A preprint is a manuscript shared publicly before journal peer review is complete, an accepted manuscript is the peer-reviewed author manuscript accepted by a journal, and the version of record is the publisher’s official published version.
These are stages in one paper’s history, not quality scores. The version you cite should let a reader verify the specific evidence, wording, or analysis your sentence relies on.
This matters because one study can appear in several places with nearly identical titles and author lists. An earlier version may report a different sample, result, limitation, or conclusion. Citing it as though it were the published article can also imply peer review that had not happened.
The three versions, side by side
The NISO recommended practice on journal article versions separates versions by their place in the publication process. In ordinary research, these are the labels you will meet most often.
| Version | What it is | Where you may find it | What may differ | Best citation use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preprint | An author manuscript publicly posted before journal review is complete | arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, SSRN, OSF, or a repository | Methods, analyses, conclusions, title, and author details may change | Cite it when it is the source you used, the only available version, or the object of your discussion |
| Accepted manuscript | The author’s manuscript accepted after peer review, before publisher production | An institutional or subject repository, or an author’s page | Typesetting, pagination, copyediting, and proof-stage changes | Cite it when it is the available source and no version of record is available |
| Version of record | The publisher’s fixed, official published version | A journal or publisher page, usually with a DOI | It can later have linked corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions | Usually cite it for final results and claims when it supports the point you make |
A repository may call an accepted manuscript a “postprint.” That label is not used consistently. Read the record and PDF for wording such as “accepted manuscript,” “author accepted manuscript,” or “not the final published version.”
How to identify the version
Start with the source page, not the PDF filename. A file named final.pdf may be the author’s final submitted draft rather than the journal’s final publication.
A preprint server usually calls the item a preprint and shows a posting date and version history. It may show “v1” or “v2.” That number means the posted manuscript changed. It does not mean the manuscript passed peer review.
An accepted-manuscript record often says “accepted for publication in” and may give the journal citation. Its PDF may use plain manuscript formatting, author-created tables, or continuous line numbers instead of journal pagination. These are clues, not proof.
A publisher page normally names the journal and gives article metadata such as a publication date, volume, issue, article number, or page range. It should also identify a DOI. Check the page for notices about corrections, concerns, or retraction.
A DOI identifies a registered digital item. It does not, by itself, show that the item is a peer-reviewed journal article. Follow the DOI to its landing page and inspect the publication status. Publishers can use Crossmark to show update information, although not every publisher uses the service.
What makes a later version the better citation
When a version of record exists and supports your claim, it is usually the clearest source for a final factual statement. Peer review can lead to changed methods, revised analyses, narrower conclusions, or corrected author information. Production also supplies the stable article number or page range readers may need.
That is a default, not a rule that erases earlier versions. Cite the earlier version when it is what you are discussing. For example:
- You are explaining how a finding was presented before peer review.
- You are comparing a preprint with the later journal article.
- An analysis, appendix, or data link appears in the preprint but not in the published article.
- No journal publication exists yet, and the preprint is the available evidence.
State the version plainly when it affects how readers should interpret it. Do not say a preprint was published in a journal merely because its authors later published a related article there.
Three common misreadings
“A preprint with a DOI is the published paper”
Not necessarily. Preprint servers can assign DOIs, and journal articles can have different DOIs. Each DOI identifies its own registered item. Cite the preprint DOI if you used the preprint. Cite the journal DOI if you used the journal article.
“The accepted manuscript and published article have identical text”
They can be close, but they are not automatically identical. Copyediting and author proofing can alter wording, tables, references, and presentation. If your sentence depends on a precise number, quotation, table, or limitation, inspect that item in the version you cite.
“The newest date is always the best source”
A newer date may mark a revised preprint, online publication, issue assignment, or correction. It does not settle which version supports your sentence. Choose the version that gives readers the most direct route to the evidence you used.
A worked example: replacing an earlier citation
Suppose your draft says:
A preprint reports that a classroom intervention improved attendance.
You cited a repository record because it was the only source available when you wrote the sentence. Before submitting, you return to the preprint page and find a link to a journal article by the same authors.
Work through the records in this order:
- Compare the title, abstract, sample, outcome measure, and conclusion.
- Confirm that the journal page identifies an article and provides journal metadata and a DOI.
- Check whether the attendance result and any limitation you mention still appear in the published version.
- If they do, replace the preprint reference with the journal article reference and revise your wording if needed.
- If the journal article reports a different analysis, cite it for the final result. Cite the preprint separately only when your point concerns the earlier analysis.
The decision is simple:
For a preprint reference, include the authors, year, title, hosting platform, and DOI or stable URL. Your required style may also ask you to label it as a preprint. The APA Style example for preprint articles shows one format. Follow the style guide required by your course, journal, or department.
Before submitting your own writing, open every cited link. Check that the author list, year, title, DOI, version label, and claim in your sentence match the source. A citation checker can flag duplicate records or missing details, but deciding which version supports a claim still requires reading both versions.
Key terms
- Preprint: A publicly shared manuscript that has not completed journal peer review.
- Accepted manuscript (AAM): The author’s peer-reviewed manuscript accepted by a journal before final publisher production.
- Version of record: The publisher’s official published version of an article.
- DOI: A persistent identifier for a registered digital item, including a preprint or journal article.
- Crossmark: A Crossref service publishers may use to display update information for a document.
- Correction: A notice that amends information in a published article.
