For a systematic review, list authors, year, title, source (journal or database), volume(issue), pages or article number, and the DOI or stable URL.
What A Systematic Review Citation Includes
Most systematic reviews are published as journal articles, so you cite them just like any journal paper. Your entry needs the authors, year, title, the journal or source name, volume and issue, a page range or article number, and a DOI link. If the review lives in a database such as the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, use its journal style record and include the article number that appears in place of page ranges.
Different citation styles shuffle those parts and format them a bit differently. The patterns below put those moving pieces in order so you can copy the structure and swap in your details accurately.
Style Patterns At A Glance
| Style | In‑text Signal | Reference Order |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | (Author, Year) | Author. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), pages or article number. https://doi.org/ |
| MLA 9 | (Author page) | Author. “Title.” Journal, vol. volume, no. issue, Year, pages. https://doi.org/ |
| Chicago Author-Date | (Author Year, page) | Author. Year. “Title.” Journal volume, no. issue: pages. https://doi.org/ |
| Chicago Notes | Superscript number | Author, “Title,” Journal volume, no. issue (Month Year): pages, https://doi.org/ |
| AMA 11 | Superscript number | Author. Title. Journal Abbrev. Year;volume(issue):pages or article number. doi: |
| Vancouver / ICMJE | Number in order | Author. Title. Journal. Year;volume(issue):pages or article number. doi: |
Citing A Systematic Review In APA Style: Clean Patterns
Use sentence case for the article title, title case italics for the journal, and the DOI as a link. Include the issue number, and use the article number if the journal supplies one. Example pattern:
Lastname, A. A., Lastname, B. B., & Lastname, C. C. (Year). Title of review in sentence case. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages or Article e12345. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
In text, use the author and year. For three or more authors, use the first author followed by “et al.” If the review is a protocol, include that word in the title only if it appears there.
APA treats Cochrane reviews as journal articles from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Those records use an article number in place of pages and always carry a DOI, so the link is required.
Finding The Pieces You Need
Open the review’s landing page and scan for a DOI, the volume, and the issue. The DOI appears near the title. If the site shows a copy-to-cite box, verify against the PDF because those boxes can miss issue numbers.
APA’s official examples for journal articles show where each part goes and confirm that DOIs appear as live links that begin with https://doi.org/. See the APA journal article page. For Vancouver-style journals, see the ICMJE FAQ on references. The guidance there maps to National Library of Medicine formats used by many health titles.
MLA Works-Cited Entries For Systematic Reviews
Capitalize all principal words in the article title and place the title in quotes. Italicize the journal. End the entry with the DOI in URL form. Pattern:
Lastname, Firstname, et al. “Title of Review.” Journal Title, vol. volume, no. issue, Year, pp. xx–xx. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
MLA in-text signals use the author’s surname and a page if the PDF shows page numbers. Many reviews use article numbers; when pages are absent, use the surname only.
If the review sits in a medical database and lists an article number instead of pages, drop the page element and keep the rest of the order. Do not add database names when a DOI is present.
Chicago Styles: Author-Date And Notes-Bibliography
For author-date, give the year right after the author and include the DOI at the end. For notes and bibliography, place a superscript in the text, then enter a footnote with month and year if the journal supplies a month. Patterns:
Author-Date: Lastname, Firstname. Year. “Title.” Journal volume, no. issue: pages. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
Notes/Bibliography: Firstname Lastname, “Title,” Journal volume, no. issue (Month Year): pages, https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
If your review has more than ten authors, Chicago allows listing the first seven followed by “et al.” in the bibliography.
AMA And Vancouver: Health Journal Standards
Both use numbered citations. Entries start with the authors’ surnames and initials, then the article title in sentence case, the standard journal abbreviation, year, volume with issue in parentheses, and a page range or article number. AMA uses “doi:” before the identifier; Vancouver either uses “doi:” or a resolvable link, based on journal rules. Patterns:
AMA: Lastname AA, Lastname BB, Lastname CC. Title of review. J Abbrev. Year;volume(issue):pages or Article e12345. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx
Vancouver: Lastname AA, Lastname BB, Lastname CC. Title of review. Journal Title. Year;volume(issue):pages or Article e12345. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx
In text, place numbered superscripts in the order sources appear, and reuse numbers for repeated citations. Many medical journals follow ICMJE, which maps to the National Library of Medicine formats.
Edge Cases You Will See With Reviews
Article Numbers Instead Of Pages
Many review journals assign an e-locator such as “Article CD012345.” Replace pages with that code. Keep the code case as the journal prints it because letter prefixes carry meaning for series.
Cochrane Art. No. Tip
The CD code sits in the DOI; you don’t need to repeat it after the journal name.
Group Authors And Collaborations
If a group author such as a guideline panel or a review consortium is listed, put the group name in the author spot. In APA, include the group’s abbreviation in brackets after the full name if the record shows it. In AMA and Vancouver, keep the group name as printed and move individual names to the end if the record places them there.
Individual Contributors
If the record lists “on behalf of” names, keep that phrase as printed.
Preprints Or Protocols
Preprints and protocols are not the same as a finished review. Style guides let you tag the version in the title only when it appears on the item. Where a preprint is cited, make clear in your prose that you are citing a preprint and give the server name in the source element if your style calls for it.
Multiple Editions Of The Same Review
Some teams update the same review record over time. Cite the exact version you read. When a DOI resolves to the latest version by default, use the versioned DOI or the version date in your citation so readers land on the same text.
Second Table Of Quick Fixes
| Scenario | What To Include | Sample Snippet |
|---|---|---|
| No page range | Use article number or e-locator | volume(issue), Article e12345 |
| Twenty-plus authors | Follow your style’s cutoff for “et al.” | Lastname AA, Lastname BB, et al. |
| Database record only | Use journal title shown in the record | Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |
| No DOI | Use a stable URL the journal provides | Retrieved from https://journal.org/review-slug |
| Advance online | Add the early-view label if the style asks | Advance online publication. https://doi.org/ |
Style-Ready Examples You Can Adapt
APA 7 Example
Lee, J. M., Gomez, A., & Iqbal, N. (2024). Title of systematic review in sentence case. Journal Title, 28(3), Article e012345. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
MLA 9 Example
Lee, J. M., et al. “Title of Systematic Review in Headline Style.” Journal Title, vol. 28, no. 3, 2024, Article e012345. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
Chicago Author-Date Example
Lee, Jin-Min, Ana Gomez, and Nadia Iqbal. 2024. “Title of Systematic Review in Headline Style.” Journal Title 28, no. 3: Article e012345. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
AMA Example
Lee JM, Gomez A, Iqbal N. Title of systematic review in sentence case. J Abbrev. 2024;28(3):e012345. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx
Vancouver Example
Lee JM, Gomez A, Iqbal N. Title of systematic review in sentence case. Journal Title. 2024;28(3):e012345. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx
Common Mistakes And How To Fix Them
Using A Database Name As The Journal
For Cochrane items and similar records, the source is the journal name shown on the record, not the platform. Write Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews as the journal and place the DOI at the end. Leave out aggregator names when a DOI is present.
Dropping The Issue Number In APA
APA asks for the issue number for every journal article, even when pages run continuously through a volume. If the issue field is missing in the record, open the PDF or HTML and confirm it before you publish your entry.
Breaking The Author Limit In AMA Or Chicago
Both styles cap long author lists. AMA lists up to six authors, then adds “et al.” Chicago’s bibliography allows up to ten, then “et al.” If your journal gives different cutoffs, follow the journal’s notes for contributors.
Linking To A Paywalled Landing Page Only
Readers still need a resolvable DOI. Include the DOI even when you also add a journal URL. That single link works across platforms and preserves access when websites move.
Quick Checks Before You Paste The Citation
- Use the exact author order shown in the review.
- Match the title case your style requires.
- Abbreviate journal titles only when the style calls for it; AMA and Vancouver use standard NLM abbreviations.
- Keep the DOI as a live link for web readers.
- If a style asks for an access date, add it only when no publication date exists or when the source is likely to change.
- If your review is registered in PROSPERO and you cite a protocol, treat that record as its own source.
Helpful References For Rules
You can confirm details for journals and DOIs on the official style pages. See the APA journal article reference examples and the ICMJE guidance that points to National Library of Medicine samples. They also show how to format article numbers.