First published date vs Issue date: Which do I cite? I need to cite this paper https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1088868311417243 . However the year it was first published (2011) and the year it was published in an issue (2012) are different. When I cite it, I will provide the issue and volume numbers, so what year do I cite it by, the first publish year or the first appeared in issue year?
This journal (like many if not most journals) publishes articles online before formally assigning them to issues. Cite the issue date.
Prior to most journals moving completely online, journals would formally accept articles and then take weeks to months before publishing articles.
As online access became more common, journals would publish articles as &quot;online early access&quot; or similar terminology during this wait.
One warning, sometimes these online early access articles are not completely proof read (e.g., there may be small copy edits or changes to the final version of the paper). This usually does not occur until the issue date.
Last, you can also find older articles that have were published online after their paper print date (e.g.,  https://doi.org/10.2193/2005-680).