Forthcoming Citation
A citation for a work that has been accepted but not yet published.
A forthcoming citation is used when a source has been accepted for publication but has not yet appeared in its final form. It tells the reader that the work exists, that it is on the way, and that it cannot yet be checked in a published volume.
The standard form is to give the author, title, and the word 'forthcoming' or 'in press' in place of the year and publisher details. Some styles ask for the expected year if it is known. A full citation is updated once the work is published.
Forthcoming citations are honest but risky. They ask the reader to trust that the work will appear, and they can break if the publication is delayed or cancelled. Writers should use them only when the argument genuinely depends on the forthcoming work.
Common mistake: citing a forthcoming work as if it were already available. 'Smith, forthcoming' is not a substitute for a real source; it is a promise.
“Nguyen, A. R. The Margins of Quotation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, forthcoming.”
Keep reading the glossary
A single item in a bibliography or reference list.
A formal reference that lets a reader locate the source of a quote.
The publisher's final, fixed version of a scholarly article.
The abbreviation used when a source carries no identifiable publication date.