Journal Requests

After receiving your submission with the additional information requested for the peer review process, the journal will conduct internal technical checks and may request changes or missing information. You will receive an email notifying you of any changes that you will need to make. 

To view the request, follow the link in your email or click the manuscript title on the Your Manuscripts page. The changes that you need to make will be detailed on a Changes for Author card.

You will make all required changes on the original submission cards. To edit a card or to upload a new version of your manuscript, you will need to click the Make changes to this task button on the appropriate card, enter your changes, and then complete the task by clicking I am done with this task.

When you are ready to resubmit, click I am done with this task on the Changes for Author card. Then click the Submit button at the top of the card list.

LaTeX Submissions

If you are submitting a manuscript in LaTeX, upload a review version in PDF. You can choose whether to provide your LaTeX source file along with the PDF version for the initial submission. If your manuscript receives a revise decision, you will be asked to provide the LaTeX source file during the revision process.

Submitting Other Article Types

If you are submitting to the magazine section, choose the article type from the dropdown menu when you create your new submission.

Submitting Revisions

If you are asked to revise your manuscript after peer review, upload the revised version of your manuscript file to the Upload Manuscript card. 

Use the Response to Reviewers card to upload a marked-up copy of your revised manuscript file showing the changes you have made since the previous submission. Then type or upload a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments. You can also access the current decision and any prior decision letters on this card.

To complete the revision process:

• Make changes to other submission cards (if required). If you need to make changes to any information on the submission cards, edit the relevant details and then click the button on each card to mark it as completed. 
• Include an Author Summary in your manuscript file. The Author Summary is a non-technical summary of your work. Include the Author Summary in your manuscript file after the Abstract and before the Introduction. Read more about the Author Summary.
• Upload a Blurb. The Blurb is a brief statement about your work. Upload the Blurb as a separate file on the Supporting Information card. Check the box on the card to exclude it from publication. Read more about the Blurb.
• Click Submit at the top of the card list to send the revised submission back to the journal office. 

Manuscript Versioning

You can compare two versions of a DOC or DOCX manuscript file by using the Versions tool in the navigation bar. You can also compare information entered on the submission cards.

Note that the versioning tool cannot be used to compare PDF to DOC/DOCX submissions. Also, if the previous manuscript was submitted as a PDF, figures and supporting information files will not be comparable on the Figures and Supporting Information cards. To view and compare these items, click the Downloads button to access the previous PDF.

Now Viewing refers to the current version of the manuscript or submission card

• Compare With refers to the older version of the manuscript or submission card that you are comparing against the current version

The versions window will highlight all deleted text in red highlights and all new text in green. Click X to return to the current submission.

Withdrawing a Manuscript

Only the submitting author can withdraw a manuscript. To withdraw a manuscript, open the Manuscript Page and click the More button in the navigation bar in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Then click Withdraw Manuscript. Please provide a reason for withdrawing.