A medical literature review in APA uses a planned search, critical synthesis, and APA 7 formatting for headings, citations, and references.
Writing a publishable review in health sciences takes two things: method and polish. This guide walks you from scoping your question through formatting the paper, with short checklists and examples that match APA 7 style. You’ll finish with a repeatable workflow you can reuse for capstone projects, journal submissions, and course papers.
Write An APA-Style Medical Review: Core Steps
The process has three phases: plan, gather, and write. Plan the question and protocol. Gather the studies with transparent search strings. Write a clear narrative that groups findings by theme, method, or outcome. The outline below shows where most time goes and how to document choices.
High-Level Workflow
| Stage | What To Do | Proof You Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Define scope, outcomes, populations, comparators, and time frame; set inclusion and exclusion rules. | Protocol notes, date stamped; planned keywords and subject headings. |
| Search | Build database strings with Boolean operators and MeSH terms; run tests and refine. | Full strings, dates run, databases used, filters applied. |
| Screen | Remove duplicates; title/abstract screen, then full-text screen against criteria. | Counts at each step; reasons for exclusion. |
| Extract | Record study design, sample, setting, measures, and outcomes in a sheet. | Data extraction table with fields and notes. |
| Appraise | Assess risk of bias and strength of evidence. | Tool used, item scores, overall judgment. |
| Synthesize | Group results; explain patterns and gaps; avoid over-generalizing. | Thematic map or logic model; quotes and data points. |
| Write | Follow APA 7 for headings, in-text citations, tables, and reference list. | Draft with tracked changes and a style checklist. |
Plan Your Review Question And Scope
Start by narrowing the topic into a crisp researchable prompt. Many writers use PICO or variants: Population, Intervention (or Exposure), Comparator, and Outcome. In public health or qualitative work, switch the “I” to phenomenon or program. Write the prompt in one line and keep it visible while you search.
Set Inclusion And Exclusion Criteria
Decide study designs you will accept, time limits, languages, age ranges, and settings. Pre-deciding these filters keeps screening consistent. When you reject a paper, record the reason using short codes, such as “wrong design,” “not peer-reviewed,” or “outside time window.”
Map Keywords And Subject Headings
List synonyms and phrase variants for every PICO element. Then add controlled vocabulary like MeSH for PubMed and subject headings for other databases. Combine free-text terms and headings with AND/OR and proximity where available. This blend catches both indexed records and new records not yet fully indexed.
Run A Transparent Database Search
Work across at least two databases that match your field; common choices are PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Save every string you run and the date. If you tweak a filter, save that version too. Keep a running count of hits per database so later readers can see coverage.
Build Reproducible Strings
Start broad, then test restrictive terms one by one. In PubMed, pair topic words with MeSH branches; in Embase, add Emtree headings. Use truncation with care so you avoid noise. If the topic is fast-moving, add preprints and set alerts for new trials.
Document Screening
Export results to a reference manager. Remove duplicates. Screen titles and abstracts first, then pull full texts for borderline cases. Record totals at each gate. Many writers draw a simple flow figure to show records identified, screened, excluded, and included.
Extract Data And Appraise Quality
Design a compact data sheet before reading full texts. Include the study aim, design, sample size, setting, exposure or intervention details, comparator, outcome measures, follow-up length, and main findings. Add space for notes on bias and confounders. Two reviewers improve reliability, but solo authors can still log a second pass.
Choose An Appraisal Tool
Pick a tool that fits the method mix you expect: randomized trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, qualitative designs, or mixed methods. Record both item-level judgments and the overall call. Avoid vague labels like “high quality” without the tool result to back it up.
From Extraction To Themes
When the table is filled, step back and look for repeating patterns: direction of effects, consistent subgroups, measurement quirks, or shared limitations. Build a short list of themes. These themes become your H2 or H3 sections in the write-up so the reader can move through the evidence without whiplash.
Write The APA-Style Manuscript
Now shape the narrative. Follow APA 7 for heading levels, in-text citations, tables and figures, numbers, and the reference list. Keep voice neutral and stick to the data you have. If you draw practice tips, label them as such and tie them to the evidence you just summarized.
Title Page, Abstract, And Keywords
Use an instructive title that matches your scope. Craft a structured abstract in one paragraph with purpose, sources, selection, synthesis, and main takeaways. Add 3–5 keywords, including the main condition and method words a reader would search. If you need a quick refresher on abstract length and keyword placement, see the official APA guidance PDF on abstracts and keywords.
Headings And Section Order
Most papers follow this order: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion, plus References. Use Level 1 for major sections, Level 2 for themes or subsections, and Level 3 sparingly for nested points. Keep headings clear, not clever; they should tell the reader what comes next. If you want a model, review the APA sample papers and the headings overview page from the source.
In-Text Citations And Paraphrases
Use the author–date system. For parenthetical style, write (Surname, Year). For narrative style, write Surname (Year). When citing a page or table, add p. or pp. with the number. Group multiple sources inside one set of parentheses with semicolons, ordered by author or year per your program’s norm. Paraphrase when you can; quote sparingly and only when wording carries weight.
Reference List Basics
Start on a new page titled “References.” Use a hanging indent and double spacing. Include DOIs in URL form where available. For journal articles: Author, A. A., Author, B. B. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Title in Title Case, volume(issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx. For reports or webpages, follow the APA examples for the source type and include retrieval links where the manual calls for them.
Tables, Figures, And Notes
Place each table or figure close to its first mention or group them at the end, based on your target venue. Add clear titles and column labels. Use table notes to define abbreviations and explain odd cases. Keep visuals lean; the text should stand alone for readers who skim.
Synthesis Models You Can Use
Not every review runs a meta-analysis. For mixed designs or uneven measures, a narrative synthesis works well. You can also group by mechanism, patient subgroup, setting, or outcome tier. Whichever route you pick, preview the map for the reader before diving into study-by-study details.
Theme-Driven Body Sections
Open each theme with a one-line claim that the data supports. Summarize the strongest studies first. Note sample sizes and any confounding issues. Contrast designs only where that contrast helps a reader see why results align or diverge.
Practice Points And Caveats
Readers appreciate clean takeaways tied to the data. Offer short practice pointers with source support. Flag gaps that matter for care or policy, but avoid sweeping claims. Tie caveats to limitations you logged during appraisal rather than personal hunches.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Skipping a protocol produces drift and bias. Narrow search strings miss key trials. Over-relying on one database hides nursing, rehab, or mental health studies. Mixing outcome types inside one pooled estimate misleads. Skimming methods sections leads to wrong comparisons. The fix is to slow down during planning and keep receipts for every decision.
APA Formatting Quick Check (7th Ed.)
| Element | Rule Snapshot | Practical Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Headings | Five levels; boldface for Levels 1–2; sentence case. | Draft the outline first, then apply levels. |
| In-text citations | Author–date; add page for quotations. | Prefer paraphrase; quote sparingly. |
| Numbers | Use numerals for 10 and above; words for one to nine with style exceptions. | Keep a style card near your keyboard. |
| Lists | Use parallel structure; punctuate complete sentences. | Short bullets beat run-on prose. |
| Tables | Title in italics above; notes below. | Define every abbreviation once. |
| Reference list | Hanging indent; double-spaced; DOI as URL when present. | Automate with a reference manager and hand-check edge cases. |
Reporting Standards And Flow Diagrams
Transparency matters in medical reviews. When you assemble a systematic project, match your manuscript to a reporting checklist and include a simple flow figure for identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Many journals expect a completed checklist with the submission packet, and some ask for the figure in the supplement.
Ethics, Transparency, And Registration
State funding and any roles of sponsors. If you pre-registered a protocol, cite the record. For course work, attach the protocol or include it as an appendix. When you rely on preprints, label them and revisit the records before submission to catch updates.
Submission Package And Revision Plan
Create a checklist to ship with the manuscript: cover letter, blinded copy if needed, figures at required resolution, data extraction sheet, and any reporting checklist your venue requests. Build a short plan for revisions so you can respond quickly to peer comments.
Examples Of Search Strings
Here is a simple pattern to adapt. Topic: pediatric asthma self-management education in primary care. PubMed string: (“Asthma”[MeSH] OR asthma*[tiab]) AND (education[tiab] OR “Self-Management”[MeSH]) AND (child*[tiab] OR adolescent*[tiab]) AND (primary care[tiab] OR “Primary Health Care”[MeSH]). Add database-specific headings for Embase or CINAHL when you port the string.
Template Paragraphs You Can Reuse
Methods—Search Strategy. We searched PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL from January 2015 to June 2025 using controlled vocabulary and free-text terms for the condition, exposure, and outcomes. Complete strings and dates appear in Appendix A. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies in English with patient-level outcomes.
Methods—Selection And Appraisal. After de-duplication, two reviewers screened titles and abstracts, followed by full-text review against preset criteria. Disagreements were settled by discussion. Risk of bias was assessed with design-appropriate tools, and results were used in synthesis.
Synthesis Approach. Studies were grouped by outcome domain. We summarized direction and size of effects and flagged measurement limits that affected confidence.
Where To Learn The Rules Fast
Two resources repay the time: the official APA Style pages for headings, citations, and reference examples, and the PRISMA materials for transparent reporting. Add the MeSH Browser to your bookmarks so you can build better strings in minutes. See the linked terms in this paragraph for quick access to those primary sources.
APA’s overview of heading levels helps you apply Levels 1–5 without guesswork, and the PRISMA 2020 checklist keeps your reporting clear when the project meets systematic review standards. When building search terms, the MeSH introduction explains how controlled vocabulary boosts recall and precision.