Immersive virtual reality simulation for undergraduate nursing students: Enhancing mental health care for migrants - A mixed method study protocol

Geneveave Barbo; Donald Leidl; Marjorie Montreuil; Hua Li; Solina Richter; Pammla Petrucka

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0333434

Peer Review History

Original SubmissionMarch 19, 2025
7 Jul 2025 Decision Letter - Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, Editor PONE-D-25-14620 Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation for Undergraduate Nursing Students: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Migrants - A Mixed Method Study Protocol PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Barbo, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Aug 21 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols. Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols. We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, RN, M.Sc.,M.N.Sc Academic Editor PLOS ONE Journal requirements: When submitting your revision, we need you to address these additional requirements. 1. Please ensure that your manuscript meets PLOS ONE's style requirements, including those for file naming. The PLOS ONE style templates can be found at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/file?id=wjVg/PLOSOne_formatting_sample_main_body.pdf and https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/file?id=ba62/PLOSOne_formatting_sample_title_authors_affiliations.pdf Additional Editor Comments: Dear Authors, Thank you for submitting your manuscript, "Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation for Undergraduate Nursing Students: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Migrants - A Mixed Method Study Protocol," to Plos One. While we appreciate the innovative approach of utilizing immersive virtual reality (IVR) to address a critical gap in nursing education, particularly in the context of migrant mental health care, we have identified some areas that require further attention before the manuscript can be considered for publication. Specifically, we require greater detail on the development procedure of the IVR intervention. A more thorough description of the design and creation process is needed, to include specific scenarios and content, the theoretical basis for the simulation design, technical aspects, and insights from pilot testing and refinement processes. In addition, while the manuscript mentions that an integrative review will inform the simulation design, it requires a more robust explanation of how these findings translate into specific elements of the IVR experience. Moreover, we encourage you to consider reviewers points carefully and revise your manuscript accordingly. We look forward to receiving a revised version that addresses these concerns. [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] Reviewers' comments: Reviewer's Responses to Questions Comments to the Author 1. Does the manuscript provide a valid rationale for the proposed study, with clearly identified and justified research questions? The research question outlined is expected to address a valid academic problem or topic and contribute to the base of knowledge in the field. Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ******** 2. Is the protocol technically sound and planned in a manner that will lead to a meaningful outcome and allow testing the stated hypotheses? The manuscript should describe the methods in sufficient detail to prevent undisclosed flexibility in the experimental procedure or analysis pipeline, including sufficient outcome-neutral conditions (e.g. necessary controls, absence of floor or ceiling effects) to test the proposed hypotheses and a statistical power analysis where applicable. As there may be aspects of the methodology and analysis which can only be refined once the work is undertaken, authors should outline potential assumptions and explicitly describe what aspects of the proposed analyses, if any, are exploratory. Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ****** 3. Is the methodology feasible and described in sufficient detail to allow the work to be replicable? Descriptions of methods and materials in the protocol should be reported in sufficient detail for another researcher to reproduce all experiments and analyses. The protocol should describe the appropriate controls, sample size calculations, and replication needed to ensure that the data are robust and reproducible. Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ****** 4. Have the authors described where all data underlying the findings will be made available when the study is complete? The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception, at the time of publication. The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified. Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: No ****** 5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English? PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here. Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ****** 6. Review Comments to the Author Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above and, if applicable, provide comments about issues authors must address before this protocol can be accepted for publication. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about research or publication ethics. You may also provide optional suggestions and comments to authors that they might find helpful in planning their study. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters) Reviewer #1: This study protocol presents a highly relevant and innovative mixed methods study design exploring immersive virtual reality (IVR) simulation to enhance nursing students’ competency in providing mental health care to migrant populations. This topic is of great importance in the global context, and there is a need for an inclusive approach to health care. The stepwise study design suggests that the research methods are sound, however, several important areas need to be clarified and refined before this protocol can be accepted for publication: 1. Ethical Considerations and Participant Protection The protocol states that ethics approval has been obtained from the University of Saskatchewan and McGill University. As the study is in phase 2, it would be helpful to include the ethics approval number and date of approval. As the participants were nursing students, further clarification is needed regarding how the risk of indirect coercion was avoided, especially if the researcher was their faculty member. Was recruitment conducted by a party not directly involved in the teaching process? 2. Description of Student Participants a. The description of the students who were included in the study is unclear. Please clarify: a)Were all cohort years included? b) Do participants have a specific background related to mental health training? c) How will racial, cultural, and academic diversity be controlled or analyzed? b. It is important to explain whether the curricula at the two universities are similar, given that the results obtained will be compared. 3. Simulation Validation and Development Process It is also necessary to explain how feedback from committee members was collected and analyzed, and how the results were used to revise the simulation. 4. Data Integration in Mixed Methods It is advisable to explicitly explain the data integration strategy based on mixed methods methodological references, such as Creswell & Plano Clark. Reviewer #2: The study is highly relevant to the current needs in healthcare education, particularly in preparing nursing students to provide mental health care for migrant populations. However, the protocol lacks sufficient detail regarding Phase One, specifically the development process of the Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) simulation. It is important to clearly describe how the validated scenarios will be translated into interactive IVR storylines. Additionally, more explanation is needed about the nature of the interaction between participants and the virtual patients—such as whether participants will receive feedback during the simulation and what form that feedback will take. Furthermore, the duration of each IVR session should be specified, as this is critical for understanding the scope and feasibility of the intervention. ****** 7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files. If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public. Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy. Reviewer #1: No Reviewer #2: Yes: Ariani Arista Putri Pertiwi ******** [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r001
Revision 1
10 Jul 2025 Author Response Editor Comments: Dear Authors, Thank you for submitting your manuscript, "Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation for Undergraduate Nursing Students: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Migrants - A Mixed Method Study Protocol," to Plos One. While we appreciate the innovative approach of utilizing immersive virtual reality (IVR) to address a critical gap in nursing education, particularly in the context of migrant mental health care, we have identified some areas that require further attention before the manuscript can be considered for publication. Specifically, we require greater detail on the development procedure of the IVR intervention. A more thorough description of the design and creation process is needed, to include specific scenarios and content, the theoretical basis for the simulation design, technical aspects, and insights from pilot testing and refinement processes. - Additional information has now been added to the Phase 1 - Development of the Intervention In addition, while the manuscript mentions that an integrative review will inform the simulation design, it requires a more robust explanation of how these findings translate into specific elements of the IVR experience. - Additional information has now been added to the Phase 1 - Development of the Intervention Moreover, we encourage you to consider reviewers points carefully and revise your manuscript accordingly. We look forward to receiving a revised version that addresses these concerns. - Thank you! Reviewers' comments: Have the authors described where all data underlying the findings will be made available when the study is complete? The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception, at the time of publication. The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified. Reviewer #2: No - This concern has been addressed and clarified in the Ethical Considerations section Reviewer #1: Ethical Considerations and Participant Protection: The protocol states that ethics approval has been obtained from the University of Saskatchewan and McGill University. As the study is in phase 2, it would be helpful to include the ethics approval number and date of approval. - Ethics approval numbers and dates of approval has been specified at the Status and Timeline section As the participants were nursing students, further clarification is needed regarding how the risk of indirect coercion was avoided, especially if the researcher was their faculty member. Was recruitment conducted by a party not directly involved in the teaching process? - Explanation has been added to the Ethical Considerations section Description of Student Participants: a. The description of the students who were included in the study is unclear. Please clarify: a)Were all cohort years included? b) Do participants have a specific background related to mental health training? c) How will racial, cultural, and academic diversity be controlled or analyzed? b. It is important to explain whether the curricula at the two universities are similar, given that the results obtained will be compared. - Explanation has been added to the Ethical Considerations section Simulation Validation and Development Process. It is also necessary to explain how feedback from committee members was collected and analyzed, and how the results were used to revise the simulation. - Clarification has now been provided in Phase 1 - Development of the Intervention Data Integration in Mixed Methods. It is advisable to explicitly explain the data integration strategy based on mixed methods methodological references, such as Creswell & Plano Clark. - Clarification has now been provided in Phase 3 - Interpretive Description Approach Reviewer #2: The study is highly relevant to the current needs in healthcare education, particularly in preparing nursing students to provide mental health care for migrant populations. However, the protocol lacks sufficient detail regarding Phase One, specifically the development process of the Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) simulation. It is important to clearly describe how the validated scenarios will be translated into interactive IVR storylines. - Additional information has now been added to the Phase 1 - Development of the Intervention Additionally, more explanation is needed about the nature of the interaction between participants and the virtual patients—such as whether participants will receive feedback during the simulation and what form that feedback will take. - This is now included in the Phase 2 - One-group Pre- and Post-quasi-experimental section Furthermore, the duration of each IVR session should be specified, as this is critical for understanding the scope and feasibility of the intervention. - This is now included in the Phase 2 - One-group Pre- and Post-quasi-experimental Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Response to reviewers.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r002
6 Aug 2025 Decision Letter - Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, Editor PONE-D-25-14620R1 Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation for Undergraduate Nursing Students: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Migrants - A Mixed Method Study Protocol PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Barbo, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Sep 20 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols. Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols. We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, RN, M.Sc.,M.N.Sc Academic Editor PLOS ONE Journal Requirements: If the reviewer comments include a recommendation to cite specific previously published works, please review and evaluate these publications to determine whether they are relevant and should be cited. There is no requirement to cite these works unless the editor has indicated otherwise. Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice. Additional Editor Comments: Dear author(s), thank you for updated manuscript. Please explain specifically and technically how the Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation are delivered, such as: - VR device used (what specific VR hardware use, how much the resolution, are there inside-out tracking and wireless mobility?) - technical procedure (Development Phase; Hardware Setup; and Simulation Run) - Provide the Content of the Simulation (visual; screen capture as supplement file/include within the manuscript) [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] Reviewers' comments: None [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r003
Revision 2
7 Aug 2025 Author Response Dear author(s), thank you for updated manuscript. Please explain specifically and technically how the Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation are delivered, such as: - VR device used (what specific VR hardware use, how much the resolution, are there inside-out tracking and wireless mobility?) o This information has now been included under Phase 2 - One-group Pre- and Post-quasi-experimental - Technical procedure (Development Phase; Hardware Setup; and Simulation Run) o This information has now been included under Phase 1 - Development of the Intervention and Phase 2 - One-group Pre- and Post-quasi-experimental - Provide the Content of the Simulation (visual; screen capture as supplement file/include within the manuscript) o Figures 1 and 2 have now been uploaded and included. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Response_to_reviewers_auresp_2.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r004
1 Sep 2025 Decision Letter - Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, Editor PONE-D-25-14620R2 Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation for Undergraduate Nursing Students: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Migrants - A Mixed Method Study Protocol PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Barbo, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Dear author(s), thank you for updated manuscript. Please explain specifically and technically how the Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation are delivered, such as: - VR device used (what specific VR hardware use, how much the resolution, are there inside-out tracking and wireless mobility?) - technical procedure (Development Phase; Hardware Setup; and Simulation Run) - Provide the Content of the Simulation (visual; screen capture as supplement file/include within the manuscript) Please submit your revised manuscript by Oct 16 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols. Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols. We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, RN, M.Sc.,M.N.Sc Academic Editor PLOS ONE Journal Requirements: If the reviewer comments include a recommendation to cite specific previously published works, please review and evaluate these publications to determine whether they are relevant and should be cited. There is no requirement to cite these works unless the editor has indicated otherwise. Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice. [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r005
Revision 3
11 Sep 2025 Author Response Dear author(s), thank you for updated manuscript. Please explain specifically and technically how the Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation are delivered, such as: - VR device used (what specific VR hardware use, how much the resolution, are there inside-out tracking and wireless mobility?) o This information has now been included under Phase 2 - One-group Pre- and Post-quasi-experimental - Technical procedure (Development Phase; Hardware Setup; and Simulation Run) o This information has now been included under Phase 1 - Development of the Intervention and Phase 2 - One-group Pre- and Post-quasi-experimental - Provide the Content of the Simulation (visual; screen capture as supplement file/include within the manuscript) o Figures 1 and 2 have now been uploaded and included. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Response to reviewers-GB.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r006
15 Sep 2025 Decision Letter - Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, Editor Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation for Undergraduate Nursing Students: Enhancing Mental Health Care for Migrants - A Mixed Method Study Protocol PONE-D-25-14620R3 Dear Dr. Barbo, We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements. Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication. An invoice will be generated when your article is formally accepted. Please note, if your institution has a publishing partnership with PLOS and your article meets the relevant criteria, all or part of your publication costs will be covered. Please make sure your user information is up-to-date by logging into Editorial Manager at Editorial Manager® and clicking the ‘Update My Information' link at the top of the page. For questions related to billing, please contact billing support. If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. Kind regards, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, RN, M.Sc.,M.N.Sc Academic Editor PLOS ONE Additional Editor Comments (optional): Reviewers' comments: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r007
Formally Accepted
Acceptance Letter - Made Satya Nugraha Gautama, Editor PONE-D-25-14620R3 PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Barbo, I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now being handed over to our production team. At this stage, our production department will prepare your paper for publication. This includes ensuring the following: * All references, tables, and figures are properly cited * All relevant supporting information is included in the manuscript submission, * There are no issues that prevent the paper from being properly typeset You will receive further instructions from the production team, including instructions on how to review your proof when it is ready. Please keep in mind that we are working through a large volume of accepted articles, so please give us a few days to review your paper and let you know the next and final steps. Lastly, if your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. You will receive an invoice from PLOS for your publication fee after your manuscript has reached the completed accept phase. If you receive an email requesting payment before acceptance or for any other service, this may be a phishing scheme. Learn how to identify phishing emails and protect your accounts at https://explore.plos.org/phishing. If we can help with anything else, please email us at customercare@plos.org. Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access. Kind regards, PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff on behalf of Mr. Made Satya Nugraha Gautama Academic Editor PLOS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333434.r008

Open letter on the publication of peer review reports

PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process. Therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. Reviewers remain anonymous, unless they choose to reveal their names.

We encourage other journals to join us in this initiative. We hope that our action inspires the community, including researchers, research funders, and research institutions, to recognize the benefits of published peer review reports for all parts of the research system.

Learn more at ASAPbio .