Cite a literature review in APA 7 as a journal article or book chapter, and use author-date in-text citations for statements you quote or paraphrase.
Why This Topic Matters
A literature review sits at the center of many papers. You quote, paraphrase, and compare studies, so your citations must be tight and consistent. The good news: APA 7 uses one playbook across formats. Once you learn the patterns, you can build entries fast and keep your in-text work clean.
What A Literature Review Citation Covers
The phrase “literature review” can mean two things. You might cite a review article written by another author, or you might write the review section inside your own paper. When you cite a review article, treat it like the source type it is: usually a journal article or a chapter in an edited book. When you cite within your own review section, use the same in-text rules you’d use anywhere else in APA 7.
Citing A Literature Review In APA 7: Quick Steps
- Identify the source type: journal review, chapter, thesis, report, or web page.
- Build the reference entry with author, year, title in sentence case, source, and DOI or URL when needed.
- Apply the author-date system in text: narrative or parenthetical, with et al. for three or more authors.
- Prefer the primary study when possible; use “as cited in” only when you can’t access the original.
Reference Templates You’ll Use Most
Use the templates below to build references for review sources you’re likely to cite. Keep titles in sentence case, italicize periodical names and book titles, and use a hanging indent in your document.
| Source Type | Reference Template | Sample Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Journal review article with DOI | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Nguyen, L. T., & Patel, R. (2022). Sleep disturbances in caregivers: A scoping review. Journal of Family Health, 38(2), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.1146/0000-0000 |
| Journal review article from a common database, no DOI | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. | Morgan, A. J. (2019). Nutritional patterns in early adulthood: A narrative review. Nutrition Reports, 27(4), 201–219. |
| Chapter in an edited book | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Alvarez, M. R. (2021). Workplace bias research: A twenty-year review. In K. Young & T. Bell (Eds.), Current directions in organizational studies (pp. 51–78). North River Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/0000-0000 |
| Doctoral dissertation | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation (Publication No. xxxxxx) [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Database or Archive. URL | Santos, P. D. (2020). Behavioral markers of habit formation (No. 2948812) [Doctoral dissertation, Western State University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations/2948812 |
| Government or NGO report | Organization Name. (Year). Title of report (Report No. if any). Publisher. URL | World Health Organization. (2021). Digital health adoption report. WHO. https://www.who.int/reports/digital-health-adoption |
| Web page that is a review | Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL | Reid, J. (2023, July 14). Recent trials on shift work and sleep: A brief review. Health Methods Hub. https://healthmethodshub.org/shift-work-sleep-review |
In-Text Citation Basics
APA 7 runs on an author-date model. In parenthetical style, place both inside parentheses. In narrative style, weave the author into the sentence and keep the year near the name. Use an ampersand inside parentheses and the word “and” in narrative style. For three or more authors, use the first author’s name plus et al. from the first cite onward. Provide a page or paragraph number for direct quotes. For group authors, spell out the full name the first time; add an abbreviation in brackets if you plan to reuse it.
For the core rules, the official author-date system page lays out clear patterns.
Smart Use Of Sources In A Review
A strong review doesn’t stack one-sentence summaries. It compares findings, shows patterns, and points out gaps. To keep the flow smooth, cite clusters of sources that support the same claim. When a single study is central to the sentence, bring it into the narrative. When several studies back the same point, place them parenthetically in the same set of brackets, sorted alphabetically and separated by semicolons.
Secondary Citations From A Review
Sometimes a review summarizes a study you can’t get. In that case, you can use a secondary citation. Name the original in the sentence and add “as cited in” plus the review you read. Only the review appears on the reference page. Use this sparingly.
When The Review Is A Book Chapter
Many handbooks and edited volumes include a chapter that surveys a topic. In that case, the author of the chapter goes first, then the year, the chapter title, the editor names with “Ed.” or “Eds.”, the book title in italics, page range, publisher, and a DOI or URL if available. Only cite the whole book if you used the book as a whole, not a specific chapter by a named author.
When The Review Is A Journal Article
Most current reviews appear in journals. Treat them as standard articles. Include author, year, article title in sentence case, journal title in italics, volume in italics, issue in parentheses, page range, and the DOI as a clickable URL. If the article has no DOI and you found it in a common academic database, end the entry after the page range. See the official journal article references page for patterns and edge cases.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, And Page Numbers
Use a page or paragraph number when you quote. Paraphrases don’t require a locator, though you can add one if it helps readers. Keep quotes short and rare in review sections; paraphrase and synthesize instead. Long quotes interrupt the scan for most readers and can weigh down the page.
Capitalization, Italics, And Punctuation
Set article and chapter titles in sentence case. Capitalize proper nouns and the first word after a colon. Italicize book titles, journal titles, and volume numbers. Use the issue number in parentheses right after the volume number with no space. End the DOI with no period. Use commas to separate elements inside the reference and finish the entry with a period after the page range when no DOI or URL follows.
Reference List House Rules
Start the reference page on a new page with the word References centered at the top. Use a hanging indent of 0.5 inches. Double-space the list. Alphabetize by the first author’s surname, then by year. When multiple works by the same author share a year, add letters a, b, c to the year both in the reference and in-text. Keep author names in the order shown on the work.
In-Text Citation Patterns At A Glance
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Lopez, 2021) | Lopez (2021) |
| Two authors | (Chen & Ruiz, 2020) | Chen and Ruiz (2020) |
| Three or more authors | (Baker et al., 2019) | Baker et al. (2019) |
| Group author, first mention with abbreviation | (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021) | World Health Organization (WHO, 2021) |
| Group author, later mentions | (WHO, 2021) | WHO (2021) |
| No author | (Mindfulness Survey, 2018) | Mindfulness Survey (2018) |
| No date | (Garcia, n.d.) | Garcia (n.d.) |
| Direct quote | (Rossi, 2022, p. 44) | Rossi (2022, p. 44) |
| Multiple sources together | (Adams, 2018; Kim, 2020; Patel, 2021) | Adams (2018), Kim (2020), and Patel (2021) |
Common Edge Cases You’ll Meet
Same author, same year: add letters to the year in both places. Early online or advance print: include the issue and page range when available, with the DOI. No author: move the title to the author position and use the first few words of the title in your in-text citation. No date: use n.d. in both places. Long author lists: list up to 20 authors in the reference; use et al. in the text for three or more.
Ethical Reading Of Reviews
A review is a map, not the destination. If a specific claim from a primary study matters to your argument, read the primary study. If you can’t access it, label the secondary route clearly with “as cited in” and rely on the review for broad context rather than fine detail. That keeps your work honest and clear for the reader.
Formatting Tips That Save Time
- Build a quick checklist: source type, author, year, title, source, DOI or URL.
- Turn on automatic hanging indents in your word processor.
- Paste DOIs as full URLs that start with https://doi.org/.
- Store a set of model entries to copy and edit; small edits beat starting from zero.
- Keep a running list of standard journal abbreviations you plan to avoid; APA prefers full journal titles.
Worked Examples You Can Adapt
Below are short samples that follow the patterns above. Replace names, years, titles, and DOI or URL with the details for your source.
Journal review article with DOI (parenthetical): (Nguyen & Patel, 2022).
Nguyen, L. T., & Patel, R. (2022). Sleep disturbances in caregivers: A scoping review. Journal of Family Health, 38(2), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.1146/0000-0000
Journal review article found in a database with no DOI (narrative): Morgan (2019) traced methods across three waves.
Morgan, A. J. (2019). Nutritional patterns in early adulthood: A narrative review. Nutrition Reports, 27(4), 201–219.
Chapter in an edited book: (Alvarez, 2021).
Alvarez, M. R. (2021). Workplace bias research: A twenty-year review. In K. Young & T. Bell (Eds.), Current directions in organizational studies (pp. 51–78). North River Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/0000-0000
Secondary citation from a review: Chan’s 2016 trial, as cited in Rivera (2020), reported a steeper drop during weeks 3–4.
Rivera, P. (2020). Habit formation in mobile health apps: A review. Digital Health Quarterly, 12(1), 44–60. https://doi.org/10.0000/abcd
Placement And Flow Inside Your Paper
Readers scan the first screen. Lead with a short paragraph that sets scope and signals the main threads. Keep any hero image or figure below that text block so the text appears above the fold. Use clear H2 and H3 headings to chunk the review into logical sections. When you shift topics, start a new section and restate the thread in a short opening line. That rhythm helps readers track the arc without getting lost in a sea of names and dates.
Quality Signals That Help Your Page
Show who wrote the piece with a short byline and a link to a profile page. State your mission and link to it from your About page. Use clean titles that match search intent. When you refresh a page, record the date in your CMS and keep structured data up to date. Trim pop-ups and large banners that push your opening text down the screen. Keep ads outside the first screen on both mobile and desktop.
One H2 With A Close Variation Of The Keyword
APA 7 Literature Review Citation Steps That Work
Short Checklist You Can Reuse
- Confirm source type.
- Draft the reference entry using the right template.
- Drop in the in-text cite where it best supports the sentence.
- If you paraphrase a complex passage, reread the original to confirm you kept the sense.
- Before you submit, scan your references for DOIs and fix any broken links.
Helpful Links For Deeper Rules
Review the author-date rules on the APA Style site and check the official journal article reference patterns when you’re building entries with DOIs or issue numbers.