Plain Language Summary: Short, Attractive Summaries for Your Research

Plain Language Summary

Capture the essence of your research in an impactful short summary that can lead
to high awareness and promotion of your work.

Plain language summary

A concise summary of your manuscript that can be shared easily and create high visibility and readership

$275 | 1-2 weeks

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Use it to influence academics, researchers, or anyone who might be curious about your work
Use it to pitch to funders who can consider applications for future grants
Simplify complex information in a format that is easy to understand, making it more accessible to patients and to a non-specialist audience.
Present your work in a short summary that is appealing
Your plain language summary is created by experienced scientific writers and senior reviewers

Plain Language Summary Sample 1

Plain Language Summary Sample 2

Plain Language Summary Sample 3

Plain Language Summary

How It Works

Step 1

Share your revised or accepted manuscript along with the supporting files.

Step 2

Our scientific writer summarizes your research

Step 3

Senior reviewer checks the summary for scientific accuracy

Step 4

Approve and download your final plain language summary file

What will be shared under this service?

Your plain language summary as a Word document with a search engine-optimized headline
Supporting text (English only) that includes:
- Keywords for search engine optimization
- Suggested description text for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Social media hashtags
- Link to your article DOI

Frequently Asked Questions

What are plain language summaries and why should you include them?

Plain language titles (approx. 50 words) and plain language summaries (approx. 300 words) are descriptions of the paper that are easily understandable and can be viewed by researchers and clinicians as well as the general public and the media. Thus, plain language summaries help increase the accessibility and reach of your research.

A plain language summary (PLS) is composed of a title and abstract. The PLS should be included in your article after the scientific abstract and before the introduction.

Will Sage publish my plain language summary along with the manuscript?

For manuscripts that are already published, Sage will be unable to publish your plain language summary with the article. However, for manuscripts that have not yet been published, Sage can publish your plain language summary within the article once it is peer-reviewed by the journal, and suggested changes, if any, are incorporated and approved by the journal. We can help you incorporate the changes suggested by the journal, if any, in the plain language summary.

Please let your Sage Editor know prior to acceptance of your article if you want to publish a plain language summary alongside your manuscript.

Will I receive any support in promoting my paper after the plain language summary is created?

For published manuscripts, we will share the below tools with you for self-promotion:

Suggested description text for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Keywords for search engine optimization
Social media hashtags
Link to your article DOI

For manuscripts that have not yet been published, along with the above listed self-promotion tools, Sage can publish your plain language summary with the manuscript. However, you will have to get the plain language summary peer-reviewed by the journal, incorporate the suggested changes, if any, and then submit it to the journal to be published. We will help you incorporate the changes suggested by the journal, if any, in the plain language summary.

Get your valuable research to inspire people across borders, languages, and disciplines.

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Present your research in a short and attractive summary

Plain Language Summary

Present your research in a short
and attractive summary