To cite a review article in APA 7th edition, list author(s), year, article title, journal, volume(issue), page range or article number, and the DOI.
Review papers, narrative syntheses, and meta-analyses follow the same journal article format in APA 7th. You don’t label them “review article” in the reference list. The word “review” may appear in the article title, and that’s enough. If a DOI exists, add it as a live URL with the https://doi.org/ prefix. If there’s no DOI and the work is widely available, end the entry after the page range or article number.
Cite A Review Article In APA 7th: Quick Guide
Use this plain, repeatable pattern. Then adapt the parts to match your source:
- Author(s): Surname, Initials. List up to 20 authors; use an ampersand before the last name.
- Year: In parentheses. If the journal shows a month or day, keep the year only.
- Title: Sentence case. Only the first word and proper nouns start with a capital letter.
- Journal: Title in italics; capitalize major words. Add volume in italics and issue in parentheses, not italicized.
- Pages or article number: Use the page range or the eLocator the journal provides.
- DOI: Present as an active link: https://doi.org/xxxxx
Templates And Examples For Review Articles
| Scenario | Reference List Template | Worked Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standard review with DOI | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of review article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Ahmed, R., & Khan, T. (2023). Sleep and glucose: A review. Journal of Metabolic Health, 42(3), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.1234/jmh.2023.5678 |
| Review without DOI | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of review article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. | Li, P. (2021). Microbiome and mood: A narrative review. Mental Health Reports, 18(2), 45–59. |
| Article number in place of pages | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), Article e####. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Nielsen, J. (2022). Vitamin D and immunity: An overview. Open Medicine, 9(1), e00712. https://doi.org/10.5678/om.2022.00712 |
| Advance online publication | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Smith, Q. (2024). Dietary fiber and satiety: A review. Appetite Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.7777/as.2024.0021 |
| Twenty or fewer authors | List up to 20. Use an ampersand before the last author. | Rodríguez, M., Patel, S., Chen, Y., Evans, L., & Osei, K. (2020). Plant proteins and weight control: Review. Nutrition Today, 55(4), 210–224. https://doi.org/10.2468/nt.55.4.210 |
| Twenty-one or more authors | List the first 19, insert an ellipsis, then add the final author. | First, J., Second, R., Third, S., Fourth, T., Fifth, U., Sixth, V., Seventh, W., Eighth, X., Ninth, Y., Tenth, Z., Eleventh, A., Twelfth, B., Thirteenth, C., Fourteenth, D., Fifteenth, E., Sixteenth, F., Seventeenth, G., Eighteenth, H., Nineteenth, I., … Final, J. (2022). Omega-3s and heart disease: Review. Clinical Cardiology, 37(2), 99–118. https://doi.org/10.2345/cc.37.2.99 |
| Group author | Organization Name. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | World Sleep Society. (2021). Sleep health in shift workers: Review. Sleep Medicine Journal, 14(2), 77–90. https://doi.org/10.2468/smj.14.2.77 |
APA 7th Review Article Reference: Elements That Matter
Authors And Year
Keep surnames and initials only, spaced with commas. Use an ampersand before the final name. For 21 or more authors, write the first 19, an ellipsis, and the last author. Keep the year in parentheses. If the article shows a season or month, you still keep only the year in the reference list.
Titles And Capitalization
Write the article title in sentence case. Leave it plain, without italics or quotes. Capitalize the journal title and keep it in italics. Add the volume in italics and the issue in parentheses right after it. Add a comma before the page range or article number.
Pages, Article Numbers, And DOIs
Many review journals now assign an eLocator instead of page numbers. Use the label the journal shows, such as “e12345” or “Article 1029.” For DOIs, present the link in URL form (https://doi.org/xxxxx) and don’t add a period after it. If a DOI is present, include it even if you read a print copy. See APA’s guidance on DOIs and URLs for details.
When There’s No DOI
If a review article lacks a DOI and it comes from a standard journal that readers can find through many databases or the publisher site, end the entry after the page range or article number. Don’t add a database name or a generic database URL. If the review lives on a site with limited access and no DOI, add the exact URL only if the piece is unique to that site.
Why You Don’t Label It “Review”
APA treats reviews like any journal article. You only add a bracketed description when the work is a review of a specific item, such as [Review of the book …]. A literature review or systematic review that evaluates many sources is just an article, so no bracket text is needed. For more reference models, scan APA’s journal article examples.
In-Text Citations For Review Articles
APA 7th uses the author–date system. You can cite parenthetically or narratively. For three or more authors, shorten to the first author with “et al.” from the first mention. For group authors, you may introduce the acronym in brackets on first use and use the acronym later.
Parenthetical style: (Adams & Silva, 2022). Narrative style: Adams and Silva (2022). With a page or section pin for a quote: (Adams & Silva, 2022, p. 44) or Adams and Silva (2022, p. 44). For more than one review in the same set of brackets, sort by year and separate with semicolons.
Second Table Of Patterns
| Authors | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Rao, 2020) | Rao (2020) |
| Two authors | (Lee & Novak, 2021) | Lee and Novak (2021) |
| Three or more | (Martinez et al., 2022) | Martinez et al. (2022) |
| Group author, long name | (International Diabetes Federation [IDF], 2023) | International Diabetes Federation (2023) |
| Later use of group author | (IDF, 2023) | IDF (2023) |
| Quote with page | (O’Neill, 2021, p. 7) | O’Neill (2021, p. 7) |
| Multiple works | (Chen, 2019; Gómez et al., 2020; Yeo, 2021) | Chen (2019), Gómez et al. (2020), and Yeo (2021) |
Edge Cases You’ll See With Reviews
Systematic Reviews And Meta-Analyses
Treat them like any article. The words “systematic review” or “meta-analysis” sit in the title when the authors use them. You don’t add bracket text. The rest follows the same pattern: authors, year, title, journal, volume(issue), pages or article number, DOI link.
Special Article Labels
Journals sometimes tag pieces as “overview,” “evidence review,” or “position paper.” If the piece is peer-reviewed and presented as a journal article, cite it the same way. Only add bracketed descriptors for non-article formats such as editorials, corrections, or retractions.
Supplements And Special Issues
If the review appears in a supplement or a special issue, include the supplement label in the issue field, for example 12(Suppl. 1). Keep the rest of the pattern unchanged.
Articles With Many Authors
In the reference list, include up to 20 names. In text, shorten groups of three or more authors to the first name plus “et al.” from the first citation. If two different works shorten to the same “et al.” form, add more authors until each one is unique.
Preprints And Ahead-Of-Print Versions
Some review manuscripts live in preprint servers before journal acceptance. For a preprint, cite the repository as the source, not a journal. Once the review appears in a journal, cite the version of record instead.
Missing Issue, Volume, Or Pages
Not every journal uses issues, and some only list an article number. Omit any element the journal does not provide and keep the order of the rest.
Quick Editing Checklist
- Names in the reference list are “Surname, Initials.” with an ampersand before the last name.
- Year in parentheses; month or day stays out of the reference for journal articles.
- Article title in sentence case; journal title and volume in italics.
- Issue in parentheses right after the volume; no space between them.
- Comma before the page range or article number.
- Live DOI link with the https://doi.org/ prefix and no period after it.
- No database names for standard journal content.
Reference List Examples You Can Copy
Use these sample entries as models. Swap in the details from your source and keep the punctuation as shown.
Basic review with DOI: Tanaka, H., & Price, D. (2023). Protein pacing for weight loss: Review. Nutrition & Metabolism, 20(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-023-00789
Narrative review without DOI: Ortega, L. (2020). Mindful eating and appetite control: A narrative review. Appetite Research, 15(1), 33–48.
Systematic review with article number: Bhandari, P., Nguyen, A., & Silva, R. (2022). Sugar intake and acne: Systematic review. Dermatology Open, 7(4), e00219. https://doi.org/10.9012/dermopen.7.4.e00219
Group author review: European Cardiology Society. (2021). Dietary fats and lipids: Review. Heart & Vessels, 36(6), 455–470. https://doi.org/10.1007/hv.36.6.455
Advance online publication: Morales, G., & Aziz, N. (2024). Long-chain omega-3s and mood: Review. Psychiatry Today. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.5599/pt.2024.0042
Special issue supplement: Hassan, S., & Cole, R. (2019). Plant-based diets and insulin needs: Review. Diabetes Nutrition, 12(Suppl. 1), S5–S18. https://doi.org/10.2233/dn.12.s1.s5
Twenty-one or more authors: Liu, D., Akhtar, R., Brown, T., Campos, V., Dutta, P., Esposito, L., Fernández, R., Gupta, S., Huang, Y., Ito, K., Jones, A., Kim, E., López, J., Mora, S., Novak, P., Okeke, J., Park, H., Quinn, L., Ruiz, M., … Zhang, Y. (2023). Gut hormones and appetite: Review. Endocrine Reviews, 44(3), 201–240. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/naa999
Common Questions, Clear Answers
Do I Ever Add A Retrieval Date?
No. Retrieval dates are for sources that change over time, such as wikis. Journal reviews are stable, so you don’t add “Retrieved from …”.
Should I Include Issue Numbers?
Yes. APA 7th asks for issue numbers for all journal articles that have them. Place the issue in parentheses right after the volume.
How Do I Style Multiple Reviews In One Citation?
Place them in one set of brackets, split with semicolons, and sort by year. Example: (Khan, 2019; Patel & Reid, 2021; Zhao et al., 2023).