APA “article under review” citations use the label “Manuscript submitted for publication,” with author, year, title, and a source element; do not name the target journal.
What “Under Review” Means In APA
You found or wrote a paper that is not published yet, but it has already been sent to a journal. In APA 7, that status is treated as an unpublished work. The reference label to use is “Manuscript submitted for publication.” That wording keeps the entry clear without naming an editor or a journal that may change later.
This guide shows the exact pieces to include, how to format the reference, and how your in-text citations work for one author, two authors, three or more authors, and group authors.
Citing An Article Under Review In APA Style: Step-By-Step
Follow These Elements In Order
Every APA reference has four building blocks: author, date, title, and source. For a manuscript under review, the source is a short description of the work instead of a journal. After the title, add the bracketed phrase [Manuscript submitted for publication]. You can add a department and institution after the bracket if your instructor or editor asks for it.
When a public preprint exists, cite the preprint version instead and include its repository and DOI. If the paper is accepted, switch to the in-press format and add the journal name.
Pick The Right Status Line
Use the status that matches what you actually read. The table shows common cases and the matching template, along with a sample you can adapt.
| Status | Reference Template | Sample Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Manuscript in preparation | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of manuscript [Manuscript in preparation]. Department, University. | Rahman, S., & Ali, T. (2024). Habit cues and snack choice [Manuscript in preparation]. Dept. of Psychology, Dhaka Univ. |
| Manuscript submitted for publication (under review) | Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of manuscript [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department, University. | Nguyen, L. Q., Patel, R., & Torres, M. (2025). Social support and glucose adherence [Manuscript submitted for publication]. School of Public Health, U. of Sydney. |
| Accepted, not yet published (in press) | Author, A. A. (in press). Article title. Journal Title. | Okeke, C. (in press). Teacher feedback in mixed classes. Teaching Research. |
| Public preprint on a repository | Author, A. A. (Year). Article title [Preprint]. Repository Name. URL or DOI | Campos, J. (2024). Urban air and cognition [Preprint]. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/abcd1 |
Notice that the target journal never appears in the “submitted” entry. That information can change and is not part of a stable source. When a DOI is available only on a preprint, cite the preprint instead of the private manuscript.
For dates, use the year on the draft you read. If the draft has no date, use (n.d.). Do not invent a month or day for a journal article reference.
Need an official pattern to follow? See the Scribbr guide on unpublished and submitted articles, which uses APA 7 rules. For cases with public preprints, the U.S. National Library of Medicine preprint page shows how to include a repository and a DOI.
Formatting Rules That Matter
Author Names
List surnames and initials. Use an ampersand before the last author in a reference entry. In the text, use “and” for narrative citations and an ampersand inside parentheses.
Title And Bracketed Description
Italicize the manuscript title in sentence case. Right after the title, supply the bracketed status. For a submitted article, write [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Avoid “under review” or “submitted to Journal Name.”
Source Element
Because a submitted article is not yet in a journal, the source becomes a short description. Many guides allow a department and institution after the bracket; follow your assignment or outlet. If a version is public in a repository, include the repository and a DOI instead of a local department.
In-Text Citations For Works Under Review
Basic Patterns
Use author–date style as usual. Parenthetical: (Author, Year). Narrative: Author (Year). When you quote, add a page or paragraph number. For works with three or more authors, shorten to the first author plus “et al.” after the first mention.
Special Case: In Press
When a paper is accepted, use “in press” for the year in both the reference and the in-text citation, like (Rivera, in press). Once the issue appears, replace the entry with the full journal citation and the DOI if present.
Quick In-Text Patterns
These examples show common cases you will see with under-review manuscripts and near neighbors.
| Scenario | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author, submitted | (Miller, 2025) | Miller (2025) |
| Two authors, submitted | (Iqbal & Chen, 2024) | Iqbal and Chen (2024) |
| Three or more authors, submitted | (Santos et al., 2023) | Santos et al. (2023) |
| Group author, submitted | (World Health Organization, 2025) | World Health Organization (2025) |
| Accepted article | (Rivera, in press) | Rivera (in press) |
Common Pitfalls And Fixes
Do Not Name The Target Journal
APA treats “submitted” as an unpublished work. Leave out journal names, issue numbers, editors, and URLs that point to private systems.
Use The Correct Year
Match the year on the draft you used. If you revise the paper and it gets accepted, update your text and the reference list to the in-press form.
Prefer A Public Preprint When It Exists
When a DOI comes only from a preprint, cite the preprint. Readers can then access what you read, and you still update to the final article once it is published.
Worked Examples You Can Copy
Submitted Manuscript
Reference — Adebayo, K., & Rahman, N. (2025). Digital prompts and morning exercise [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Dept. of Kinesiology, University of Lagos.
In-text — Parenthetical: (Adebayo & Rahman, 2025). Narrative: Adebayo and Rahman (2025).
Submitted, Three Or More Authors
Reference — Choi, Y., Das, P., García, M., & Patel, V. (2024). Neighborhood food maps and diet swaps [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Faculty of Health, Monash University.
In-text — First mention: Choi, Das, García, and Patel (2024). Later: Choi et al. (2024).
Public Preprint Instead Of A Private Draft
Reference — Khan, R., & Silva, J. (2023). Peer feedback in remote labs [Preprint]. OSF Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/xyz9p
In-text — (Khan & Silva, 2023).
Accepted Article
Reference — Morgan, T. (in press). Sleep timing in shift nurses. Journal of Occupational Health.
In-text — (Morgan, in press).
Quick Checklist Before You Publish
- Confirm the status: in preparation, submitted, preprint, or in press.
- Build the reference with author, year, italic title, and the correct bracketed label.
- Leave out the target journal for a submitted draft.
- Use author–date in the text; shorten three or more authors to “et al.” after the first mention.
- Swap to the preprint entry when a public DOI exists; swap to in press once accepted.
- When the final article appears, replace the entry with the full journal citation and DOI.
Edge Cases And Life-Cycle Updates
When The Draft Has No Date
Sometimes a colleague shares a version without a date line. Use (n.d.) in the reference and in the citation. If you later receive a dated copy, change the entry to match that year and update every in-text citation.
When The Author Is A Group
Spell out the full group name in the reference list. In the text, write the full name the first time and introduce a well known abbreviation in brackets if it helps later mentions. For example, World Health Organization (WHO, 2025) followed by WHO (2025).
When Parts Of The Title Change
Use the title that appears on the draft you consulted. If the preprint or the accepted version uses a new title, cite that version instead so that readers can match the words they see on the public page.
When A Journal Demands A Blind Review
During blind review of your own paper, you can still include a citation to your under-review work. Replace author names with “Author” in the manuscript you submit for review and supply a full, correct entry at camera-ready stage.
Punctuation And Capitalization Cheatsheet
- Place a period after each element: author. date. title. source.
- Use sentence case for the manuscript title: capital letter only on the first word and proper nouns.
- Inside brackets, do not capitalize common nouns unless they start the element: [Manuscript submitted for publication].
- Keep commas inside the author element only; do not add a comma before the bracketed status.
- Use a hanging indent on the reference page so the first line is flush left.
Template You Can Reuse
Submitted article — Surname, N. N., Surname, N. N., & Surname, N. N. (Year). Title in sentence case [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department, University.
In press — Surname, N. N. (in press). Title in sentence case. Journal Title.
Troubleshooting Scenarios
A Reviewer Wants The Target Journal Named
That request conflicts with APA reference style for unpublished works. Keep the “submitted” label and leave the journal out. The venue will appear once a paper is accepted and the entry switches to in press.
Your Entry Looks Different From A Database Export
Reference managers sometimes pull the “under review” note into the title field or add a fake journal. Edit by hand so the status appears only in brackets and the source element is correct.
You Quoted A Line From The Draft
Add a page or paragraph number after the year in the citation. If the draft has no page numbers, use a paragraph number or a section heading.
Proofread punctuation, spacing, italics, and the bracketed note; small typos often break patterns that screeners look for in references and titles before you submit anything.