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· 0 checks — Desktop Lighthouse audit -- Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO category breakdown.
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Detailed Report

Audit breakdown by category with detailed findings.

61

Performance

Insights

Remove large, duplicate JavaScript modules from bundles to reduce unnecessary bytes consumed by network activity.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Polyfills and transforms enable older browsers to use new JavaScript features. However, many aren't necessary for modern browsers. Consider modifying your JavaScript build process to not transpile Baseline features, unless you know you must support older browsers. Learn why most sites can deploy ES6+ code without transpiling

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

3rd party code can significantly impact load performance. Reduce and defer loading of 3rd party code to prioritize your page's content.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

A long cache lifetime can speed up repeat visits to your page. Learn more about caching.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

RequestCache TTLTransfer Size
mc.sendgrid.com/signup-form-app.js600.0 s309.8 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/defer.js?7a7aa422bfb89c5946263600.0 s313.7 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/fonts/fontawesome-webfont.woff?v=4.1.03600.0 s81.9 KiB
js.hs-analytics.net/analytics/1776888000000/44092021.js300.0 s42.2 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/css/home.css?460ce76d110431694cece1ea536cc9503600.0 s39.9 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/img/one/logo.png3600.0 s39.5 KiB
js.hubspot.com/web-interactives-embed.js600.0 s27.9 KiB
js.hs-banner.com/v2/44092021/banner.js300.0 s25.9 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js3600.0 s28.8 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/css/print.css3600.0 s21.2 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/img/logo-plos-footer.png3600.0 s20.2 KiB
www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js7200.0 s20.9 KiB
/charts/loader.js?autoload=%7B%22modules%22%3A%5B%7B%22na...3600.0 s18.6 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/moment.js3600.0 s10.7 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery-ui-effects.min.js3600.0 s8.4 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/underscore.string.min.js3600.0 s6.5 KiB
extend.vimeocdn.com/ga4/1519726.js86400.0 s11.8 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/underscore-min.js3600.0 s5.6 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.carousel.js3600.0 s4.9 KiB
js.hsadspixel.net/pixels.js600.0 s3.9 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/modernizr-v2.7.1.js3600.0 s4.4 KiB
mc.sendgrid.com/signup-form-app.css600.0 s3.0 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/detectizr.min.js3600.0 s3.3 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/taxonomy-browser.js3600.0 s2.6 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.js3600.0 s2.5 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/fastclick/lib/fastclick.js3600.0 s2.4 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.dotdotdot.js3600.0 s2.3 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/img/icon.bluesky.light.png3600.0 s2.1 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.reveal.js3600.0 s2.0 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.tooltip.js3600.0 s2.0 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.slider.js3600.0 s1.8 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.dropdown.js3600.0 s1.7 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/sync.js?7a7aa422bfb89c5946263600.0 s1.4 KiB
js.hs-scripts.com/44092021.js90.0 s1.1 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.tab.js3600.0 s964 B
/1/cf99e8d2a3?a=402703674&sa=1&v=1212.e95d35c&t=Unnamed%2...0.0 ms624 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/util/utils.js3600.0 s725 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.hoverIntent.js3600.0 s532 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/carousel.js3600.0 s384 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/global.js3600.0 s324 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/tooltip_hover.js3600.0 s314 B
www.gstatic.com/recaptcha/api2/logo_48.png604800.0 s2.2 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/hover_delay.js3600.0 s246 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/truncate_elem.js3600.0 s246 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/toggle.js3600.0 s237 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/placeholder_style.js3600.0 s217 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/menu_drop.js3600.0 s211 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/pages/home.js3600.0 s127 B
journals.plos.org/resource/img/text.vert.ad.gif3600.0 s126 B

Layout shifts occur when elements move absent any user interaction. Investigate the causes of layout shifts, such as elements being added, removed, or their fonts changing as the page loads.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

headings: [map[key:node label:Element subItemsHeading:map[key:extra] valueType:node] map[granularity:0.001 key:score label:Layout shift score subItemsHeading:map[key:cause valueType:text] valueType:numeric]]
items: [map[node:map[type:text value:Total] score:0.254853] map[node:map[boundingRect:map[bottom:3339 height:3047 left:185 right:1165 top:292 width:980] lhId:page-15-MAIN nodeLabel:03/24/2026 BIODIVERSITY Utilizing large language models to construct a datase… path:1,HTML,1,BODY,17,MAIN selector:body.home > main#main-content snippet:<main id="main-content"> type:node] score:0.254572] map[node:map[boundingRect:map[bottom:0 height:0 left:0 right:0 top:0 width:0] lhId:page-14-UL nodeLabel: Publish Submissions Get… path:1,SECTION,0,UL selector:nav.nav-main > section.top-bar-section > ul.nav-elements snippet:<ul class="nav-elements"> type:node] score:0.000219 subItems:map[items:[map[cause:Web font extra:map[type:url value:https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/opensans/v44/memvYaGs126MiZpBA-UvWbX2vVnXBbObj2OVTS-mu0SC55I.woff2]]] type:subitems]] map[node:map[boundingRect:map[bottom:0 height:0 left:0 right:0 top:0 width:0] lhId:page-14-UL nodeLabel: Publish Submissions Get… path:1,SECTION,0,UL selector:nav.nav-main > section.top-bar-section > ul.nav-elements snippet:<ul class="nav-elements"> type:node] score:6.2e-05] map[node:map[boundingRect:map[bottom:940 height:940 left:0 right:1350 top:0 width:1350] lhId:page-19-BODY nodeLabel:body.home path:1,HTML,1,BODY selector:body.home snippet:<body class="home plosone PLoSONE"> type:node] score:0 subItems:map[items:[map[cause:Unsized image element extra:map[boundingRect:map[bottom:1587 height:160 left:201 right:271 top:1427 width:70] lhId:page-7-IMG nodeLabel:Rare Disease Day 2026: Diverse community, common challenges path:1,HTML,1,BODY,17,MAIN,0,DIV,3,DIV,0,DIV,1,ARTICLE,1,A,0,IMG selector:div.column > article#cellcat2-2 > a.block-image > img snippet:<img alt="Rare Disease Day 2026: Diverse community, common challenges" data-file-extension="jpg" src="/plosone/indirect/ca0503befaa3a0faf6d05571624f7a3f50e6aba61fa74696aaf9655e…"> type:node]]] type:subitems]]]

Your first network request is the most important. Reduce its latency by avoiding redirects, ensuring a fast server response, and enabling text compression.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Consider setting font-display to swap or optional to ensure text is consistently visible. swap can be further optimized to mitigate layout shifts with font metric overrides.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

URLEst Savings
journals.plos.org/resource/fonts/fontawesome-webfont.woff?v=4.1.0135 ms
/s/opensans/v44/memvYaGs126MiZpBA-UvWbX2vVnXBbObj2OVTS-mu...45 ms
fonts.gstatic.com/s/roboto/v48/KFO7CnqEu92Fr1ME7kSn66aGLdTylUAMa3yUBA.woff240 ms
/s/opensans/v44/memQYaGs126MiZpBA-UFUIcVXSCEkx2cmqvXlWq8t...30 ms

A forced reflow occurs when JavaScript queries geometric properties (such as offsetWidth) after styles have been invalidated by a change to the DOM state. This can result in poor performance. Learn more about forced reflows and possible mitigations.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

headings: [map[key:source label:Top function call valueType:source-location] map[granularity:1 key:reflowTime label:Total reflow time valueType:ms]]
items: [map[reflowTime:12.454 source:map[column:26491 line:2 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]]]
headings: [map[key:source label:Source valueType:source-location] map[granularity:1 key:reflowTime label:Total reflow time valueType:ms]]
items: [map[reflowTime:1.427 source:map[column:50042 line:1 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]] map[reflowTime:27.307 source:map[type:text value:[unattributed]]] map[reflowTime:0.344 source:map[column:86058 line:19 type:source-location url:https://js.hs-analytics.net/analytics/1776888000000/44092021.js urlProvider:network]] map[reflowTime:6.683 source:map[column:50020 line:1 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]] map[reflowTime:5.007 source:map[column:52559 line:1 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]] map[reflowTime:0.293 source:map[column:50748 line:1 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]] map[reflowTime:0.181 source:map[column:52545 line:1 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]] map[reflowTime:0.177 source:map[column:51514 line:1 type:source-location url:https://journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js urlProvider:network]]]

Reducing the download time of images can improve the perceived load time of the page and LCP. Learn more about optimizing image size

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

URLResource SizeEst Savings
We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all. div.row > div#hero > a > img
/plos-published-prod/c15be56c9b98b99b56914c3deda653b34d7b...392.2 KiB335.4 KiB
nav.cRcTKF1kQ5xNNwSAStfmxA== > ul.A6YueuXsuZeGkmFirvJ+gA== > li._7beRpKvO69ozFSkKu7RO4g== > a#siteLogo nav.cRcTKF1kQ5xNNwSAStfmxA== > ul.A6YueuXsuZeGkmFirvJ+gA== > li._7beRpKvO69ozFSkKu7RO4g== > a#siteLogo
journals.plos.org/resource/img/one/logo.png39.5 KiB25.8 KiB
Insights from cancer patient journey mapping div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-4 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/258b2d01472e9a8ed9ef7bc4a08d0afcb017...23.8 KiB21.2 KiB
PLOS footer#pageftr > div.row > p > img.logo-footer
journals.plos.org/resource/img/logo-plos-footer.png20.1 KiB19.4 KiB
Utilizing large language models to construct a dataset of Württemberg’s 19th-ce… div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/28b604ab15cf270368a28ba4092bbef01c98...20.9 KiB18.3 KiB
Aeroponic cultivation of lettuce div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-1 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/07ffe4c720f92b930ee0f347a64759718b19...20.3 KiB17.6 KiB
Experiences of Women in Science in 2026 div.column > article#cellcat2-3 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/94f1a29aee4c7f727e12f43263c559a02465...19.1 KiB17.3 KiB
Rare Disease Day 2026: Diverse community, common challenges div.column > article#cellcat2-2 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/ca0503befaa3a0faf6d05571624f7a3f50e6...17.8 KiB16.0 KiB
Editorial Spotlight: Manuel Herrador-Muñoz div.column > article#cellcat2-1 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/0a181a44e8e33b9be48d2c38fe17f51818b3...17.5 KiB15.7 KiB
The effect of game-based education on adherence to treatment and anxiety level … div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/92c34c319823ac370882e3e5552cb9693b9c...16.1 KiB13.5 KiB
Postgraduate views on AI in Research div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-2 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/15f7d65245de865706c537199cb128187c71...13.3 KiB10.7 KiB
Addressing Sexual Harassment at University div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-3 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/2e18fb49c0a9ff50a298a19eb8d3ea839327...13.1 KiB10.5 KiB
On the ability of proglacial lake diatoms to reconstruct Antarctic past ozone c… div.row > article#cellcat-1-3 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/7e43317fca8c656f9a2e3b4f0a56d5e7ce15...11.4 KiB8.8 KiB
Habitat use of Bechstein´s bats (Myotis bechsteinii) in wind parks in forests div.row > article#cellcat-1-2 > a.block-image > img
/plos-published-prod/dbce46974501806e7be2f6627e48f5aacb08...9.1 KiB6.5 KiB

Optimize LCP by making the LCP image discoverable from the HTML immediately, and avoiding lazy-loading

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

lhId: page-0-IMG
nodeLabel: We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all.
path: 1,HTML,1,BODY,17,MAIN,0,DIV,0,DIV,0,DIV,0,A,0,IMG
selector: div.row > div#hero > a > img
snippet: <img alt="We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all." data-file-extension="jpg" src="/plosone/indirect/c15be56c9b98b99b56914c3deda653b34d7b3182e42beb5a8dfb5532…">

Avoid chaining critical requests by reducing the length of chains, reducing the download size of resources, or deferring the download of unnecessary resources to improve page load.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

description: [preconnect](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/performance/uses-rel-preconnect/) hints help the browser establish a connection earlier in the page load, saving time when the first request for that origin is made. The following are the origins that the page preconnected to.
title: Preconnected origins
value: no origins were preconnected
description: Add [preconnect](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/performance/uses-rel-preconnect/) hints to your most important origins, but try to use no more than 4.
title: Preconnect candidates

Requests are blocking the page's initial render, which may delay LCP. Deferring or inlining can move these network requests out of the critical path.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

URLTransfer SizeDuration
journals.plos.org/resource/css/home.css?460ce76d110431694cece1ea536cc95039.9 KiB87 ms
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.reveal.js2.0 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.min.js28.8 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/underscore-min.js5.6 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/detectizr.min.js3.3 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/tooltip_hover.js314 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/sync.js?7a7aa422bfb89c5946261.4 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/fastclick/lib/fastclick.js2.4 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/underscore.string.min.js6.5 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/moment.js10.7 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/util/utils.js725 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.hoverIntent.js532 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.dropdown.js1.7 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.slider.js1.8 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/truncate_elem.js246 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery-ui-effects.min.js8.4 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/jquery.dotdotdot.js2.3 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.tooltip.js2.0 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/menu_drop.js211 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/toggle.js237 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/taxonomy-browser.js2.6 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/hover_delay.js246 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/components/placeholder_style.js217 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.tab.js964 B
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/foundation/foundation.js2.5 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/vendor/modernizr-v2.7.1.js4.4 KiB
fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,400i,6002.3 KiB268 ms

These insights are also available in the Chrome DevTools Performance Panel - record a trace to view more detailed information.

Redirects introduce additional delays before the page can be loaded. Learn how to avoid page redirects.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Estimated savings: 628 ms
URLTime Spent
plosone.org/296 ms
journals.plos.org/plosone332 ms
journals.plos.org/plosone/0.0 ms

These are the largest layout shifts observed on the page. Each table item represents a single layout shift, and shows the element that shifted the most. Below each item are possible root causes that led to the layout shift. Some of these layout shifts may not be included in the CLS metric value due to windowing. Learn how to improve CLS

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

ElementLayout shift score
03/24/2026 BIODIVERSITY Utilizing large language models to construct a datase… body.home > main#main-content
0.255
Publish Submissions Get… nav.nav-main > section.top-bar-section > ul.nav-elements
0.000
Publish Submissions Get… nav.nav-main > section.top-bar-section > ul.nav-elements
0.000
body.home body.home
0.000

Time to Interactive is the amount of time it takes for the page to become fully interactive. Learn more about the Time to Interactive metric.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

TTI

Diagnostics

Reduce unused rules from stylesheets and defer CSS not used for above-the-fold content to decrease bytes consumed by network activity. Learn how to reduce unused CSS.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Estimated savings: 100 ms 166.2 KiB
URLTransfer SizeEst Savings
journals.plos.org/resource/css/home.css?460ce76d110431694cece1ea536cc95039.8 KiB37.2 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/css/print.css21.2 KiB21.2 KiB
@media print{.RJTFKB562SZjYh8J5G1fZA\=\={display:none !important} …16.1 KiB15.9 KiB
@media print{.trqrJOIprDDLDk-EHioXNg\=\={display:none !important} …14.9 KiB14.9 KiB
@media print{._5FbTxc-uPyNfZEQX3vGItw\=\={display:none !important} …14.6 KiB14.5 KiB
@media print{.TiNqYv\+Tc2nJcskLZbC8Zg\=\={display:none !important} …14.5 KiB14.4 KiB
@media print{._1A9fMk4mEjKB2x\+pyuqsRA\=\={display:none !important} …14.0 KiB14.0 KiB
@media print{._0IUJCg4xNOQLOusmExeiRw\=\={display:none !important} …14.0 KiB13.9 KiB
@media print{.IfUDP69Mozy6j0c\+q\+iPFQ\=\={display:none !important} …10.2 KiB10.1 KiB
@media print{.tJGwuysS2X3ousgH1kcthg\=\={display:none !important} …10.1 KiB10.1 KiB

Reduce unused JavaScript and defer loading scripts until they are required to decrease bytes consumed by network activity. Learn how to reduce unused JavaScript.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Estimated savings: 440 ms 578.2 KiB
URLTransfer SizeEst Savings
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-EJPREQGMKT&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0174.2 KiB73.1 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-QC8WLNV09G&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0169.3 KiB70.3 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-TJKG55MN8J&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0174.9 KiB70.1 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=AW-11128208251&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0145.3 KiB65.0 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=AW-17421501988&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0140.3 KiB64.0 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=AW-11124076945&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0139.0 KiB63.9 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-MQQMGF157.0 KiB62.8 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-TP26BH141.3 KiB57.1 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/defer.js?7a7aa422bfb89c594626312.3 KiB51.7 KiB

Many navigations are performed by going back to a previous page, or forwards again. The back/forward cache (bfcache) can speed up these return navigations. Learn more about the bfcache

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failure reasonFailure type
The page has an unload handler in the main frame.Actionable
Pages with cache-control:no-store header cannot enter back/forward cache.Actionable
Pages whose main resource has cache-control:no-store cannot enter back/forward cache.Not actionable
Back/forward cache is disabled because some JavaScript network request received resource with Cache-Control: no-store header.Not actionable

Large network payloads cost users real money and are highly correlated with long load times. Learn how to reduce payload sizes.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

URLTransfer Size
/plos-published-prod/c15be56c9b98b99b56914c3deda653b34d7b...392.7 KiB
www.gstatic.com/recaptcha/releases/gTpTIWhbKpxADzTzkcabhXN4/recaptcha__en.js362.4 KiB
www.gstatic.com/recaptcha/releases/gTpTIWhbKpxADzTzkcabhXN4/recaptcha__en.js361.7 KiB
journals.plos.org/resource/js/defer.js?7a7aa422bfb89c594626313.7 KiB
mc.sendgrid.com/signup-form-app.js309.8 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-TJKG55MN8J&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0175.0 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-EJPREQGMKT&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0174.2 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-QC8WLNV09G&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0169.3 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-MQQMGF157.4 KiB
www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=AW-11128208251&cx=c&gtm=4e64k0145.3 KiB

Set an explicit width and height on image elements to reduce layout shifts and improve CLS. Learn how to set image dimensions

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

URL
We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all. div.row > div#hero > a > img
/plosone/indirect/c15be56c9b98b99b56914c3deda653b34d7b318...
PLOS footer#pageftr > div.row > p > img.logo-footer
journals.plos.org/resource/img/logo-plos-footer.png
Utilizing large language models to construct a dataset of Württemberg’s 19th-ce… div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/28b604ab15cf270368a28ba4092bbef01c98810...
The effect of game-based education on adherence to treatment and anxiety level … div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/92c34c319823ac370882e3e5552cb9693b9c349...
Habitat use of Bechstein´s bats (Myotis bechsteinii) in wind parks in forests div.row > article#cellcat-1-2 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/dbce46974501806e7be2f6627e48f5aacb08d0d...
On the ability of proglacial lake diatoms to reconstruct Antarctic past ozone c… div.row > article#cellcat-1-3 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/7e43317fca8c656f9a2e3b4f0a56d5e7ce15b8d...
Aeroponic cultivation of lettuce div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-1 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/07ffe4c720f92b930ee0f347a64759718b1933e...
Postgraduate views on AI in Research div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-2 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/15f7d65245de865706c537199cb128187c71d9c...
Addressing Sexual Harassment at University div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-3 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/2e18fb49c0a9ff50a298a19eb8d3ea8393275f2...
Insights from cancer patient journey mapping div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-4 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/258b2d01472e9a8ed9ef7bc4a08d0afcb017f39...
Editorial Spotlight: Manuel Herrador-Muñoz div.column > article#cellcat2-1 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/0a181a44e8e33b9be48d2c38fe17f51818b3985...
Rare Disease Day 2026: Diverse community, common challenges div.column > article#cellcat2-2 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/ca0503befaa3a0faf6d05571624f7a3f50e6aba...
Experiences of Women in Science in 2026 div.column > article#cellcat2-3 > a.block-image > img
/plosone/indirect/94f1a29aee4c7f727e12f43263c559a024659d5...

More information about the performance of your application. These numbers don't directly affect the Performance score.

●Max Potential First Input Delay 70 ms
●Optimize DOM size
●LCP breakdown
●Modern HTTP
●Optimize viewport for mobile
●Minify CSS
●Minify JavaScript
●User Timing marks and measures 17 user timings
●JavaScript execution time 0.6 s
●Minimizes main-thread work 1.2 s
●Avoid long main-thread tasks 5 long tasks found
●Network Requests
●Network Round Trip Times 50 ms
●Server Backend Latencies 520 ms
●Tasks
●Diagnostics
●Metrics
●Screenshot Thumbnails
●Final Screenshot
●Script Treemap Data
●Resources Summary
●Initial server response time was short Root document took 120 ms
○INP breakdown
○Avoid non-composited animations
86

Accessibility

These checks highlight opportunities to improve the accessibility of your web app. Automatic detection can only detect a subset of issues and does not guarantee the accessibility of your web app, so manual testing is also encouraged.

Contrast

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Learn how to provide sufficient color contrast.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
03/24/2026 div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: farm-animals by kirahoffmann, Pixabay div#home-content > div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > p.credits
03/30/2026 div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: dice-game-board-games by ignartonosbg, Pixabay div#home-content > div.row > article#cellcat-1-1 > p.credits
03/25/2026 div.row > article#cellcat-1-2 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: wind-turbines-silhouettes-sunset by distelAPPArath, Pixabay div#home-content > div.row > article#cellcat-1-2 > p.credits
03/26/2026 div.row > article#cellcat-1-3 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: Fig 3 by Oaquim et al., CC BY 4.0 div#home-content > div.row > article#cellcat-1-3 > p.credits
03/16/2026 div.column > article#cellcat2-1 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: PLOS by PLOS, CC BY 4.0 div.row > div.column > article#cellcat2-1 > p.credits
02/27/2026 div.column > article#cellcat2-2 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: freepik div.row > div.column > article#cellcat2-2 > p.credits
02/11/2026 div.column > article#cellcat2-3 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: freepik div.row > div.column > article#cellcat2-3 > p.credits
03/19/2026 div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-1 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: fig 2 by Sahil et al., CC BY 4.0 div.column > div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-1 > p.credits
03/24/2026 div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-2 > div.block-content > p.date
03/20/2026 div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-3 > div.block-content > p.date
03/25/2026 div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-4 > div.block-content > p.date
Image credit: fig 1 byHarries et al., CC BY 4.0 div.column > div.row-small-blocks > article#cellcat3-4 > p.credits
Browse the lastest collections of papers from across PLOS. div.jcarousel > ul > li > p
  of   article#carousel-1 > div.carousel-control > div.numbers > span
New opportunities to meet our editorial staff will be announced soon. div.jcarousel > ul > li > p
  of   article#carousel-2 > div.carousel-control > div.numbers > span

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Names and labels

Screen reader users rely on frame titles to describe the contents of frames. Learn more about frame titles.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.plos-row > div#etocs-signup > div.form-container > iframe div.plos-row > div#etocs-signup > div.form-container > iframe

Link text (and alternate text for images, when used as links) that is discernible, unique, and focusable improves the navigation experience for screen reader users. Learn how to make links accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-1 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-prev div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-1 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-prev
div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-1 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-next div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-1 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-next
div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-2 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-prev div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-2 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-prev
div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-2 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-next div.row-small-blocks > article#carousel-2 > div.carousel-control > a.jcarousel-next

These are opportunities to improve the semantics of the controls in your application. This may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

Best practices

Touch targets with sufficient size and spacing help users who may have difficulty targeting small controls to activate the targets. Learn more about touch targets.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
PLOS Aging and Health div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-age
PLOS Biology div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-bio
PLOS Climate div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-climate
PLOS Complex Systems div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-complex-systems
PLOS Computational Biology div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-compbio
PLOS Digital Health div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-digitalhealth
PLOS Ecosystems div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-eco
PLOS Genetics div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-gen
PLOS Global Public Health div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-globalpublichealth
PLOS Medicine div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-med
PLOS Mental Health div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-mental-health
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-ntds
PLOS One div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-one
PLOS Pathogens div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-path
PLOS Water div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-water
Home div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-home
Blogs div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-blog
Collections div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-collections
Give feedback div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-feedback
LOCKSS div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-lockss
Privacy Policy div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-privacy
Terms of Use div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-terms
Advertise div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-advertise
Media Inquiries div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-media
Contact div.block > ul.nav > li > a#ftr-contact

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

○Interactive controls are keyboard focusable
○Interactive elements indicate their purpose and state
○The page has a logical tab order
○Visual order on the page follows DOM order
○User focus is not accidentally trapped in a region
○The user's focus is directed to new content added to the page
○HTML5 landmark elements are used to improve navigation
○Offscreen content is hidden from assistive technology
○Custom controls have associated labels
○Custom controls have ARIA roles
●`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles
●`[aria-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`
●`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes
●`[role]` values are valid
●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
●Buttons have an accessible name
●Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
●Form elements have associated labels
●`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
●Document has a `<title>` element
●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
●Links are distinguishable without relying on color.
●Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).
●List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
●No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
●`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.
●Skip links are focusable.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Identical links have the same purpose.
●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
○`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents
○ARIA input fields have accessible names
○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
○Elements with an ARIA `[role]` that require children to contain a specific `[role]` have all required children.
○`[role]`s are contained by their required parent element
○Elements with the `role=text` attribute do not have focusable descendents.
○ARIA toggle fields have accessible names
○ARIA `tooltip` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `treeitem` elements have accessible names
○The page contains a heading, skip link, or landmark region
○`<dl>`'s contain only properly-ordered `<dt>` and `<dd>` groups, `<script>`, `<template>` or `<div>` elements.
○Definition list items are wrapped in `<dl>` elements
○ARIA IDs are unique
○No form fields have multiple labels
○Input buttons have discernible text.
○`<input type="image">` elements have `[alt]` text
○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`
○`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.
○`<object>` elements have alternate text
○Select elements have associated label elements.
○Cells in a `<table>` element that use the `[headers]` attribute refer to table cells within the same table.
○`<th>` elements and elements with `[role="columnheader"/"rowheader"]` have data cells they describe.
○`[lang]` attributes have a valid value
○`<video>` elements contain a `<track>` element with `[kind="captions"]`
○Tables have different content in the summary attribute and `<caption>`.
○All heading elements contain content.
○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
○Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.
○Tables use `<caption>` instead of cells with the `[colspan]` attribute to indicate a caption.
○`<td>` elements in a large `<table>` have one or more table headers.
77

Best Practices

General

Deprecated APIs will eventually be removed from the browser. Learn more about deprecated APIs.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Deprecation / WarningSource
Unload event listeners are deprecated and will be removed.
journals.plos.org/plosone/ line 177, col 29072

Errors logged to the console indicate unresolved problems. They can come from network request failures and other browser concerns. Learn more about this errors in console diagnostic audit

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

SourceDescription
journals.plos.org/plosone/ line 177, col 29092
Error: Module "feeds" is not supported. at https://www.google.com/jsapi?autoload=%7B%22modules%22%3A%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22feeds%22%2C%22version%22%3A%221.0%22%2C%22language%22%3A%22en%22%7D%5D%7D:148:434 at nrWrapper (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/:178:29073)
journals.plos.org/user/status
Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 401 ()
everyone.plos.org/?feed=json
Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 ()

Source maps translate minified code to the original source code. This helps developers debug in production. In addition, Lighthouse is able to provide further insights. Consider deploying source maps to take advantage of these benefits. Learn more about source maps.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

URLMap URL
journals.plos.org/resource/js/defer.js?7a7aa422bfb89c594626
js.hsadspixel.net/pixels.js/adsscriptloaderstatic/static-1.3043/bundles/pixels-relea...
●Uses HTTPS
●Avoids third-party cookies
●Allows users to paste into input fields
●Avoids requesting the geolocation permission on page load
●Avoids requesting the notification permission on page load
●Displays images with correct aspect ratio
●Serves images with appropriate resolution
●Page has the HTML doctype
●Properly defines charset
●No issues in the `Issues` panel in Chrome Devtools
●Ensure CSP is effective against XSS attacks
●Use a strong HSTS policy
●Ensure proper origin isolation with COOP
●Mitigate DOM-based XSS with Trusted Types
●Detected JavaScript libraries
○Redirects HTTP traffic to HTTPS
○Mitigate clickjacking with XFO or CSP
83

SEO

These checks ensure that your page is following basic search engine optimization advice. There are many additional factors Lighthouse does not score here that may affect your search ranking, including performance on Core Web Vitals. Learn more about Google Search Essentials.

Content Best Practices

Meta descriptions may be included in search results to concisely summarize page content. Learn more about the meta description.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Descriptive link text helps search engines understand your content. Learn how to make links more accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Link destinationLink Text
github.com/PLOS/plos-thesaurus/blob/master/README.mdhere

Format your HTML in a way that enables crawlers to better understand your app’s content.

○Structured data is valid
●Page isn’t blocked from indexing
●Document has a `<title>` element
●Page has successful HTTP status code
●Links are crawlable
●robots.txt is valid
●Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
●Document has a valid `hreflang`
○Document has a valid `rel=canonical`

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