For PLOS Authors
Your journal's reference style, done in one click.
Submitting to PLOS ONE or another PLOS journal? Paste your reference list or drop in your manuscript. RefRunner verifies every citation against Crossref and OpenAlex, then formats the list in the numbered PLOS house style used across all PLOS journals. Nothing to install.
No account needed to try it — check our sample or upload your own paper, free and right in your browser.
A free account adds 500 lookups, saved reference lists, and free months when you refer colleagues.
📱 On a phone? Create a free account now and your reference lists will be waiting when start working on your paper.
The PLOS reference style, built in
How it works
Paste or drag and drop
Provide your full manuscript or just the reference list, in whatever style it's in now. No account needed.
Every reference verified
Each citation is checked against real academic databases. Wrong authors, bad years, or references that don't exist are flagged instantly — before a reviewer finds them.
Export in your journal's style
Pick the PLOS style from the dropdown and export a perfectly formatted reference list as a Word document, ready to submit.
See it in action
Any citation style
Reformat for any journal instantly.
Switching styles is one click. RefRunner uses the same CSL formatter as Zotero, with the official PLOS style definitions, so punctuation and ordering are always correct.
Citation verification
Catch problems before reviewers do.
Drag in your manuscript. Every in-text citation is matched against the reference list — unmatched citations and uncited references highlighted immediately, including errors introduced by AI editing.
Source Verification
References validated automatically.
No AI. No hallucinations. Every reference is searched at Crossref, OpenAlex, Open Library, and Google Books. If a source doesn't exist or the details are wrong, you'll know before your submission does.
What RefRunner does for you
Every PLOS Reference Style Built In
The PLOS house style used by PLOS ONE, PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine and the rest — numbered in citation order, formatted exactly to spec.
Are Your Sources Real?
Every reference is checked against Crossref, OpenAlex, and other public databases. Wrong years, misspelled authors, or citations that don't exist get flagged before a reviewer sees them.
Rejected? Resubmit in Minutes
Moving your manuscript to a different journal usually means reformatting every reference. Switch styles with one click — numeric styles renumber automatically, author-date styles re-sort.
In-Text Citations Checked Too
Drop in your full manuscript and every in-text citation is matched against the reference list. Uncited references and missing entries are highlighted immediately.