Cite a paper under review by marking it as an unpublished manuscript, naming the authors, year, title, and status, and adding a venue if known.
Citing work that is still under review can feel tricky. You want credit where it is due, yet readers need a path to the source. The solution is simple: be frank about status and give the best locator you have. If a public version exists, point to it. When no public version exists, most styles let you label the item as a manuscript with a clear status note. This guide spells out plain patterns that match the major styles and keeps your reference list tidy.
What “Under Review” Means
When scholars say a paper is “under review,” they mean the manuscript has been submitted to a journal and is with editors or reviewers. That status sits in a small family of labels that tell a reader how far along a work is. Use the label that matches the truth on the day you cite the work. Switch the label when the status changes, and update the reference at your next revision.
| Status Label | What It Tells The Reader | Reference List? |
|---|---|---|
| In Preparation | Author is still drafting; not submitted. | Usually no; mention in text only if needed. |
| Submitted / Under Review | With editors or reviewers at a journal. | Yes in most author–date styles with a status note. |
| Revise & Resubmit | Revision requested; not accepted. | Treat as “under review.” |
| Accepted / In Press | Accepted; final version pending publication. | Yes; use the “in press” pattern for your style. |
| Preprint | Public version on a repository. | Yes; cite the preprint record with DOI or ID. |
One label does not fit all. The wording you choose signals how reliable the citation trail will be. An item posted as a preprint is easy to fetch. A private draft is not. When readers cannot reach a source, give them enough detail to ask the author for a copy or to spot the work once it appears in print.
How To Cite A Manuscript Under Review — Style Guide Rules
APA 7 (Author–Date)
APA 7 lets you cite a manuscript that is not public by adding a bracketed status after the title. Use text like “[Manuscript submitted for publication]” or “[Manuscript in preparation]”. If the draft sits at an institution, list that home as the source. Use a preprint entry when the draft is on a repository. APA also asks you to cite the final version once it exists. See the official APA guidance on unpublished works for examples.
APA Reference Pattern
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of manuscript [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department or Institution.APA In-Text
(Author & Author, Year)MLA 9 (Humanities)
MLA 9 treats an unpublished paper like other untitled items. Give the author, the title in quotation marks, the description “Unpublished manuscript,” and the date of composition. If a platform hosts a preprint, cite the platform and include the DOI or URL.
MLA Works Cited Pattern
Author Surname, Name. "Title of Manuscript." Unpublished manuscript, Year.MLA In-Text
(Surname page)Chicago 17 (Notes & Bibliography)
In Chicago Notes and Bibliography, an unpublished paper takes quotation marks for the title plus a description such as “unpublished manuscript” or “manuscript submitted for publication.” Add a date and any helpful location detail. Give full facts in a note and again in the bibliography, or rely on notes alone if your outlet allows that approach.
Chicago Note
1. A. A. Author, "Title of Paper," unpublished manuscript, Month Day, Year.Chicago Bibliography
Author, A. A. "Title of Paper." Unpublished manuscript, Month Day, Year.IEEE (Engineering)
IEEE uses a numbered list. In the reference, include the author, the paper title in quotes, a status note such as “unpublished” or “submitted for publication,” and the year. Preprints can be cited with the arXiv identifier or a DOI.
IEEE Reference
[#] A. A. Author and B. B. Author, "Title of paper," unpublished, Year.IEEE In-Text
[#]ACS (Chemistry)
In ACS style, journals often ask you not to list items that a reader cannot obtain. When you must point to a private draft, do so in text as a personal communication or as an unpublished work with permission. When a preprint exists, cite the preprint record and add the DOI. Once the article appears, switch to the published citation.
ACS Reference (Preprint)
Author, A. A.; Author, B. B. Title. Preprint at Repository, Year. DOI or Identifier.ACS In-Text (Private Draft)
Author, unpublished work, Month Day, Year.AMA 11 (Health Sciences)
AMA 11 uses a numbered list like IEEE. Routine practice keeps private material out of that list. If you need to mention a draft that is not public, place a note in the text that gives the author, a short description, and the date. If a preprint is public, list it in the references and mark it as a preprint.
AMA Reference (Preprint)
1. Author AA, Author BB. Title. Preprint. Repository. Year. doi:DOIAMA In-Text (Private Draft)
...according to Author (unpublished data, Month Year)...Prefer A Public Version When You Can
Readers value links that open. When a preprint is available, cite that version now and the journal version later. Many editors ask for this path. Clear labeling also lines up with medical journal policies: see the ICMJE guidance on preprint citations. Citing the preprint makes peer review transparent and gives a stable locator during the review cycle.
In-Text Citation Patterns That Fit Each Style
Status notes live in the reference entry, not in the parenthetical or numeric callouts. In text, write the name and year for author–date styles or the bracketed number for numeric styles. When you name the author in the sentence, follow the usual pattern for that style. Do not invent new labels in text; keep labels in the reference.
Common Pitfalls And Fixes
- Do not guess a journal name. If the venue changes, your entry will age fast.
- Do not promise “in press” unless acceptance is real.
- Do not mix two status labels on the same item.
- Do not hide the status of a key source in a footnote.
- Do not forget to update your list once the paper is accepted.
| Style | Reference Entry Template | In-Text Cue |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department or Institution. |
(Author, Year) |
| MLA 9 | Author Surname, Name. "Title." Unpublished manuscript, Year. |
(Surname page) |
| Chicago 17 | Author, A. A. "Title." Unpublished manuscript, Month Day, Year. |
Note number |
| IEEE | [#] A. A. Author, "Title," unpublished, Year. |
[#] |
| ACS | Author, A. A.; Author, B. B. Title. Preprint at Repository, Year. DOI. |
Author, unpublished work, Month Day, Year. |
| AMA 11 | 1. Author AA, Author BB. Title. Preprint. Repository. Year. doi:DOI |
...unpublished data, Month Year... |
Templates speed up careful work. Swap in real names, real dates, and the true status. Keep punctuation and capitalization as your style guide shows. Remove elements that do not apply to your case.
Worked Mini-Examples
APA 7 — Under Review
Rahman, M., & Chen, L. (2025). Low-cost sensors for river turbidity
[Manuscript submitted for publication]. School of Civil Engineering, Dhaka Tech.MLA 9 — Unpublished
Rahman, Mo. "Street-Level Glucose Mapping With Wearables."
Unpublished manuscript, 2025.Chicago 17 — Note + Bibliography
1. Mo Rahman, "Nutrient Timing In Rope Skipping," unpublished manuscript, May 14, 2025.Rahman, Mo. "Nutrient Timing In Rope Skipping." Unpublished manuscript, May 14, 2025.IEEE — Numeric
[12] M. Rahman and L. Chen, "Street-scale PM2.5 mapping," submitted for publication, 2025.ACS — Preprint
Rahman, M.; Chen, L. Street-Scale PM2.5 Mapping With Wearables.
Preprint at medRxiv, 2025. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxxxAMA 11 — In-Text Note For A Private Draft
...as reported by Rahman (unpublished data, July 2025)...Final Checks Before You Cite
- Match the status label to reality on the day you submit.
- Pick one style and use it the same way across the list.
- Make sure every preprint link works.
- Confirm that private items are labeled and placed as your style requires.
- When a paper moves to “accepted,” refresh the entry at once.
How to cite a paper under review comes down to two habits: name the status, and give the best path to the work. Do that, and your readers can trace every claim without guesswork.