An IEEE Early Access article can be citable before it has final volume, issue, pages, or an article number. Start with the publisher's status, Date of Publication, and DOI, then update the entry only when the record assigns a final locator.
Cite The Published Early Access Record You Read
An Early Access article on IEEE Xplore is citable before it receives a final volume, issue, or bibliographic locator. The current IEEE Reference Guide uses the abbreviated journal title, early access, the Date of Publication, and the DOI for that record. Leave volume, issue, pages, and an Art. no. field out until the publisher assigns them.
A DOI lookup can help collect the basic facts. Keep the publisher page open while you format the entry. Early Access is a publication status, so an ordinary journal template can add fields that the record has not earned yet.
Confirm That The Record Is Early Access
Look for the publisher's Early Access label and its Date of Publication. IEEE Xplore describes these articles as accepted and peer reviewed. They can be citable while editorial work or issue assignment remains unfinished.
| Record you found | What it establishes | Reference decision |
|---|---|---|
| A preprint in an author or repository archive | An author-shared version that may predate publisher publication | Use the preprint pattern only when that is the work you need to cite |
| An accepted manuscript with no publisher Early Access page | Acceptance or scheduling without a published Early Access record | Check the receiving venue's unpublished-work instructions |
| An IEEE Xplore record labelled Early Access with a DOI | A citable published record that may lack final issue details | Use early access, the Date of Publication, and DOI |
| A final issue record with volume, issue, pages, or an official article number | The issue-level version now supplies a bibliographic locator | Refresh the entry from that current record before submission |
The IEEE guide directs authors to cite the publisher's advanced online access version rather than an arXiv version of the same article. A downloaded file can still be a preprint, an Early Access record, or a final issue PDF. Follow the publisher record, then use the PDF source-identification guide if the file itself leaves that unclear.
Build The Early Access IEEE Reference
Start with the record's authors, article title, official journal title or approved abbreviation, Date of Publication, and DOI. The journal name, date, and DOI carry the entry while the article has no final issue placement.
[1] A. B. Author, “Article title,” Abbrev. Journal Title, early access, Mon. D, YYYY, doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx.[1] A. B. Author, “Article title,” Abbrev. Journal Title, vol. x, no. x, pp. xx-xx, Mon. YYYY, doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx.- Read the publisher's labelConfirm that it says Early Access and capture its Date of Publication.
- Copy the DOI exactlyKeep the identifier from the publisher record. IEEE calls it essential for this kind of entry.
- Leave unassigned fields emptyDo not fill a missing volume, issue, pages, or article number from a PDF viewer or database screen.
- Check again before you submitResolve the DOI and compare the current record with the reference in your manuscript.
Does An Early Access Record Need An IEEE Citation Article Number?
Searchers looking for an IEEE citation article number often have a real journal record in front of them, yet Early Access adds another decision. Use an article number only when the publisher assigns and labels one. A number merely visible on an Early Access screen does not become an Art. no. field.
| What the publisher shows | What it means | What to print |
|---|---|---|
| An official Article number or eLocator | A journal-specific item locator | Use the Article number field so the reference reads Art. no. |
| A final page range | Issue-level pagination | Use pp. with the range |
Generic Early Access Page(s), such as 1-7 | A temporary display count without final issue assignment | Keep it out of Pages and Article number |
| An Xplore document ID or part of the DOI | A platform or persistent identifier | Do not repurpose it as a journal locator |
The two Early Access records below displayed generic Page(s) values during this review. Neither displayed a final volume, issue, or article-number label, so their working entries use the Early Access pattern. The separate IEEE citation article number guide shows how to handle a record that does carry a publisher-assigned locator.
Check Two Current IEEE Xplore Records
We checked these public records on Sep. 14, 2026. They demonstrate a status-based reference decision rather than a promise that every IEEE journal follows the same production timeline.
| Publisher record | Fields checked | Working IEEE entry |
|---|---|---|
| Scalable Parallel Logic Resubstitution with Advanced Don't Care Optimization | IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, Early Access, Date of Publication Mar. 6, 2026, DOI 10.1109/TCAD.2026.3671670 | Use the abbreviated journal, early access, Mar. 6, 2026, and DOI. Do not promote Page(s) 1-1 into final pages. |
| Toward the Internet of Agentic AI: Protocols, Architecture, and Challenges | IEEE Communications Magazine, Early Access, Date of Publication Feb. 25, 2026, DOI 10.1109/MCOM.001.2500309 | Use the abbreviated journal, early access, Feb. 25, 2026, and DOI. Keep Page(s) 1-7 out of the final locator fields. |
[1] Y. Sun, T. Liu, M. D. F. Wong, and E. F. Y. Young, “Scalable parallel logic resubstitution with advanced don’t care optimization,” IEEE Trans. Comput.-Aided Design Integr. Circuits Syst., early access, Mar. 6, 2026, doi: 10.1109/TCAD.2026.3671670.
[2] Y. Ren et al., “Toward the Internet of agentic AI: Protocols, architecture, and challenges,” IEEE Commun. Mag., early access, Feb. 25, 2026, doi: 10.1109/MCOM.001.2500309.The bracket numbers are examples. Insert your finished entry where the source first appears in your own manuscript, then preserve that number for later references to the same work.
Update The Entry When The Final Record Appears
Early Access details can change as a journal moves an article into a volume or issue. The DOI remains the stable handoff. Before a deadline, resolve it and compare the publisher's current record with the version in your reference list.
- Open the DOICheck that it still leads to the paper you read.
- Read the current citation panelLook for a volume, issue, page range, or official article number.
- Rebuild one consistent entryReplace the Early Access status with the final issue details when the publisher record supplies them.
- Keep the DOI with the recordVerify the exact identifier after updating the other fields.
Do not combine an Early Access date with final pages or a later article number in the same line. One reference should describe one checked publication state. For the DOI comparison itself, use the DOI to IEEE citation guide.
Have an Early Access journal record?
The Journal tool can help check authors, title, journal, and DOI. It has no Early Access status field, so finish the status and date manually after comparing the publisher record.
Open the Journal citation toolFrequently Asked Questions
Can I cite an IEEE Early Access article before it appears in an issue?
Yes. IEEE's current guide provides an Early Access pattern for a published online record. Use the publisher's Date of Publication and DOI, then check the record again before your final submission.
Should I use the PDF's 1-7 pages in the reference?
Only use a page range when the publisher assigns it as the article's bibliographic locator. A generic Early Access Page(s) display does not establish final pagination.
Does every Early Access article have an article number?
No. Use an article number only when the journal record labels an official article number or eLocator. Early Access status by itself does not supply one.
Should I cite arXiv or the Early Access version?
For the same work, the IEEE Reference Guide directs authors to cite the publisher's advanced online access record. Keep a preprint citation for work that has no corresponding published record or when you are specifically discussing the preprint.