Generally, an advance article is one that is published on the journal’s website before it appears in print. The articles have been accepted for publication and are scheduled to appear in an issue of the journal, but are posted up on the journal’s website before the physical publication. These are peer reviewed articles and they can be referenced and cited just like an article that has been published in a physical issue of the journal.

Some journals also include accepted manuscripts, which are works that have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication, but have not yet been typeset. These are the manuscript the author submitted, before proofs are generated and the authors have an opportunity to review and correct those proofs. So accepted manuscripts are not in the final form that will appear in the journal.