In MLA, cite a literature review like any article: author, “title,” journal, vol., no., year, pages, and DOI or URL; add in-text (Author page/para).
What Counts As A Literature Review In MLA?
A literature review can be a journal review article that surveys studies, a chapter that summarizes prior work, or a section in a thesis. MLA treats the item by what it is: article, chapter, preprint, dissertation, web page, or book. If it is a journal review article, you’ll cite it as a journal article. If it is a chapter inside an edited collection, you’ll cite the chapter and the book as the container.
Core Works Cited Templates For Review Sources
Use the core elements in order. Fill what you have; skip what you don’t. Keep capitalization in title case and use quotation marks for article or chapter titles.
| Source Type | Template | Example Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Journal review article | Author. “Title of Review.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. DOI/URL. | Nguyen, Linh. “Recent Advances in Plant Microbiome Research.” Annual Review of Plant Biology, vol. 75, 2024, pp. 1–25. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx. |
| Chapter that is a review | Author. “Chapter Title.” Book Title, edited by Editor, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. | Lopez, Carla. “Nursing Burnout: A Decade of Evidence.” Healthcare Research Today, edited by Omar Patel, Meridian Press, 2023, pp. 41–68. |
| Dissertation with a review chapter | Author. Title. Year. University, Dissertation. | Iqbal, Sameer. Machine Learning for Landslide Forecasting. 2022. University of Dhaka, Dissertation. |
| Preprint review | Author. “Title.” Repository, Date, DOI/URL. | Rossi, Elena. “Deep Learning Review for Radiology.” arXiv, 7 Mar. 2025, https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.01234. |
| Review on a website | Author. “Title.” Site Name, Publisher, Date, URL. | Chen, Marco. “Microbiome Methods: A Review.” BioMethods Hub, 5 May 2024, https://biomethods.example/review. |
MLA Core Elements You’ll Use
MLA uses a set of core elements in a fixed order: author, title of source, title of container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location. The “container” is the larger whole that holds the item, like a journal or a book. A second container can appear too, such as a database. The Quick Guide shows the order and punctuation that tie these parts together.
Where DOI Or URL Fits
For journal review articles, place a DOI at the end and format it as a URL that starts with https://doi.org/. If there’s no DOI, use a stable URL or permalink. Do not add a period after a bare DOI. If a link is very long, a DOI keeps the entry clean and durable.
In-Text Citations Inside A Literature Review
MLA in-text citations follow the author-page style. Name the author in your prose or in parentheses, then give page numbers if the source has them. Digital review articles often lack pages; use section or paragraph numbers only if the work labels them. Short titles help when two sources share an author.
Signal Phrases That Read Smooth
Blend sources into your sentences. Write “Khan notes … (14)” or “Recent trials report … (Lopez 203).” Use “et al.” for three or more authors: “Jansen et al. report … (7–8).” Keep a light touch; repeat only what helps a reader trace an idea.
Citing A Literature Review In MLA Format: Step-By-Step
- Identify the thing you’re citing. Is it a journal review article, a review chapter, a web review, or a preprint? The type drives the template.
- Capture names exactly. Keep author order as printed. Preserve accents and initials. If there is no author, start with the title.
- Copy the full title. Put article or chapter titles in quotation marks. Italicize journals and books. Keep title case for English titles.
- Record container details. Journals need volume, issue, year, and page range. Books need the editor, publisher, and year. Repositories and sites need the site name and date.
- Add the location. For print, that’s the page span. For online, add a DOI as a URL. If no DOI exists, add a stable URL with access date only when your instructor asks for one.
- Check punctuation. Commas and periods do real work in MLA. Follow the sequence from the handbook: commas after author and title, periods at the end of major parts.
- Place the entry in your Works Cited. Alphabetize by the first element. Add a hanging indent so the first line starts at the margin and the rest wrap inward.
Examples You Can Model
Journal review article with DOI: Mendez, Pia, and Tariq Rahman. “Gut–Brain Crosstalk: A Review.” Trends in Neurosciences, vol. 48, no. 2, 2025, pp. 99–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2024.12.007.
Chapter review in an edited book: Bryant, Leo. “Solar Cells: Ten Years of Progress.” Materials Breakthroughs, edited by Ava Kim, North Shore Press, 2024, pp. 77–115.
Review on a site, named author: Patel, Nisha. “Evidence Review: Omega-3s for Arthritis.” Health Methods, 9 June 2025, https://healthmethods.example/review-omega3.
Second Container And Databases
Many reviews are read through a library database. In MLA, the database can appear as a second container after the journal. Add the database name in italics and its DOI or persistent link. Keep the journal details first, then the database.
Double-Container Example
Okoro, Ifeoma. “AI In Nursing: A Review.” Journal of Clinical Informatics, vol. 12, no. 3, 2024, pp. 211–242. ProQuest, https://doi.org/10.5555/ai-nursing-2024.
Edge Cases You’ll Run Into
No Author
Start with the title. Use a short form of the title in your in-text citation: “Global Lyme Reviews” claims … (“Global Lyme” 6).
Many Authors
List the first author and “et al.” in the entry if there are three or more. Match that “et al.” in your in-text citation too.
Advance Online Publication
Some journals post accepted reviews ahead of print. Use the online date you can see, with page range if assigned later. Add the DOI so the link stays steady.
Translated Reviews
After the title, add “Translated by …” in the contributor slot. Keep the original author at the front of the entry.
Corporate Or Group Author
Use the group name as the author. Keep it spelled as the source spells it: World Health Organization, American Heart Association, and so on.
Repeated Author In Your List
When one author has several reviews, list entries alphabetically by title. Repeat the name each time. MLA no longer uses a three-dash line in place of the name.
In-Text Patterns At A Glance
| Situation | Syntax | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author, page | (Author page) | (Rahman 112) |
| Two authors | (Author and Author page) | (Mendez and Rahman 102) |
| Three+ authors | (Author et al. page) | (Jansen et al. 7–8) |
| No page numbers | (Author) | (Lopez) |
| Same author, two works | (Author, “Short Title” page) | (Nguyen, “Advances” 14) |
| Multiple sources | (Author page; Author page) | (Khan 14; Lopez 203) |
| Corporate author | (Group page) | (World Health Organization 22) |
Formatting The Works Cited Page
Start a new page titled Works Cited. Double-space the list. Use a hanging indent of half an inch on lines that wrap. Keep entries in alphabetical order by the first word you wrote, ignoring “A,” “An,” and “The.” Italicize journals, books, and databases; set article and chapter titles in quotation marks.
Style Tips That Save Time
Capitalize Titles The MLA Way
Capitalize all main words, including four-letter words. Lowercase coordinating conjunctions and short prepositions. Keep original punctuation and any hyphens.
Abbreviations And Numbers
Use “vol.” for volume and “no.” for issue. Spell months with three-letter forms when space is tight: Jan., Feb., Sept. Give page spans with an en dash, not a hyphen.
Quotations Inside Titles
If a review title itself contains a quoted phrase, switch the outside marks to single quotes inside the double marks: “Revisiting ‘Big Data’ in Clinics.”
Writing The Literature Review Itself
Mix summary and synthesis. Cite as you go. Use signal verbs that fit the finding: “argues,” “reports,” “finds,” “questions,” “confirms.” When you shift from one source to the next, prime the reader with a brief tag so the trail stays clear.
When you quote, add page numbers. When you paraphrase, still cite. If you mention the author in the sentence, place only the page number in parentheses. If the source has no pages, omit numbers. Match every in-text hook to a Works Cited entry.
Proofread Checklist
- Each in-text hook matches a Works Cited entry.
- Every Works Cited entry follows the core element order.
- DOIs appear as URLs; no period directly after them.
- Titles use headline-style capitalization.
- Journal names and book titles are in italics.
- Hanging indents align cleanly on wrap lines.
- Author names retain accents and order.
Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes
- Skipping quotation marks around article or chapter titles. Put short titles in double marks; italicize journals and books.
- Using a URL when a DOI exists. Prefer the DOI form; it’s stable.
- Dropping volume or issue numbers for journals. Add “vol.” and “no.” when given.
- Mixing “p.” and “pp.” Use “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for a span of pages.
- Forgetting the second container. If you used a database, add it after the journal.
- Adding access dates by default. Include an access date only when truly required.
- Copying long tracking URLs. Trim to the DOI or clean permalink.
- Using “et al.” for two authors. Write both names with “and.”
Learn More From MLA
The in-text overview and the Quick Guide linked earlier give step-by-step patterns and examples across formats. If your department has local rules, follow those along with MLA style.