Definition · Plain-language
Version of record
The version of record (VoR) is the definitive, formally published version of a journal article — the copy a publisher fixes, maintains and presents as authoritative for citation.
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The definitive published version
The version of record is the article in its final, published form: peer-reviewed, copy-edited, typeset, paginated and released by the publisher as the authoritative text. It is the version the publisher commits to preserving and the one the scholarly community treats as canonical. Under NISO’s Journal Article Versions (JAV) recommended practice, it is the stage that follows the accepted manuscript, and it is the version a reader should normally cite, because it represents the work as the journal formally certifies and publishes it.
How it differs from earlier versions
A preprint is the author’s manuscript shared before formal publication, often before peer review; it can differ substantially from what is eventually published. The author accepted manuscript reflects peer review and revision but lacks the publisher’s copy-editing and typesetting. The version of record incorporates all of these final steps. Because the content can change between versions — corrected errors, refined wording, sometimes altered conclusions — readers and citing authors need to know which version they are using, and the version of record is the reference point.
Persistence, DOIs and corrections
The version of record is expected to be stable and persistently available, usually identified by a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) that resolves to it. Crucially, "definitive" does not mean frozen forever: when an article is corrected, retracted or otherwise amended, the version of record is updated and the change is recorded through the publisher’s correction notices and Crossref metadata, so the scholarly record stays accurate. This is why citing and linking to the version of record, rather than to a copy elsewhere, helps readers reach the current, authoritative text.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: the definitive, formally published version of an article
- Abbreviation: VoR
- Includes: peer review, copy-editing, typesetting and final publication
- Standard: defined by NISO Journal Article Versions (JAV)
- Identifier: normally has a DOI that resolves to it
- Citation: the version readers should normally cite
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: The version of record is identical to the author’s accepted manuscript.
Actually: No. The accepted manuscript reflects peer review but precedes copy-editing and typesetting. The version of record is the final published text after those production steps, and the two can differ.
Often heard: Once published, the version of record can never change.
Actually: It is stable, not frozen. Corrections, retractions and amendments update the version of record through formal notices and Crossref metadata so the scholarly record remains accurate.
Often heard: Citing any freely available copy is as good as citing the version of record.
Actually: Copies elsewhere may be earlier versions with different content. The version of record, reached via its DOI, is the authoritative text and the one that should be cited.
Going deeper
