How To Cite Literature Review APA | Clear Quick Wins

Cite a literature review in APA as a journal article: author, year, title, journal, volume(issue), pages, and DOI when available.

APA uses an author–date system that fits a literature review full of sources. Below, you’ll see two tasks made simple: how to cite sources inside your review, and how to reference a standalone literature review article on your list.

APA basics for a literature review

Use the author’s surname and year in the text (see parenthetical and narrative formats), and give full details on the reference list. For direct quotes, add a page or paragraph number. For paraphrases, the page is optional but useful for readers.

In-text citation patterns at a glance
Scenario	Parenthetical	Narrative
One author	(Rahman, 2022)	Rahman (2022)
Two authors	(Rahman & Diaz, 2022)	Rahman and Diaz (2022)
Three or more authors	(Rahman et al., 2022)	Rahman et al. (2022)
Group author	(World Health Organization, 2021)	World Health Organization (2021)
No author (use title)	“Sleep and Memory,” 2020	“Sleep and Memory” (2020)

Author names and ampersands

List surnames in the order given by the source. In parentheses use an ampersand between two authors; in narrative text write the word “and.” For three or more authors, name only the first author followed by “et al.” on every in-text mention. On the reference list, include all names up to twenty authors.

Dates and letter suffixes

When two works share the same author and year, sort them by title on the reference list and attach letters a, b, c to the years. Carry those letters into the text so readers can match citations to the right entry.

Titles and capitalization

Write article and chapter titles in sentence case. Capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns. Journal titles keep title case and italics. Book titles also use italics in the reference.

DOIs and URLs

A DOI acts like a stable link to the article. Present it as a live https://doi.org/ link with no period after it. If no DOI exists and the work is on a public site, include the URL. Items from subscription databases usually drop the URL.

Citing a literature review in APA style

A literature review published in a journal is referenced like any article. If the journal labels the piece as a review, keep that label only when it is part of the title. Include the DOI in link format whenever present. See APA’s journal article reference examples for layouts and edge cases.

Step-by-step: in-text citations while you write

Set up your draft. Place citations right after the idea they support. Match every in-text callout to an entry on the reference list.
Quote with care. Quotes under 40 words sit inside quotation marks with author, year, and a locator: (Rahman, 2022, p. 15). Quotes of 40 words or more become a block and the citation follows the punctuation.
Paraphrase clearly. Summarize in your own words and add the author and year. Add a page if it helps readers verify the claim.
List multiple sources. Separate works with semicolons in one set of parentheses, ordered by author: (Ahmed, 2019; Rahman, 2022).
Handle same author and year. Assign letters in the reference list and repeat them in text: (Rahman, 2022a, 2022b).
Use secondary sources only when needed. If you cite a study you found quoted elsewhere, name the original in the sentence and cite the source you read: Ali’s 1998 trial, as cited in Khan (2021).

When your review cites dozens of sources

Dense sections read better when you vary citation placement. Start a paragraph with a narrative citation to set the context, then place parenthetical citations at the ends of supporting sentences. If several sentences paraphrase the same source, cite the first sentence and keep the author visible with a mix of signal phrases and pronouns. When you switch to a new source, add a fresh in-text callout right away.

Repeat the year only when needed

In a narrative citation, you can omit the year after the first mention in the same paragraph as long as the name is part of your sentence and no confusion can arise. If you move to a new paragraph or add a parenthetical citation, include the year again.

Abbreviate group authors

When an organization writes the work, spell the name out the first time and add the abbreviation in brackets if the short form will help later. Then you can use the short form in later citations: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS, 2023) on first mention, then (BBS, 2023).

No date works

If the source has no date, use n.d. in place of the year in both the citation and the reference entry.

Signal phrases that read smoothly

Blend sources into your sentences so the review reads like a story of the field. Short, clean cues help: “Khan reported…,” “Recent trials show…,” “Across districts, researchers noted….” Vary your verbs to match the claim you’re summarizing.

General template for a literature review article on your list

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of review article. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Tricky in-text cases with quick fixes

Multiple works in one set of parentheses. Place them in the same parentheses separated by semicolons, ordered alphabetically by first author: (Ahmed, 2019; Nahar & Islam, 2021; Rahman et al., 2022).
Same author, different years. Combine the years in one set of parentheses after the name: Rahman (2018, 2020, 2022).
Same author, same year. Attach letters to years: (Rahman, 2022a, 2022b). Match those letters to the reference list entries.
Quotations with page numbers. Use p. for one page and pp. for a range: (Nahar, 2021, pp. 33–35). For a block quote, place the period before the citation.
No author. Use the title in place of the author. Put article or page titles in quotation marks, and italicize book or report titles.
Translated titles. Give the original title in the reference. If readers need a translation, add one in brackets after the title.

Citing figures, tables, and datasets inside a review

If you reproduce a figure or table, include a source note under the item with a full or shortened reference. If you adapt a figure, add the word Adapted before the source. For datasets, cite the creator and year, and add the repository URL on the reference list.

Why accurate APA detail helps your reader

Clear citations let readers trace claims fast, which builds trust in your review. They also make editing easier later because each pattern repeats in a predictable way.

Quick models you can copy

Here are clean models you can adapt. Replace names, years, and titles with your sources. Keep sentence case for article titles and use italics for the journal name and volume.

Journal literature review (with DOI). Nazrul, S., & Amin, T. (2023). Trends in sleep research across South Asia: A literature review. Journal of Sleep Science, 12(3), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.1234/jss.2023.5678
Systematic review from database (no DOI). Haque, L. (2021). Dietary patterns and cardiometabolic risk: A systematic review. Nutrition & Health, 27(2), 71–90.
Chapter-length review in an edited book. Rahman, M. (2020). Literacy growth: A review of recent classroom trials. In P. Saha (Ed.), Reading research today (pp. 55–88). Dhaka Press.

Reference templates for common sources

Reference templates you’ll use often
Source type	Template	Example
Journal article	Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx	Khan, R. (2022). Sleep loss and recall. Memory Studies, 14(2), 200–214. https://doi.org/10.0000/ms.2022.0001
Edited book chapter	Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.	Roy, P. (2020). Reading fluency in teens. In A. Islam (Ed.), Library teaching today (pp. 33–58). Sunlight.
Thesis or dissertation	Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis (Publication No. xxxx) [Doctoral dissertation, University]. Database or URL.	Akter, N. (2024). Teacher feedback and writing growth (No. 123456) [Doctoral dissertation, East University]. ProQuest.

Formatting notes that prevent revision headaches

Use an ampersand in parentheses and in the reference list; write “and” in narrative text.
For works with three or more authors, shorten to the first author and “et al.” in every in-text citation.
Capitalize only the first word of article titles and proper nouns; capitalize every major word in journal titles.
Italicize journal titles and volumes; do not italicize issue numbers or the comma before the page range.
Present DOIs as active links that start with https://doi.org/
Alphabetize the reference list by the first author’s surname; order ties by year, then title.

Common pitfalls that cost points

Mixing up “and” and “&” across contexts.
Forgetting page or paragraph numbers with direct quotes.
Dropping the letter suffix when the same author has multiple works in one year.
Using secondary sources when the original is available.
Listing a source on the reference list that never appears in the text, or the reverse.
Breaking sentence case by capitalizing every word in article titles.

Mini checklist before you submit

Every in-text callout has a matching reference and vice versa.
All DOIs are in link form and click through.
Et al. appears only after a single named author for works with three or more authors in text.
Punctuation and spacing inside citations match APA’s examples.
Tables and figures include source notes when needed.
Names on the reference list match in-text spellings, initials.
Every reference entry ends with correct punctuation and spacing.