Yes, you can cite a paper under review, but prefer a public preprint or label it transparently by status.
Writers hit this situation a lot: a result you need lives in a manuscript that is still being assessed. The practical issue is not just “may I cite it,” but how to do it so editors, reviewers, and readers stay on side. The guide below gives you workable rules, clean wording, and a decision path that lets you proceed with confidence.
Quick Rules At A Glance
Start with this broad decision grid. It shows what to cite, how to label it, and what readers should see.
| Scenario | What To Cite | How It Appears |
|---|---|---|
| A public preprint exists | The preprint record | Author, Year. Title. Preprint server + DOI/URL. |
| No preprint; manuscript sent to a journal | The unpublished manuscript | Author, Year. Title. “Manuscript submitted for publication” or “under review.” |
| Accepted but not yet paginated | Article in press | Author, Year. Title. Journal. “Advance online” or “in press.” |
| Private data shared only with you | Personal communication | In-text only with date; no reference list entry. |
| Conference abstract only | The abstract | Abstract citation with meeting name, number, and year. |
Why Editors Care About Transparency
Readers need a path to verify claims. Items inside a private review loop are harder to check than public records. That is why most styles prefer a linkable version when possible and call for clear status labels when a public record does not exist. Editors also ask authors to refresh any “submitted” entries at proof stage so the final record matches what readers can reach.
Citing A Manuscript Under Review—What Counts As Best Practice
Ask the authors if a public preprint can be posted. A preprint gives readers an open landing page and a persistent identifier. If the work cannot be posted, cite the manuscript with a clear status label and keep claims modest. Avoid language that treats nonpublic results as settled fact. When a journal discourages unrecoverable items in the list, keep the mention in text and shift weight to public sources.
Policies You Can Rely On
Large publishers and ethics bodies endorse public preprints and transparent labeling of manuscripts that are not yet published. For concrete, style-level rules, see the APA guidance on unpublished works. For ethics framing around sharing and citing preprints, see COPE’s best practices for preprints. These two sources cover most day-to-day decisions you will face.
When A Public Preprint Exists
Use the preprint as the reference of record. Keep the server name and the persistent identifier. Skip “under review” in the list when a public version exists; readers should get the link that works today. If the paper later appears in a journal, update the entry so the record points to the version of record.
When Only A Private Manuscript Exists
Use status wording the target style accepts: “manuscript submitted for publication,” “manuscript under review,” or “unpublished manuscript.” Many styles place such items in text only; others permit a reference list entry with a status note. Leave the target journal name out unless your style or venue requires it. Include authors, full title, and year. If the draft was shared directly with you, some styles add a note on access.
Field Norms And Journal Rules
Norms vary by area. Physics and math often expect a preprint citation and may dislike unrecoverable “submitted” entries. Biomedicine tends to accept preprints widely, while some clinical outlets limit nonpublic items in the list. Read the author guidelines for your venue. If the rule blocks nonpublic entries, keep the mention in text and lean on public sources for core claims.
Style Guide How-Tos
Drop these patterns into your draft. Replace placeholders with real details and align punctuation with your target journal.
APA Style (Seventh Edition)
Items that readers cannot retrieve (such as a confidential draft) are cited in text only. For a public preprint, give a full reference with the server name and DOI. For a manuscript that has been sent to a journal but is not public, APA uses wording like “Manuscript submitted for publication.” The APA link above shows these patterns and reminds you to update entries once the work is out.
APA In-Text
(Author Surname, Year, Manuscript submitted for publication)
APA Reference List—Preprint
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Preprint at Server. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Chicago Notes & Bibliography
Chicago accepts citations to unpublished manuscripts. Give author, title, date, and a description such as “unpublished manuscript” or “submitted manuscript,” plus location details if relevant. If no public record exists, many outlets prefer notes-only treatment; follow the journal’s house style.
Chicago Note
1. Author First Last, “Title,” unpublished manuscript, Year.
Chicago Bibliography
Author Last, First. “Title.” Unpublished manuscript, Year.
MLA
MLA treats a nonpublic manuscript as an unpublished work. Give the authors, the title in quotation marks, the year, and a descriptive label such as “unpublished manuscript.” For a public preprint, list the repository, version, and URL.
IEEE
IEEE uses numbered references. Unpublished items often appear as “unpublished” or “submitted for publication,” with title and year. Many venues in this family prefer public records, so a preprint is the better option when it exists.
Decision Path You Can Use Today
Follow this short workflow to land on the right approach.
- Check whether a preprint exists. If yes, cite that record.
- If no, ask the authors if posting a preprint is allowed. Many publishers permit it.
- If a public record is not possible, cite the manuscript with a clear status label per your style.
- Confirm the target journal’s stance on nonpublic items in the list.
- At acceptance or proof stage, refresh any “submitted” entries.
Examples You Can Adapt
Use these snippets to keep wording tight and status clear.
Preprint (Generic)
Lopez, R., & Okoro, T. (2024). Fast mapping of X. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12345
Submitted Manuscript (Text Only)
In line with Smith and Adu (2025, manuscript submitted for publication), we tested …
In Press
Chen, M., Patel, N., & Iqbal, S. (in press). Title. Journal Name.
What To Avoid
- Relying heavily on a source that readers cannot see.
- Naming the target journal inside a “submitted” entry unless the style requires it.
- Linking to private files or cloud folders as if they were formal sources.
- Letting “submitted” entries linger after acceptance.
Author Permission And Fair Use
When a draft is private, get the authors’ okay before quoting sensitive details. Short, nonconfidential facts are usually fine in scholarly writing, but reproducing a figure or table from a private draft requires permission and, in many cases, a license. When in doubt, paraphrase and label the status clearly.
Journal Policies: A Few Patterns
Many large publishers welcome public preprints and allow authors to cite them in submissions, while discouraging nonrecoverable items in the list. If the rule is strict, keep the mention in text and point readers to a related, citable record. Always cross-check the author guidelines before you submit.
Discipline Notes That Help In Practice
STEM Fields
ArXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, and related servers are standard. Many venues read a preprint as a normal, citable record. A “submitted” entry that lacks a link tends to raise questions, so post a preprint when you can.
Social Sciences
SSRN and dedicated preprint hubs are common. A working-paper or preprint with a DOI is far easier for readers to follow than a nonpublic draft. If the analysis is policy-sensitive, use careful language and stick to measured claims.
Humanities
Monographs and chapters often move slowly through presses. Notes are flexible here, and editors may accept brief references to an upcoming work with a descriptive label. Still, readers appreciate a public record when one exists, such as a repository working paper.
How To Phrase Claims About Nonpublic Results
Keep verbs neutral. Say “reports,” “proposes,” or “finds in preliminary analyses.” Avoid bare, absolute statements that imply finality. If the point is central to your argument, back it with a second, public source that points in the same direction, then describe the agreement briefly.
Updating References Efficiently
Build a small checklist for the last pass before submission and again at proofs: search by title, fetch the DOI, replace any “submitted” labels with “in press” or final details, and confirm that links resolve. Many styles permit the in-press label with a DOI as soon as it appears online. This pass takes minutes and removes friction during copyediting.
Reviewer Perspective
Reviewers want a traceable chain of evidence. A nonpublic draft can be fine when the point is minor or background, but it should not carry your thesis. If that draft anchors a key step, a public preprint solves most trust issues. Clear status labels also help reviewers understand what they can and cannot fetch.
Checklist Before You Submit
- Search for a public preprint; cite it if present.
- If no preprint exists, ask whether one can be posted.
- Use the style-approved status label for nonpublic items.
- Keep target journal names out of the entry unless required.
- Revisit the list at proofs and refresh any stale labels.
Short Email Template To Request A Preprint
Subject: Citation For Your Manuscript — Request For Public Link
Hello [Name],
I’d like to cite your manuscript titled “[Title].” Do you have a public preprint (server + DOI/URL) I can reference? If not, are you open to posting one? If a preprint is not possible, I’ll cite it as a manuscript submitted for publication with a status note. Thanks for confirming the preferred citation.
Style Cheatsheet For Fast Formatting
Use this compact table once you know whether your source is public or private.
| Style | In-Text Status Line | Reference List Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | (Author, Year, Manuscript submitted for publication) | Text-only for nonrecoverable; full entry for preprints with DOI. |
| Chicago N&B | Author, “Title,” unpublished manuscript, Year | Note and/or bibliography entry allowed; include description. |
| MLA | Author. “Title.” Year. Unpublished manuscript. | Full entry allowed; repository listed for public preprints. |
| IEEE | [n] Author, “Title,” unpublished, Year | Entry allowed; many venues prefer a citable preprint. |
Phrasing That Keeps You Safe
Neutral language keeps you out of trouble. Write “the authors report preliminary evidence that …” rather than a flat “the authors prove ….” When a claim depends on a draft that is not public, explain the limit in a short note and point readers to any related, accessible record.
Where To Place Citations In Your Paper
Place the first mention where the idea enters. For methods reused across sections, repeat short in-text mentions near the step where they matter, then keep one full entry in the list. If space is tight, move context into a footnote and keep the main text lean.
Two Common Scenarios
You Are Citing Your Own Submitted Manuscript
Treat it the same way you would treat someone else’s work. If a public preprint exists, cite that. If not, use the standard “submitted” wording in text and keep a list entry only if your style allows it. Never imply acceptance or promise timing.
You Are Citing Someone Else’s Confidential Draft
Ask before citing. If the authors prefer not to be named yet, describe the idea at a general level without identifying the draft, or point to a related abstract or preprint. Your goal is to give readers a fair path to the claim without breaching confidence.
Ethics And Reader Trust
Openness is the thread that ties all this together. Public records carry more weight because readers can check them. Ethics groups encourage routes that keep the chain of evidence visible, which is why many journals welcome preprints and ask authors to refresh references once articles move to “in press.”
Linkable Guidance You Can Cite
For concrete rules, see the APA guidance on unpublished works and COPE’s best practices for preprints. Both sources explain status labels and when to point readers to a public preprint instead of a private draft.
Bottom Line For Authors
You can proceed and cite work that sits in a review loop, as long as the status is clear and public versions take priority. When a preprint is possible, use it. When it is not, keep the wording balanced, follow your style’s patterns, and be ready to refresh the entry when the article is accepted.