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The College of Saint Rose Writing Center, 2009
Writing a Literature Review in APA Format
According to the Publication Manual of American Psychological Association (2010), Literature
Reviews “are critical evaluations of material that has already been published…. By organizing,
integrating, and evaluating previously published material, authors of literature reviews consider the
progress of current research toward clarifying a problem” (10).
In a literature review, the authors
Define and clarify the problem;
Summarize previous investigations in order to inform the reader of the state of current
research;
Identify relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature; and
Suggests the next step or steps in solving the problem.
Also, the components are arranged by relationship, such as: similar “concepts or theories of
interest, methodological similarities among the studies reviewed, or the historical development of
the field” (10).
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The following information is adapted from: University of North Carolina’s Writing Center
website: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/literature_review.html
Purpose of literature reviews:
They can provide an overview or act a springboard in discovering more about a topic.
They can also provide strong background information for a research paper‟s exploration.
Before you get started, determine:
How many sources you should address
What type of sources you should research (journal articles, websites, books?)
If you are to evaluate your sources
How current your sources need to be
Your Topic:
It is essential that you narrow your topic down to a specific element or idea. This will limit the
number of sources you need to consult and will provide a much more unified survey of the research
surrounding your topic.
Your Focus:
Your specific topic should then transform into a focus.
Consider the themes and issues that link your sources together
o Do your sources present the same or different explanations/solutions for an
issue/problem?
o Is there an aspect of your topic that is absent?
o Do your sources point to a trend or debate in the field?