To cite an article under review, treat it as an unpublished manuscript (or “manuscript submitted for publication”), and give author, year, title, and status.
Working with sources that are still in review can feel tricky. Editors and readers want clarity, and styles handle the status in slightly different ways. This guide shows you the exact wording, placement, and examples that keep your references tidy and reliable.
Quick Start: Pick The Right Label
Choose the label that fits the real status of the work you used. The table maps common situations to the phrasing that styles expect. When a preprint exists, cite that version instead of a private submission.
| Status You Have | What To Call It | Sample Label In Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Submitted to a journal; not accepted | Unpublished manuscript | [Manuscript submitted for publication] |
| Accepted by a journal, not yet scheduled | Forthcoming | Forthcoming |
| Accepted and in production | In press | in press |
| Preprint on a repository | Preprint | Preprint on arXiv/OSF/SSRN + DOI/URL |
| Online ahead of print with volume pending | Advance online | Advance online publication / online first |
| Revised and resubmitted | Unpublished manuscript | [Manuscript in revision] or similar private note |
| Conference paper under review for proceedings | Unpublished paper | [Unpublished manuscript] with conference name |
| Confidential peer review report | Do not cite | Not citable; use published guidance |
Citing An Article Under Review: Style-Smart Rules
APA 7 Style
APA expects you to cite the version you used. If the item is a private submission, format it as an unpublished manuscript with a bracketed status after the title. If a preprint exists, cite the preprint with its DOI or URL. APA’s reference examples for preprints confirm this approach, along with general rules about reference elements.
Reference List Template (Unpublished Submission)
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the manuscript. [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Example
Rahman, T., & Perez, L. (2025). Social trust after coastal displacement. [Manuscript submitted for publication].
In-Text
(Rahman & Perez, 2025)
If you used a preprint version, include the repository and DOI, e.g., “Preprint on OSF. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx”. APA’s preprint reference page lays out this pattern, and its “elements of reference list entries” page notes how to handle missing or pending publication data.
Chicago Style
Chicago supports two systems. For author-date, label accepted but not yet published work as “forthcoming.” For notes-bibliography, you may describe a private submission as an unpublished manuscript in a note and omit it from the bibliography when readers cannot access it. Chicago’s editors also advise using “forthcoming” when you need a promise of publication without guessing dates.
Author-Date Reference (Under Review)
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. 2025. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Unpublished manuscript.
In-Text
(Rahman and Perez 2025)
Author-Date Reference (Accepted)
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. Forthcoming. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Journal Name.
Notes-Bibliography (Footnote, Under Review)
1. Tariq Rahman and Lucia Perez, “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement,” unpublished manuscript, 2025.
Chicago’s Q&A further shows “forthcoming” usage and confirms that drafts not tied to a journal can be cited as manuscripts or working papers.
MLA 9 Style
MLA asks you to cite the version you consulted. If the work is accepted but not yet out, use “forthcoming” in place of the date. If it is still under review, treat it as a manuscript and supply the date of the version you used.
Works-Cited Entry (Under Review)
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Manuscript, 2025.
In-Text
(Rahman and Perez)
Works-Cited Entry (Accepted)
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Journal Name, forthcoming.
Write It So Readers Can Find The Final Paper
Give readers a path to the published record. If a preprint DOI exists, include it. If a dataset or OSF project hosts the draft, add that URL. When the article appears in a journal, update your list so the published version replaces the private label. Version awareness helps your audience find the same text you saw.
Simple Update Routine
- Search the author name + title every few months.
- If the work is now online first or in press, switch the label.
- When the final issue drops, replace the entry with the full citation and move the preprint to a note if you quoted that exact version.
Edge Cases You Might Meet
Multiple Authors And Group Names
Write all authors up to the style’s limit, then use “et al.” in text where allowed. For group authors, use the group name as the author and repeat the name in the publisher field only when the style calls for it.
No Date On The Manuscript
Use “n.d.” in APA author-date and supply as much detail as the style allows. If you can locate a repository timestamp or a cover letter date, that is acceptable for the year field in many styles.
Your Own Submission
State the status in third-person, the same way you would for any author. Avoid private URLs to editorial systems. If a preprint copy is public, cite that instead, since readers can reach it.
Confidential Documents
Peer reports and editor letters are private. Cite a public guideline or a journal policy page that explains the point you need, or rework the claim so it rests on sources that readers can check.
Polish Checklist For Under-Review Citations
- Use the status that matches the version in hand.
- Prefer a public version with a DOI.
- Keep author order exactly as on the manuscript title page.
- Match capitalization to the style you are using.
- Do not invent issue numbers or page spans.
- If the title changes between versions, cite the version you used and tell readers in a note when needed.
- Replace private labels with full details once the article appears.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
| Mistake | Better | Why This Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Calling a submission “in press” | Use “manuscript submitted for publication” | “In press” is for accepted items only |
| Linking to a login-only file | Point to a public preprint or omit the link | Readers need open access to verify |
| Supplying a guessed year | Use the actual year on the draft | Guessing breaks traceability |
| Mixing APA and Chicago punctuation | Pick one style and apply it end-to-end | Consistency speeds reading |
| Dropping the status label | Add the bracketed note after the title | Signals that the text may change |
| Omitting a DOI on a preprint | Include the DOI link | DOIs stay stable over time |
| Adding the journal name for an unaccepted draft | Leave the journal field blank | Submission targets can change |
Copy-Ready Templates
APA 7
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the manuscript. [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Chicago Author-Date
Author, A. A., and B. B. Author. Year. “Title.” Unpublished manuscript.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography (Footnote)
1. A. A. Author and B. B. Author, “Title,” unpublished manuscript, Year.
MLA 9 (Under Review)
Author, A. A., and B. B. Author. “Title.” Manuscript, Year.
MLA 9 (Accepted)
Author, A. A., and B. B. Author. “Title.” Journal Name, forthcoming.
Trusted Style Sources
APA outlines how to cite preprints and reminds writers to cite the version used. See the official preprint reference examples. For Chicago guidance on using “forthcoming” and on citing drafts as manuscripts, review the Chicago Q&A on that point.
Formatting Details That Trip People Up
Small wording choices change meaning, so keep the labels sharp. Treat “forthcoming” and “in press” as signals of acceptance. Reserve “submitted” and “under review” for work that still awaits a decision.
- Title case vs sentence case: match the style you use for the rest of the list.
- Month and day usually stay out of APA references; use the year only for most journal items.
- If you add a repository link, keep the protocol (https) and the DOI string intact.
- In Chicago notes, add enough detail for a reader to locate the exact draft.
- In MLA, “Manuscript” is a medium; place it after the title and before the year.
- Never list a journal name for a submission that has not been accepted.
Worked Examples By Scenario
Below are short, copy-ready examples you can adapt. Keep names, titles, and years from your source. Do not mix formats across systems.
A) Private Submission, No Preprint
You saw a copy shared by the authors. The draft has a date but no DOI and no public link.
APA
Rahman, T., & Perez, L. (2025). Social trust after coastal displacement. [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Chicago AD
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. 2025. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Unpublished manuscript.
Chicago NB
1. Tariq Rahman and Lucia Perez, “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement,” unpublished manuscript, 2025.
MLA
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Manuscript, 2025.
B) Accepted Article, Not Yet Out
You confirmed acceptance. Use the journal name and the marker that signals acceptance.
APA
Rahman, T., & Perez, L. (in press). Social trust after coastal displacement. Journal Name.
Chicago AD
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. Forthcoming. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Journal Name.
Chicago NB
1. Tariq Rahman and Lucia Perez, “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement,” forthcoming, Journal Name.
MLA
Rahman, Tariq, and Lucia Perez. “Social Trust after Coastal Displacement.” Journal Name, forthcoming.
When Your Advisor Or Journal Wants A Different Style
Requests change. If you wrote in APA and get asked for Chicago or MLA, convert the entry rather than rewriting the whole list. Keep authors, title, year, and status identical; only the order and punctuation shift. Save a text file with each template from this page so you can paste and tweak in seconds.
If a style asks for access dates or repository numbers, add them after the DOI or URL. If a repository shows a version number, include it, e.g., “Version 3,” so readers know which text you relied on.