To cite a literature review in APA, format the entry by source (journal, chapter, thesis), use author–date in text, and add a DOI or URL if available.
A literature review is a published work like any other: a journal review article, a chapter devoted to prior research, or a thesis with a review section. The way you cite it in APA style depends on the format of the source. That means building a clean reference entry for the work you used and pairing it with a brief author–date citation in your paper.
Citing A Literature Review In APA: Quick Patterns
Start by spotting the exact container: journal, edited book, or institutional repository. The table below gives fast patterns for common cases you will meet when citing a literature review in APA style.
| Source Type | In-Text Citation | Reference Entry Pattern + Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Journal review article with DOI | (Nguyen, 2022) | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of review article. Journal Title, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxxx — Nguyen, T. Q. (2022). Mapping burnout research: A review. Journal of Health Studies, 31(2), 115–134. https://doi.org/10.0000/abcd |
| Journal review article without DOI | (Price & Wallace, 2021) | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of review article. Journal Title, volume(issue), page range. URL if stable — Price, H., & Wallace, R. (2021). Nutrition reviews in schools. School Nutrition Quarterly, 14(3), 44–59. https://www.publisher.com/issue14 |
| Review chapter in an edited book | (Akter & Rahman, 2020) | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher — Akter, S., & Rahman, M. (2020). Sleep research: A review. In K. Long & A. Wills (Eds.), Topics in Behavioral Sleep (pp. 17–39). Delta Press. |
| Standalone thesis or dissertation with a literature review | (Dube, 2019) | Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis, University]. Repository or Database. URL or DOI — Dube, R. (2019). Urban asthma management [Doctoral dissertation, North Coast University]. ProQuest Dissertations. https://www.proquest.com/doc/xyz |
| Preprint review posted to a repository | (Singh & Lee, 2024) | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of preprint. Repository Name. URL — Singh, K., & Lee, H. (2024). A scoping review of AI in nursing. OSF Preprints. https://osf.io/xxxxx |
| Webpage that presents a literature review | (Meyer, 2023) | Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL — Meyer, P. (2023, April 8). Review of mobile learning studies. EdTech Forum. https://edtechforum.org/mobile-learning-review |
| Government or NGO report with a literature review section | (World Health Organization, 2022) | Group Author. (Year). Title of report (Report No. if any). Publisher. URL — World Health Organization. (2022). Air quality and children (WHO/ABC/22.5). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/airquality-children |
| Review article with an article number | (Lopez et al., 2023) | Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title. Journal Title, volume, Article e12345. https://doi.org/xxxxx — Lopez, R., Chen, G., & Patel, V. (2023). Diet and mood: A review. Nutrition Open, 9, Article e12345. https://doi.org/10.0000/noe.12345 |
APA uses an author–date system for in-text citations; readers jump from the brief parenthetical or narrative cue to the full reference list entry. For the official wording, see the author–date citation system from APA Style.
In-Text Citations That Fit Review Sources
Match the author name and year in text to the first element of the reference entry. Use sentence case for the signal phrase, keep punctuation light, and place page or paragraph locators when you quote.
One Author
Narrative: Ahmed (2021) traced methods across fifty trials. Parenthetical: (Ahmed, 2021).
Two Authors
Narrative: Choi and Patel (2020) compared prior findings. Parenthetical: (Choi & Patel, 2020).
Three Or More Authors
Use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” Narrative: Zhao et al. (2022) summarized cohort designs. Parenthetical: (Zhao et al., 2022).
Group Authors
Narrative: National Institute of Aging (2023) outlined prior patterns. Parenthetical: (National Institute of Aging, 2023). Use abbreviations after the first mention if the group has a familiar short form.
Quoting Or Paraphrasing A Specific Segment
Add a locator after the year when needed: (Ibrahim, 2020, p. 145) or (Lopez et al., 2023, para. 12). Page numbers appear for PDFs; paragraph numbers fit HTML pages.
Secondary Citation: Citing A Source Mentioned In The Review
When you cannot access the original study cited in a literature review, signal that with “as cited in.” In text: (Marin, 1999, as cited in Gomez, 2021). List only the review you read in your references. APA explains this method here: secondary sources.
Reference Entries For Review Articles
Your reference entry points the reader to the exact work you read. Follow sentence case for article and chapter titles, italicize the journal or book title, and include a live DOI link when the work has one. Guidance on DOI and URL formats sits here: DOIs and URLs.
Journal Review Article With A DOI
Chan, L. P., & Ortega, J. (2022). Stress in first responders: A literature review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 45(4), 377–396. https://doi.org/10.0000/jbm.22456
Journal Review Article Without A DOI
Rivera, S. (2021). Remote work and well-being: A critical review. Workplace Studies, 18(1), 21–38. https://www.workplacestudies.org/18/1/rivera
Review Chapter In An Edited Book
Ghosh, P., & Karim, N. (2020). The social history of dengue research: A review chapter. In A. L. Yates & D. Noor (Eds.), Vectors And Cities (pp. 61–85). Urban Science Press.
Thesis Or Dissertation With A Literature Review
Hernandez, R. M. (2019). Usability in hospital dashboards (Publication No. 123456) [Doctoral dissertation, East Valley University]. ProQuest Dissertations. https://www.proquest.com/doc/123456
Preprint Review In A Repository
Okafor, T., & Miles, J. (2024). A rapid review of mHealth apps for diabetes. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.10.123456
Formatting Notes That Keep You Aligned With APA
Capitalization And Italics
Article and chapter titles use sentence case. Journal and book titles use title case and italics. Volume numbers are italic; issue numbers sit in parentheses without italics.
Author Names
List surnames and initials. For twenty or fewer authors, include all names. For twenty-one or more, list the first nineteen, then an ellipsis, then the final name.
Dates
Use the year for journal articles and books. Add the full date for webpages with a specific date. When a date is missing, use n.d.
Headings And Your Own Literature Review Section
When your paper contains its own literature review, set a clear Level 1 heading like “Literature Review.” APA allows five heading levels with bold, title case styling for top levels. A quick guide lives here: APA headings format guide. Keep paragraphs grouped by themes, methods, or debates, and cite sources as you synthesize them.
Quick Checks Table: Capitalization, Numbers, Links
Use this table as a last-minute scan before you submit.
| Element | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Title of review article | Sentence case; no italics | Stress in first responders: A literature review |
| Journal title | Title case; italics | Journal of Behavioral Medicine |
| Volume(issue) | Volume in italics; issue in parentheses | 45(4) |
| Page range | En dash | 377–396 |
| DOI link | Use the https://doi.org/ format | https://doi.org/10.0000/jbm.22456 |
| Group author | Spell out at first mention | World Health Organization |
| No date | Use n.d. | (Kim, n.d.) |
Common Edge Cases And Fixes
When The Review Title States “Systematic Review” Or “Meta-Analysis”
Keep that wording if it appears in the title; do not add bracketed labels to describe the type. APA uses bracketed descriptions in special cases like reviews of books, not for review articles in journals.
When A Review Summarizes A Book Or Film
Use a bracketed description right after the title to clarify the object: Bennett, L. (2023). New views of memory [Review of the film Recall, directed by S. Cho]. Behavioral Film Reviews, 12(1), 77–80. If your source is a literature review of studies, skip brackets.
When The Review Has Many Authors
For three or more authors in text, use the first author and “et al.” For the reference list, follow the twenty-author rule described above. Keep author order exactly as published.
When The Review Lists An Article Number Instead Of Pages
Supply the article number in place of the page range, then the DOI. Many open access journals use article numbers.
When You Read The Abstract Only
Cite the work as an abstract: Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Abstract]. Source. URL. Better practice is to read the full review whenever you can.
When The Review Is In A Database With No DOI
APA treats common academic databases as broadly accessible; include the DOI if present. If not, link to the journal home page or omit the URL when a direct link is not available.
Fast Workflow You Can Follow
- Identify the container: journal, edited book, thesis, report, preprint, or webpage.
- Collect the elements: author names, year, title, source, volume and issue, page range or article number, publisher, and DOI or URL.
- Write the in-text citation first; check that names and year will match the reference entry.
- Build the reference entry that fits the container. Use sentence case for titles and a live DOI link when possible.
- Add locators for quotes. Keep paraphrases tight and cite as you synthesize.
- Scan your list for consistency in punctuation, italics, and spacing.
Final Checks Before You Submit
- Does each in-text citation have a matching reference entry?
- Do author names, years, and titles match across in-text and references?
- Are DOIs in the https://doi.org/ format and made clickable?
- Are journal and book titles in title case and italics?
- Did you avoid listing a secondary source in your references when you cited it as “as cited in” in text?
- Is your literature review heading styled using APA levels if you wrote your own review section?
- Do all links work properly?
Further reading on core rules: APA’s author–date citation system and APA guidance on DOIs and URLs.