ACS · Preprint
How to cite a preprint in ACS
A preprint is a paper shared before peer review, usually on a repository like arXiv, bioRxiv, or SSRN. It is citable scholarship, but the citation must say what it is: the repository takes the place of a journal and most styles add a preprint marker. The classic mistake is silently citing the preprint as if it were the published, peer-reviewed article.
Worked example · ACS
(1) Lovelace, A.; Hopper, G. Citation Integrity in AI-Assisted Writing. Example Preprint Archive November 4, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1000/epa.2025.11042.
Rendered with the official ACS style file from a placeholder source (reserved example DOI and domain), so the format is exactly what the style produces. In text: This generator renders the numeric variant, with references numbered in citation order.
What to collect before you cite a preprint
- Author or authors, in the order listed
- Title of the preprint
- The repository (arXiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, OSF)
- Year, and the posting date where the style wants it
- The DOI or the repository's stable identifier
- Whether a peer-reviewed version now exists
Have a DOI? Generate the reference instantly
Journal articles, many books and reports carry a DOI. Paste it and get the ACS entry from the same engine that produced the example above.
Citing a whole thesis, not one source?
CiteDash keeps your bibliography in ACS automatically, verifies every citation against a real paper, and compiles to DOCX, PDF or LaTeX.
Citing a preprint in ACS: FAQ
The paper has since been published in a journal. Which do I cite?
Cite the version you actually read, and prefer the published version when it contains what you need: it is the peer-reviewed record and may differ from the preprint. Before submitting, re-check your preprint citations to see whether published versions have appeared.
Is it acceptable to rely on unreviewed work at all?
Yes, with judgment: preprints are how fast-moving fields communicate, and examiners understand that. Mark them honestly as preprints, weigh them accordingly, and do not hang a load-bearing claim on an unreviewed result when reviewed alternatives exist.
arXiv gives me an identifier and a DOI. Which goes in the reference?
Use the DOI where one exists; repositories now mint them and they resolve permanently. Styles that traditionally printed the bare arXiv identifier still accept it, but the DOI serves every reader.
What does the in-text citation look like in ACS?
This generator renders the numeric variant, with references numbered in citation order.
Is the example on this page hand-written?
No. It is rendered by the same citation engine and official CSL style file CiteDash uses for full thesis bibliographies, from a clearly-marked placeholder source, and a test re-renders it on every release so the page can never drift from the engine.