In APA, cite a literature review by matching its source type—review article, thesis chapter, or book chapter—using author, year, title, and source.
You searched for how to cite a literature review in APA and want clean, copy-ready entries. This guide shows the exact steps, with in-text patterns, reference templates, and common traps you can avoid. You will map the review to its source type, fill in the right elements, and format both the in-text cue and the reference entry with no fluff.
Citing A Literature Review In APA Style: Quick Start
- Identify the source type of the review: journal review article, a chapter in an edited book, or a thesis or dissertation.
- Collect the core elements: author, year, title, container (journal, book, or database), volume and issue, page range, publisher or database, and DOI or URL.
- Write the in-text citation using the author–date method; add a page or paragraph marker for direct quotes.
- Build the reference entry using APA 7th rules for that source type.
- Run a last check for sentence case titles, italics, and live DOIs.
Common APA Literature Review Citation Scenarios
Match the review to the closest APA category. Use the patterns below as models. Swap in your details and keep punctuation exactly as shown.
| Scenario | In-Text Example | Reference Entry (APA 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Journal review article (one author) | (Lopez, 2023) | Lopez, R. (2023). Trends in adolescent sleep: A literature review. Sleep Health, 9(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/shl0000123 |
| Journal review article (three or more authors) | (Chen et al., 2022) | Chen, Y., Patel, K., & Morris, L. (2022). Cardiometabolic risks across midlife: Review of longitudinal studies. Journal of Health Research, 41(4), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhr.2022.41.4.201 |
| Narrative review chapter in an edited book | (Nair, 2021) | Nair, P. (2021). Physical activity and memory across the lifespan: A review. In D. Byrne & H. Reyes (Eds.), Movement and mind (pp. 35–62). Summit Press. |
| Systematic review in a journal (same as journal article) | (Singh & Ito, 2020) | Singh, V., & Ito, M. (2020). Omega-3 and mood disorders: A systematic review. Clinical Nutrition, 39(6), 1801–1812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.06.015 |
| Thesis with a literature review chapter; cite the whole work | (Ahmed, 2024) | Ahmed, S. (2024). Predictors of glycemic relapse after remission (Publication No. 123456) [Doctoral dissertation, East Coast University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. |
| Unpublished thesis; institutional repository | (Garcia, 2021) | Garcia, L. (2021). Media multitasking and study outcomes [Master’s thesis, Coastal State University]. https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/handle/10976/5678 |
| Review chapter in a non-edited authored book | (Osei, 2019) | Osei, T. (2019). Survey of the evidence on plant-based diets. In Practical nutrition for busy clinics (pp. 77–101). Northline Books. |
| Web page labeled “literature review” with no journal or book | (Khan, 2022) | Khan, J. (2022, May 5). Anxiety treatments: Literature review. MindCare Lab. https://mindcarelab.org/reviews/anxiety-treatments |
Need the official patterns? See the APA journal article reference examples and the APA in-text citations.
APA In-Text Citation Patterns For Literature Reviews
APA uses author–date. Use a narrative form when the names join the sentence, or a parenthetical form when the cue sits at the end. Add a page or paragraph marker for a direct quote. For multiple works in one spot, sort by author and year with semicolons.
- Narrative: Chen and Morris (2022) reported strong ties between activity and sleep quality.
- Parenthetical: Exercise links to better sleep in midlife (Chen et al., 2022).
- Direct quote: “Sleep improved with moderate training” (Chen et al., 2022, p. 208).
- Group author: World Health Organization (2021) or (World Health Organization, 2021).
- Three or more authors: use the first surname plus “et al.” from the first cite: (Lopez et al., 2023).
- Same author, same year: add letters to the year in both places: (Khan, 2022a; Khan, 2022b).
- Secondary citation: quote or paraphrase only sources you read; if you must cite a source you did not read, use “as cited in,” but track down the original when you can.
Reference Entries For Review Sources
Build the entry from the template that matches the container. Titles use sentence case. Journal titles and book titles use title case and italics. Journal entries include volume in italics, issue in parentheses, and page range. Include a DOI as a URL when present.
Journal Review Articles
Template: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of review. Journal Title, volume(issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxx
Sample: Lopez, R. (2023). Trends in adolescent sleep: A literature review. Sleep Health, 9(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/shl0000123
Chapter-Style Reviews In Edited Books
Template: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. URL or DOI
Sample: Nair, P. (2021). Physical activity and memory across the lifespan: A review. In D. Byrne & H. Reyes (Eds.), Movement and mind (pp. 35–62). Summit Press.
Thesis Or Dissertation Literature Reviews
Cite the thesis or dissertation as a whole work. If it came from a database, include the publication number and database name. If it lives in a repository, include the institution and a direct URL.
Template (database): Author, A. A. (Year). Title (Publication No. xxxxxx) [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Database Name.
Template (repository): Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Master’s thesis, University Name]. URL
Web Pages Framed As Reviews
Use a webpage format only when the content is not a journal or a book. Include a day and month if shown next to the byline.
Template: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Formatting Details That Clean Up APA Citations
Sentence case titles mean only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Use an en dash for page spans. Include issue numbers for journals that use them. Keep live DOIs in URL form (https://doi.org/xxxxx). Use URLs without retrieval dates unless the content changes over time.
APA Quick Formatting Checklist
| Element | 7th-Edition Rule | Quick Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Title capitalization | Sentence case for article and chapter titles; title case for journal and book titles | Check each word; fix auto-caps from databases |
| Italics | Journal name and volume; book title; thesis title | Leave issue numbers plain in parentheses |
| Authors | Surname, initials; use an ampersand before the last name | Keep up to 20 authors; use ellipsis before the last author if more than 20 |
| Dates | Year only for journals and books; add month and day for webpages | Use “n.d.” when no date appears |
| DOI and URL | Prefer DOI links; use stable URLs when no DOI | Do not add a period after a DOI or URL |
| Page range | En dash between first and last page | No “pp.” in journal entries |
| In-text basics | Author–date; add page or paragraph for quotes | Use “et al.” for three or more authors |
| Punctuation | Follow APA punctuation exactly | Comma after author, period at the end |
Common Pitfalls When Citing A Literature Review
- Copying a “cite this” box and missing fixes to case, italics, or punctuation.
- Using a database title as the journal or book name.
- Leaving out editors for an edited volume.
- Labeling a review article as a book review when it is not.
- Skipping the DOI even when it is available.
- Mixing 6th-edition habits, such as “Retrieved from” before a URL.
Worked Mini-Examples
Paraphrase, journal review: Parenting styles relate to toddler sleep (Lopez, 2023).
Reference: Lopez, R. (2023). Trends in adolescent sleep: A literature review. Sleep Health, 9(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/shl0000123
Direct quote, chapter review: “Exercise shaped recall in late adulthood” (Nair, 2021, p. 58).
Reference: Nair, P. (2021). Physical activity and memory across the lifespan: A review. In D. Byrne & H. Reyes (Eds.), Movement and mind (pp. 35–62). Summit Press.
Thesis with repository: Reading time linked to GPA (Garcia, 2021).
Reference: Garcia, L. (2021). Media multitasking and study outcomes [Master’s thesis, Coastal State University]. https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/handle/10976/5678
Choose The Right Source Type
Before you write a single entry, confirm what the review sits inside. If the review was published in a scholarly journal, treat it like any journal article. If the review is a chapter inside an edited volume, follow the chapter pattern with editor names and page range. If the review appears within a thesis or dissertation, cite the whole work, not a chapter number.
Many departments post stand-alone reviews in repositories. Treat those as webpages when no journal, book, or formal series is present. Add a day and month only when that date shows on the page near the byline.
Review Articles Versus Book Reviews
A literature review surveys research on a topic. A book review evaluates one book. APA entries differ: a book review includes a bracketed note after the title that cites the book and author. Do not add that bracketed note to a literature review unless the piece is a book review. When in doubt, skim the abstract or first paragraph; look for signals such as “review of the literature,” “systematic review,” or “scoping review.”
Missing Author Or Date
When a review lists no person as author, look for an organization as author. If neither appears, move the title to the author slot. When a date is missing, write “n.d.” and keep the rest of the entry. Use caution with anonymous web posts; favor citable works with named writers when you can.
Sorting Your Reference List
Arrange entries alphabetically by author surname. Order multiple works by the same author by year. If one author has more than one item in the same year, add letters to the year in both places (2022a, 2022b). Then alphabetize.