Add "forthcoming" as a supported status to the blue book style.

[trackleft]

I am not a citation expert.

When looking at the bluebook citation style documentation: https://www.legalbluebook.com/bluebook/v21/rules/17-unpublished-and-forthcoming-sources/17-3-forthcoming-publications

I see forthcoming as an option, but when searching this repository for "forthcoming" there is no result for bluebook. https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Acitation-style-language%2Fstyles%20forthcoming&type=code

Also, I looked in the designated bluebook csl xml files and did not see forthcoming mentioned. https://github.com/citation-style-language/styles/blob/master/bluebook-law-review.csl https://github.com/citation-style-language/styles/blob/master/bluebook-inline.csl

Question: is this something that could be added or is it irrelevant?

[zepinglee]

I read part of the styles when writing another one based on them. It seems that they haven't covered all the specifications of Bluebook.

[POBrien333]

I don't have access to their guidelines. Could you copy an example here. It'd be great if you could also post the same example in comparison as if it was published already.

[trackleft]

Does this suffice?

Cite a book, article, or other work scheduled for publication in the same manner as the published piece would be cited, with the same typefaces, except: 
(i) do not include a pincite following the title of the journal or book; 
(ii) add the designation "forthcoming" in the date parenthetical; and 
(iii) include the month of publication, if available, in addition to the year in the date parenthetical. Omit volume number if not yet available:

[trackleft]

The 2026 citation on this page is forthcoming (and using this library to display it) https://law.arizona.edu/faculty-research/publications

Currently displays as

Tatum, Melissa, and Jennifer Hendry. Spaces of Indigenous Justice: Applying Theory to Practical Problems. 2026.

Should display as

Tatum, Melissa, and Jennifer Hendry. Spaces of Indigenous Justice: Applying Theory to Practical Problems. (forthcoming 2026).

[trackleft]

After reading some of the documentation, I've come to the conclusion that forthcoming support should be added in the form of a status. Something like this

  <macro name="issuance">
    <choose>
      <if type="article-journal article-magazine article-newspaper book broadcast chapter interview manuscript map patent personal_communication song speech thesis webpage" match="any">
        <group>
          <choose>
            <if type="article-newspaper book chapter thesis" match="any">
              <choose>
                <if variable="issued">
                  <group suffix=", ">
                    <date variable="issued">
                      <date-part name="month" form="short"/>
                      <date-part name="day" prefix=" "/>
                    </date>
                  </group>
                </if>
                <else>
                  <group prefix=" (" suffix=")">
                    <choose>
                      <if variable="status">
                        <group prefix="" suffix=" ">
                          <text variable="status"/>
                        </group>
                      </if>
                    </choose>
                    <text term="no date" form="short"/>
                    <text variable="year-suffix" prefix="-"/>
                  </group>
                </else>
              </choose>
            </if>
            <else-if type="article-magazine">
              <choose>
                <if variable="status">
                  <group prefix="" suffix=" ">
                    <text variable="status"/>
                  </group>
                </if>
              </choose>
              <date variable="issued">
                <date-part name="month" suffix=" " form="short"/>
              </date>
            </else-if>
          </choose>
          <choose>
            <if variable="status">
              <group prefix="" suffix=" ">
                <text variable="status"/>
              </group>
            </if>
          </choose>
          <date variable="issued">
            <date-part name="year"/>
          </date>
        </group>
      </if>
      <else>
        <group delimiter=", ">
          <text macro="editor-translator"/>
          <group delimiter=" ">
            <group delimiter=" ">
              <text variable="edition"/>
              <label variable="edition" form="short"/>
            </group>
             <choose>
                  <if variable="status">
                    <text variable="status"/>
                  </if>
            </choose>
            <date variable="issued">
              <date-part name="year"/>
            </date>
          </group>
        </group>
      </else>
    </choose>
  </macro>