Cite the accepted manuscript by matching its identifiers and authorship to the publisher's record, labeling it explicitly as the accepted version, and retaining the repository location your reviewers used. That combination lets reviewers find the same copy while making clear which version they read.
Steps for the team
- Match the record to the publisher. Look up the DOI through the Crossref REST API; a DOI lookup returns the metadata deposited for that DOI. Compare the returned title, author list, and identifiers with the manuscript your reviewers hold. If they match, you have confirmed the citation targets the same work.
- Label the version. State in the reference that the cited item is the accepted manuscript, not the version of record. Reviewers then know the text may differ from the final published article.
- Retain the repository location. Record where the copy was obtained, such as the repository copy found through CORE, which aggregates open-access research outputs. Keep that location in the reference so reviewers can retrieve the same file.
- Resolve the DOI when needed. A DOI name resolves through the Handle System to current information supplied for the identified object, commonly a landing page maintained by the registrant. Use that landing page to check whether the version of record is now reachable.
- Update the reference when the version of record appears. If the published version becomes available and changes details relevant to your use, such as pagination or the final text, revise the reference to point to it.
What to record
Keep the DOI, the author list as deposited, the accepted-version label, and the repository location together in the reference entry. This set gives reviewers a verifiable path from the citation to the copy they read.