{
  "dataset": "Journal Intelligence Evidence Ledger",
  "publisher": "Manusights",
  "version": "2026.09.25-evidence4",
  "lastReviewed": "2026-09-11",
  "url": "https://manusights.com/resources/journal-intelligence",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "method": "Transcribe publisher-published observations with their metric definition, population, reporting period and source. Do not infer missing rates, desk-rejection percentages, review duration or manuscript acceptance probability. An observation date is not its reporting period. Coverage is a selected subset of the existing 57-journal inventory, not a representative sample or ranking. This publication joins that metric ledger to a separate article-type-specific requirements ledger with its own observation dates. Unsupported legacy rates, timings, undated citation metrics, editorial assertions, submission cells, difficulty scores, historical directory records and PubMed-derived samples are withheld from this edition.",
  "scope": "A selected ledger of source-backed publisher metrics and article-specific submission requirements. It is not a complete journal directory, ranking, fit score or acceptance predictor.",
  "metricLayer": {
    "version": "2026.09.11-evidence1",
    "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
    "claimCount": 4,
    "journalCount": 2,
    "method": "Transcribe publisher-published observations with their metric definition, population, reporting period and source. Do not infer missing rates, desk-rejection percentages, review duration or manuscript acceptance probability. An observation date is not its reporting period. Coverage is a selected subset of the existing 57-journal inventory, not a representative sample or ranking."
  },
  "requirementLayer": {
    "version": "2026.09.11-requirements1",
    "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
    "claimCount": 10,
    "journalCount": 3,
    "method": "A purposive reference set of eight journals, not a representative sample or a complete submission checklist. Each observation is paraphrased from the named official source section for one article type. Limits, recommendations, layout examples and explicit absence of a restriction remain distinct. Missing fields mean not verified in this edition, not unlimited. Observation dates do not establish when a policy took effect.",
    "boundary": "Publisher instructions control. Recheck the exact article type, submission stage and any editor-specific instructions before submitting. Historical March 2026 unsourced cells are withheld from current tables and exports; they are not retroactively verified."
  },
  "metricObservations": [
    {
      "id": "plos-one-acceptance_rate-plos-2025-denominator-not-specified-on-the-metrics-page",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "metric": "acceptance_rate",
      "label": "Acceptance rate",
      "value": 26,
      "unit": "%",
      "statistic": "publisher-reported percentage",
      "population": "Denominator not specified on the metrics page",
      "definition": "A journal-level percentage, not a forecast for an individual manuscript. Compare only with a compatible article set, period and denominator.",
      "sourceId": "plos-2025",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS: 2025 publication metrics",
      "sourceUrl": "https://plos.org/metrics/",
      "sourceLocator": "Journal and article-level metrics; named journal panel and footnote",
      "reportingPeriod": "2025 calendar year",
      "observedAt": "2026-09-11",
      "limitation": "PLOS labels timings as medians and rates as average percentages. This page does not define the rate denominator or restrict first decision to externally reviewed submissions. Do not substitute the older 2023 journal-information table.",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-evidence1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one-first_decision-plos-2025-publisher-s-first-decision-dataset-review-path-inclusion-not-specified",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "metric": "first_decision",
      "label": "First decision, paths not separated",
      "value": 32,
      "unit": "days",
      "statistic": "median",
      "population": "Publisher's first-decision dataset; review-path inclusion not specified",
      "definition": "The publisher's overall first-decision metric. Do not relabel it as time after peer review.",
      "sourceId": "plos-2025",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS: 2025 publication metrics",
      "sourceUrl": "https://plos.org/metrics/",
      "sourceLocator": "Journal and article-level metrics; named journal panel and footnote",
      "reportingPeriod": "2025 calendar year",
      "observedAt": "2026-09-11",
      "limitation": "PLOS labels timings as medians and rates as average percentages. This page does not define the rate denominator or restrict first decision to externally reviewed submissions. Do not substitute the older 2023 journal-information table.",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-evidence1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine-acceptance_rate-plos-2025-denominator-not-specified-on-the-metrics-page",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "metric": "acceptance_rate",
      "label": "Acceptance rate",
      "value": 4,
      "unit": "%",
      "statistic": "publisher-reported percentage",
      "population": "Denominator not specified on the metrics page",
      "definition": "A journal-level percentage, not a forecast for an individual manuscript. Compare only with a compatible article set, period and denominator.",
      "sourceId": "plos-2025",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS: 2025 publication metrics",
      "sourceUrl": "https://plos.org/metrics/",
      "sourceLocator": "Journal and article-level metrics; named journal panel and footnote",
      "reportingPeriod": "2025 calendar year",
      "observedAt": "2026-09-11",
      "limitation": "PLOS labels timings as medians and rates as average percentages. This page does not define the rate denominator or restrict first decision to externally reviewed submissions. Do not substitute the older 2023 journal-information table.",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-evidence1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine-first_decision-plos-2025-publisher-s-first-decision-dataset-review-path-inclusion-not-specified",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "metric": "first_decision",
      "label": "First decision, paths not separated",
      "value": 67,
      "unit": "days",
      "statistic": "median",
      "population": "Publisher's first-decision dataset; review-path inclusion not specified",
      "definition": "The publisher's overall first-decision metric. Do not relabel it as time after peer review.",
      "sourceId": "plos-2025",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS: 2025 publication metrics",
      "sourceUrl": "https://plos.org/metrics/",
      "sourceLocator": "Journal and article-level metrics; named journal panel and footnote",
      "reportingPeriod": "2025 calendar year",
      "observedAt": "2026-09-11",
      "limitation": "PLOS labels timings as medians and rates as average percentages. This page does not define the rate denominator or restrict first decision to externally reviewed submissions. Do not substitute the older 2023 journal-information table.",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-evidence1"
    }
  ],
  "submissionRequirements": [
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:main_text",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "main_text",
      "label": "Main text",
      "value": "No word-count restriction",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "Concise presentation is encouraged; abstract has a separate limit.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:abstract",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "abstract",
      "label": "Abstract",
      "value": "At most 300 words",
      "strength": "limit",
      "scope": "No citations; follow any study-specific requirements.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Abstract",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:display_items",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "display_items",
      "label": "Figures and tables",
      "value": "No restriction on number of figures",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "The cited statement names figures, not an independent table allowance.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:supplementary",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "supplementary",
      "label": "Supporting material",
      "value": "No restriction on amount of supporting information",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "File preparation instructions still apply.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:main_text",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "main_text",
      "label": "Main text",
      "value": "No word-count restriction",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "The journal encourages concise reporting.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:abstract",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "abstract",
      "label": "Abstract",
      "value": "300 words preferred; maximum 500",
      "strength": "conditional limit",
      "scope": "Structured: Background; Methods and Findings; Conclusions.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Abstract",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:display_items",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "display_items",
      "label": "Figures and tables",
      "value": "No restriction on number of figures",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "The source does not separately state a table cap here.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:supplementary",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "supplementary",
      "label": "Supporting material",
      "value": "No restriction on amount of supporting information",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "Other submission and file requirements still apply.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "bmj:research:main_text",
      "journalSlug": "bmj",
      "journal": "The BMJ",
      "articleType": "Research",
      "stage": "Research article preparation",
      "field": "main_text",
      "label": "Main text",
      "value": "No fixed word-count limit",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "Reported main-text count excludes abstract, references, tables, boxes and figures. Methods are not excluded by this definition.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types",
      "sourceTitle": "The BMJ: Article types and preparation",
      "sourceLocator": "Research: Word count and style",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "bmj:research:abstract",
      "journalSlug": "bmj",
      "journal": "The BMJ",
      "articleType": "Research",
      "stage": "Research article preparation",
      "field": "abstract",
      "label": "Abstract",
      "value": "250 to 300 words; up to 400 for CONSORT or PRISMA abstracts",
      "strength": "conditional guidance",
      "scope": "Structured; use the study-appropriate headings.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types",
      "sourceTitle": "The BMJ: Article types and preparation",
      "sourceLocator": "Research: Structured abstract",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "PLOS: 2025 publication metrics",
      "url": "https://plos.org/metrics/",
      "period": "2025 calendar year",
      "observedAt": "2026-09-11",
      "locator": "Journal and article-level metrics; named journal panel and footnote",
      "limitation": "PLOS labels timings as medians and rates as average percentages. This page does not define the rate denominator or restrict first decision to externally reviewed submissions. Do not substitute the older 2023 journal-information table."
    },
    {
      "name": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "name": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "name": "The BMJ: Article types and preparation",
      "url": "https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11"
    }
  ],
  "revisions": [
    {
      "date": "2026-09-25",
      "note": "32 publisher figures are left out of the downloads (22 from Nature Portfolio pages, whose terms restrict compiling their content into a database; 10 from JAMA Network pages, whose terms could not be read). They remain cited, with links, on the pages that use them.",
      "metricObservationsRemoved": 32
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-09-25",
      "note": "22 requirement observations for 5 journals, sourced from Nature Portfolio and JAMA Network pages, are left out of the downloads. They remain cited, with links, on the pages that use them.",
      "requirementObservationsRemoved": 22
    }
  ],
  "evidenceTags": {
    "official": "Figure the publisher publishes on its own journal-metrics or author-instruction page.",
    "reported": "Figure from a public benchmark page or community dataset.",
    "unknown": "No verified claim in this edition. Not zero, not a claim that the journal never publishes this metric.",
    "independently_measured": "A figure we computed ourselves from publisher-deposited PubMed history dates (median submission-to-acceptance interval, with sample size and coverage). Not acceptance rate; not first-decision time."
  },
  "recordCount": 14,
  "coverage": {
    "metricJournals": 2,
    "requirementJournals": 3
  },
  "withheld": [
    "Historical 57-journal directory records",
    "Unverified field and open-access labels",
    "Impact factors",
    "Estimated acceptance and rejection rates",
    "Uncalibrated difficulty scores",
    "Unsupported editorial summaries",
    "Publisher metric and requirement observations from Nature Portfolio and JAMA Network pages (cited on the pages only)"
  ]
}