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IOP Science

Definitions: article versions

It is important to understand which version of an article you are reading and what rights you have when you access our content. Is it the un-edited manuscript, the peer-reviewed manuscript, the final version or one that has been corrected post-publication? The following are our current definitions of the different versions of an article and apply to both subscription and gold open access articles.

Author’s Original/Preprint is ‘the version of the article before peer review or editing, as submitted by an author to the journal’.

Accepted Manuscript is ‘the version of the article accepted for publication including all changes made as a result of the peer review process, and which may also include the addition to the article by IOP of a header, an article ID, a cover sheet and/or an ‘Accepted Manuscript’ watermark, but excluding any other editing, typesetting or other changes made by IOP and/or its licensors’.

Final Published Version is ‘the peer reviewed, edited, formatted and typeset version of the article, including any tagging, indexing and other enhancements published by IOP and/or its licensors’.

Version of Record is ‘the Final Published Version, including any post publication corrections or enhancements and any other changes made by IOP and/or its licensors’.