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An APA literature review sample is a worked model of a paper that critically summarizes what published research says about one question, set up and cited in APA style. This page gives you a template, a filled example written on clearly fictional studies, and a setup checklist taken from APA’s own student paper guide. It was checked against APA 7th edition (2020) materials as of 2026-10-29.
What an APA literature review contains
Purdue OWL’s Types of APA Papers (read 2026-10-29) describes a literature review as a critical summary of what the scientific literature says about your specific topic or question. It says such a paper typically has three parts: a title page, an introduction and a list of references. An instructor may also ask for an abstract, and the length and number of sources vary by course. Your assignment sheet decides those points, and APA’s own guide says instructors’ guidelines supersede APA.
APA literature review format: the setup checklist
These items come from APA’s Student Paper Setup Guide (7th edition), last updated October 8, 2025 and read 2026-10-29.
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides.
- Font: any legible font; the guide names 12-point Aptos, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12-point Times New Roman and 11-point Georgia. Your word processor’s default is fine.
- Spacing: double-space the entire paper, including block quotations and the reference list. Add no blank lines before or after headings and no extra space between paragraphs.
- Alignment: left-aligned with a ragged right edge, not fully justified. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inch using the tab key or paragraph formatting.
- Page numbers: top right on every page, with the title page counted as page 1. Student papers do not require a running head.
- Title page elements: your affiliation (the department of the course and your university), the course number and name, the instructor’s name as it appears in course materials, and the due date in your country’s date format.
- First page of text: repeat the paper’s title at the top, then begin with the introduction. Do not use the label “Introduction” unless your instructor asks for it.
- Headings: level 1 is centered, bold, Title Case; level 2 is flush left, bold, Title Case; level 3 is flush left, bold italic, Title Case. Avoid a single subsection under a heading.
- References: start the reference list on a new page, double-spaced.
A professional manuscript differs on one visible point: it keeps a running head of 50 characters or fewer, according to the Publication Manual’s Guide to What’s New in the 7th Edition. For the full professional layout, see our guide to writing a research paper in APA style.
APA literature review template
APA does not prescribe section headings for a literature review, so treat this skeleton as a suggestion, not an APA rule. Our literature review template develops each step in more depth.
- Title page as in the checklist above, plus an abstract only if your instructor requires one.
- Opening paragraphs (no “Introduction” label): the topic, why it matters, the question the review answers and how you selected sources.
- Body sections organized by theme, by time period or by method, each with its own heading (levels 1 to 3 as above).
- Synthesis paragraphs: each makes one claim about the literature and supports it with several sources, rather than summarizing one source per paragraph.
- Gap statement and closing: what the sources agree on, where they disagree and what remains untested. See how to write a literature review conclusion.
- Reference list on a new page.
APA literature review example (fictional)
Everything in this example is invented for illustration: the authors, the studies, the sample sizes, the quotation and the journals do not exist and must not be cited. It shows the first page of text of a student paper, so the title is repeated at the top and the opening has no “Introduction” label.
Peer Tutoring and Exam Anxiety in First-Year Undergraduates
The fictional studies on peer tutoring and exam anxiety fall into two groups. The first group treats tutoring as an academic support. Brandt (2022) followed 140 first-year students across one term and reported that those who attended weekly sessions scored lower on an anxiety scale before midterms than those who did not. Reyes et al. (2023) found a similar pattern in a larger multi-site sample, but only for students who attended at least four sessions, which suggests that attendance, not access, drives the effect (Reyes et al., 2023). The second group treats tutoring as a social experience. Nwosu (2024) argued that the benefit “comes from being seen to struggle in front of a peer rather than an instructor” (p. 63), a claim the attendance-based studies cannot test. Lindqvist (2021) offers a framework that links the two groups by separating the academic content of a session from its social setting.
Taken together, these sources agree that tutoring is associated with lower anxiety but disagree about why. Brandt (2022) and Reyes et al. (2023) measure dosage, while Nwosu (2024) measures setting. No study in this review compares the two directly, which is the gap the present paper addresses.
References
Brandt, T. (2022). Weekly peer tutoring and midterm anxiety in one first-year cohort. Journal of Illustrative Education Research, 14(2), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.001
Lindqvist, S. (2021). Learning together: A framework for peer support (2nd ed.). Example Press.
Nwosu, A. (2024). Setting, not content: Why peer sessions reduce worry. Journal of Illustrative Education Research, 17(1), 60–78. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.002
Reyes, M., Tanaka, H., & Osei, K. (2023). Session attendance and anxiety across five campuses. Journal of Illustrative Education Research, 16(3), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.003
What each part of the example does
- The first sentence names the structure of the literature (two groups), so the reader knows how the paragraph is organized before any source appears.
- Each sentence attaches a finding to a source, then compares: the Reyes et al. sentence qualifies the Brandt sentence instead of repeating it.
- The second paragraph synthesizes: it states agreement, disagreement and the gap, and it is the point where your own paper’s question enters.
Citation and reference patterns used in the example
These patterns come from APA’s official In-Text Citation Checklist, Guide to What’s New in the 7th Edition and Reference Guide PDFs (checked 2026-10-28).
| Element | Pattern | In the example |
|---|---|---|
| Parenthetical citation | (Author, year), with a comma | (Reyes et al., 2023) |
| Narrative citation | Author (year) | Brandt (2022) |
| Three or more authors | First author plus “et al.” in every citation, including the first | Reyes et al. (2023) |
| Direct quotation under 40 words | Double quotation marks, with the page number | Nwosu (2024) “…” (p. 63) |
| Quotation of 40 words or more | Block format, indented 0.5 inch from the left margin, double-spaced, no quotation marks | Not used |
| Journal article | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title in sentence case. Periodical Title in Title Case, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/… | Brandt, Nwosu, Reyes et al. |
| Book | Author, A. A. (Year). Title in sentence case (edition). Publisher. | Lindqvist |
In APA 7 a DOI is written as a https://doi.org/ link with no “DOI:” label, book references carry no publisher location, and the issue number is always included in parentheses and not italicized.
Literature review, annotated bibliography and sample paper
Purdue OWL states that a literature review and an annotated bibliography are not synonymous. A literature review synthesizes sources into one argument about a question; an annotated bibliography summarizes and evaluates each source separately. If your assignment is the second, see our annotated bibliography example. If you want the full model of an APA paper, Purdue OWL also publishes an annotated APA sample paper; to see where a review sits among research paper sections, read parts of a research paper.
Frequently asked questions
What is an APA literature review sample?
It is a model paper that critically summarizes what published research says about one question, formatted in APA style. Purdue OWL describes a literature review as a critical summary of what the scientific literature says about your specific topic or question.
What sections does an APA literature review have?
Purdue OWL says it typically has a title page, an introduction and a list of references, and an instructor may also want an abstract. Check your assignment sheet, because APA’s student guide says instructors’ guidelines supersede APA Style.
What is the APA 7 format for a student literature review?
One-inch margins, double-spacing throughout, a legible font such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri, a page number at the top right of every page, and no running head unless your instructor asks for one. The full list is in the setup checklist above.
Is a literature review the same as an annotated bibliography?
No. Purdue OWL states that the two are not synonymous. See the section above for the difference.
Sources
Dates are when each source was last checked for this page.
- APA Style, Student Paper Setup Guide (7th edition), https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/student-paper-setup-guide.pdf, last updated October 8, 2025; checked 2026-10-29.
- Purdue OWL, Types of APA Papers, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/types_of_apa_papers.html; checked 2026-10-29.
- Purdue OWL, APA Sample Paper, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_sample_paper.html; checked 2026-10-29.
- APA Style, In-Text Citation Checklist, https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/in-text-citation-checklist.pdf; checked 2026-10-28.
- APA Style, Guide to What’s New in the 7th Edition, https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/whats-new-7e-guide.pdf; checked 2026-10-28.
- APA Style, Reference Guide, https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-guide.pdf; checked 2026-10-28.
