Early Career Researcher resources: Your path to publishing success

Welcome

Publishing your research should be an empowering and rewarding experience. That is why we have created a dedicated space for Early Career Researchers (ECR), offering expert guidance, practical tools, and a supportive community to help you navigate every stage of your publishing journey.

Whether you are planning your first paper or preparing to promote your latest publication, our resources are here to help you succeed.

Your resources

Starting your research career

Ready to submit

Beyond publication

Starting your research career

Whether you're beginning your first project or developing your research skills, explore practical guidance to help you build strong foundations. Discover resources on research integrity, open science, and approaches that can strengthen the quality and credibility of your work from the very start.

Supporting your research career

The early stages of a research career can feel both exciting and uncertain. You are developing your ideas...

How open science supports your research

As an early career researcher, building visibility and credibility is key to developing your career. Adopting...

Build trust in your research from the start with registered reports

As an early career researcher, transparency is key to building trust in your work. Registered reports...

Why protocols matter

Clear, well-documented methods are the foundation of strong research. For early career researchers, protocols...

Ready to submit

Preparing your manuscript for publication? Find the tools and guidance you need to navigate the submission process with confidence, from choosing the right journal to understanding what happens after you submit your paper.

Your publication checklist

Getting ready to submit your manuscript can feel complex, especially early in your career. This checklist is designed to help you stay on track—from shaping your study to final submission—so you can...

Understanding the publication process: Your paper’s journey explained in seven steps

The journey to publication can feel uncertain when you do not know where your manuscript stands in the...

Choosing the right journal

There is a lot to consider when deciding where to submit your work. Learn how to choose a journal that will help...

Responding to peer review

You have just spent months completing your study, writing up the results and submitting them to your top-choice...

Beyond publication

Publishing your research is just the beginning. Learn how to maximize the reach and impact of your work, understand the benefits of publishing with us, and discover ways to share and promote your research with wider audiences.

The benefits of publishing with us

When you choose a PLOS journal you are putting integrity first and supporting an organization that is committed to research that is robust, reliable, and accessible to all.

How to share and promote your research

Publishing your work is an important step—but it is not the end of the process. Sharing your research more widely helps it reach the people who can read, use, and build on it.

Further along in your research career?

As your research career develops, so do your needs. Explore our author resources, designed to support researchers at every stage of their publishing journey. From developing your profile to maximizing the impact of your work, you'll find guidance tailored to your next steps.