How do you use appropriate citation styles and formats for a literature review?

1 Choose a topic and define your scope

The first step of writing a literature review is to choose a topic that is relevant, interesting, and manageable for you. You should have a clear research question or objective that guides your literature search and selection. You should also define the scope of your literature review, such as the time period, the geographical region, the type of sources, and the criteria for inclusion and exclusion. This will help you narrow down your focus and avoid being overwhelmed by the amount of literature available.

2 Search and select the sources

The next step is to search for and select the sources that are most relevant and credible for your literature review. You can use various databases, search engines, libraries, and reference lists to find the sources that match your topic and scope. You should use keywords, filters, and advanced search options to refine your search results. You should also evaluate the sources based on their authority, accuracy, currency, coverage, and objectivity. You should keep track of the sources that you find and record their bibliographic information for later reference.

3 Analyze and synthesize the literature

The third step is to analyze and synthesize the literature that you have selected. You should read the sources critically and identify their main arguments, methods, findings, and implications. You should also compare and contrast the sources, and look for the similarities, differences, gaps, and trends in the literature. You should synthesize the literature by organizing it into themes, categories, or subtopics, and by showing how they relate to your research question or objective. You should also highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the literature, and discuss how your own research fills the gap or contributes to the field.

4 Write and structure your literature review

The fourth step is to write and structure your literature review according to the purpose and format of your assignment or publication. You should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion for your literature review. The introduction should provide the background, context, and rationale for your literature review, as well as the research question or objective, and the scope and organization of your literature review. The body should present and analyze the literature according to the themes, categories, or subtopics that you have identified, and show how they support or challenge your research question or objective. The conclusion should summarize the main points and findings of your literature review, and indicate the implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

5 Use appropriate citation styles and formats

The fifth and final step is to use appropriate citation styles and formats for your literature review. Citation styles and formats are the rules and conventions that govern how you acknowledge the sources that you use in your writing. They vary depending on the discipline, journal, or institution that you are writing for. You should follow the citation style and format that is required or recommended by your instructor, editor, or publisher. You should also be consistent and accurate in applying the citation style and format throughout your literature review. You should use in-text citations, footnotes, or endnotes to cite the sources within your text, and provide a list of references or bibliography at the end of your literature review. You should also use quotation marks, paraphrasing, or summarizing to avoid plagiarism and respect the intellectual property of the original authors.