UWC at UAB
APA Style Literature Review
Basic Definition: A summary of sources plus a critical assessment of the sources, framed by a particular perspective or focus on the material; consult instructor’s assignment for specifics, especially regarding the scope of the review
Features:
May stand alone or be part of a research project
Has a focus and/or focused researched question
Components of paper o Title page: Name, title, class, section, date o Body (use headers where appropriate) *no running header on title page for
Struzick o References: end of paper with centered title References
Margins One inch margins are required on every side. (File > Page setup)
Spacing Double-space or single-spaced
Font Times New Roman, 12 point
Page numbers Make sure to put page numbers at top right corner of every page (in header)
Introduction strategies:
Define or identify the general topic and the specific area of focus
Point out the overall trends in the publications, the conflicts in theory and/or practice, any gaps in scholarship
Establish the writer’s reason/point of view for review of the literature
Explain the criteria for assessment
Preview the organization of the review
Thesis: will argue for a particular perspective on the material.
Ex. 1 The current trend in the nursing profession is toward registered nurses with four year degrees and toward nurses specializing in age-related illnesses.
Ex. 2 More and more studies indicate that as the general population ages, health care professions will increasingly be in demand.

Body: Discussion of sources
Organized either chronologically, thematically, or methodologically, though thematically is the most often favored organization strategy
Basic structure: summarize and synthesize by noting the important features of the sources, then rephrasing its significance and relating it to one’s own work/perspective
Select only the most important points to highlight; use quotes sparingly
Start and end each paragraph with one’s own ideas and words; support with the sources
Assessment of sources features: o Provenance/Authority: what are the author’s credentials? o Objectivity: even-handed or prejudicial/biased? o Persuasiveness: least/most convincing? o Value: does it contribute significantly to an understanding of the subject?
Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what you have drawn from reviewing literature so far.
Where might the discussion proceed?
Good Writing Tips:
-USE OTHER LITERATURE REVIEWS AND ARTICLES AS A GUIDE
-QUOTATIONS: Quotations should be extremely rare in scientific writing, and should only be used if exact wording or terminology is needed.
-VOICE: AVOID 1ST PERSON (GALVAN, 2004, P. 54)
Ex. Improper voice for academic writing
In this review, I will show that the literature on treating juvenile murderers is
sparse and suffers from the same problems as the general literature.
Unfortunately, I have found that most of the treatment results are based on clinical case reports of…
Ex. Suitable voice for academic writing
The literature on treating juvenile murderers is sparse and suffers from the same problems as the general literature. Most of the treatment results are based on clinical case reports.
-AVOID SLANG. USE PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE o “conducted a study” instead of “did a study” o “examined” instead of “looked at” o “utilize” instead of “use” (where appropriate) o “great deal” instead of “a lot” o “Furthermore, …” instead of run-on sentences

-BE CONSICE: Delete unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences to drastically improve your writing. Scientific writing is concise and to-the-point.
REVISE AND REWRITE: Good writing takes hard work. Give yourself enough time to take a break from the paper. Time away from the paper provides perspective regarding organization and allows the opportunity to find technical errors.
CITATIONS: It is imperative that you use good citation habits. It is plagiarism to use other writers words and IDEAS. It is a good idea to keep a citation log, where you write down all your source information on one page or on index cards as you are doing your research, rather than trying to go back and find all the information at the end of your project.
Useful References: Purdue’s OWL, University of North Carolina, University of Wisconsin-
Madison
Visit the University Writing Center at any time in your writing process for one-on-one help.
Make appointments by calling 996-7178. Consult your flyer for available hours.

References
American Psychological Association (2003). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (5th Ed).
Galvan, J. L. (2004). Writing Literature Reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (2nd Ed). Glendale, CA: Pryzcak Publishing
Hamilton College Writing Center (2004). ttp://onthehill.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/ index.html.
Writing in APA Style for Literature Review (2010). Wofford College. http://webs.wofford.edu/boppkl/courseFiles/APAstyle_LitReview.pdf