Literature Review-Manuals (Referencing Style)

Introduction

A Literature Review-Manuals (Referencing Style) is an important part of academic research, as it provides a critical analysis of published sources related to a particular topic or research question. Writing a literature review requires careful consideration of the writing style, structure, and formatting, as well as adherence to the guidelines set forth by various writing manuals and guides. (Literature Review-Manuals (Referencing Style)

When writing a literature review, it is important to choose a structure that best suits the purpose and focus of the review. The chronological structure presents the literature in the order in which it was published, while the thematic structure groups the literature into themes or topics. The methodological structure groups the literature by research methods used, and the theoretical structure groups the literature based on theoretical perspectives or frameworks.

Literature Review-Manuals (Referencing Style)

A literature review is a critical analysis of published sources related to a particular topic or research question. It involves identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing relevant literature to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the topic.

Writing style in a literature review should be clear, concise, and logical, with a focus on the research question and objectives. The literature review should be written in an objective and analytical tone, avoiding personal opinions and emotions.

Regardless of the chosen structure, it is important to critically analyze and evaluate the literature, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the research. Using a variety of sources, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and other credible sources, helps to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on the topic.

In terms of writing style, a literature review should be clear, concise, and logical, with a focus on the research question and objectives. It should be written in an objective and analytical tone, avoiding personal opinions and emotions.

To ensure that the literature review meets the standards of academic writing, it is important to follow the guidelines set forth by various writing manuals and guides, such as the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, the Chicago Manual of Style, the Harvard Referencing Guide, and the Oxford Referencing Guide. These guides provide guidelines for writing and formatting research papers and literature reviews in various disciplines, and they provide instructions for referencing sources using the appropriate citation style and format.

There are several manuals and guides that can be used to assist with the writing and formatting of a literature review, such as:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is a widely-used manual for formatting academic papers in the social sciences, including literature reviews. It provides guidelines for formatting the paper, citing sources, and presenting data. When writing a literature review using the APA style, there are several key elements to keep in mind.

Firstly, the paper should be formatted with one-inch margins on all sides, double-spaced, and in a 12-point Times New Roman font. The paper should also include a title page with the title of the paper, the author’s name and affiliation, and the date of submission.

Secondly, in-text citations should be used to acknowledge the sources of information used in the literature review. These citations should include the author’s name and the year of publication. If a direct quote is used, the page number should also be included.

Thirdly, at the end of the literature review, a reference list should be included, listing all sources cited in the paper. The reference list should be organized alphabetically by the author’s last name, and each reference should include the author’s name, publication year, title of the article or book, publisher, and place of publication.

Lastly, the literature review should be well-organized and clearly written, with a focus on the research question and objectives. The review should be analytical and objective, avoiding personal opinions and emotions. The review should also be well-structured, with clear headings and subheadings to guide the reader through the content.

Here are some examples of APA referencing style with solutions:

1. Journal Article: Last name, Initials. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), Page Numbers.

Example: Smith, J. R. (2019). The impact of social media on mental health. Journal of Psychology, 25(4), 567-578.

2. Book: Last name, Initials. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. Publisher.

Example: Johnson, M. E. (2018). Research methods in psychology. Wiley.

3. Website: Author or Organization. (Year of Publication or Last Update). Title of Webpage. Website Name. URL.

Example: World Health Organization. (2021). Mental health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health

4. Newspaper Article: Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day of Publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, Page Numbers.

Example: Williams, S. (2022, February 28). New study finds link between sleep and productivity. The New York Times, A6.

5. Chapter in Edited Book: Last name, Initials. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In Editor’s Initials and Last Name (Ed.), Title of Book (Page Numbers). Publisher.

Example: Jones, D. M. (2017). Research ethics. In L. Smith (Ed.), Handbook of Psychology Research Methods (pp. 45-63). Oxford University Press.

In all of these examples, the author’s name is written with the last name first, followed by the initials. The title of the article or book is in sentence case, with only the first word and proper nouns capitalized. The journal or book title is in title case, with all major words capitalized. The year of publication is in parentheses, followed by any additional information such as the volume number or page numbers. The reference list is organized alphabetically by the author’s last name.

MLA Referencing Style

The MLA system is a parenthetical system: i.e. bracketed references in the body of your essay are linked to full length citations in the bibliography at the end of your essay. The bracket in the body of the essay contains only the author’s surname and the page number or numbers you are referring to. For example: There are a number of different referencing styles or conventions but there are four that are used most widely. (Kennedy, 17).

If your essay quotes from two or more works by the same author then the bracketed reference should include a shortened version of the title to indicate which book is being referred to. (Kennedy, New Relations, 26)

A bibliography compiled according to MLA conventions lists items alphabetically by the author’s last name. Each entry should include, in the following order: the author’s name in full, the title of the book, the place of publication, the publisher, and the date. For example: Kennedy, David. New Relations: The Refashioning of British Poetry 1980-1994. Bridgend: Seren, 1996. Pay attention to how the entry is punctuated as that is part of the system too.

MLA (Modern Language Association) is another commonly used referencing style for academic writing, especially in the humanities. Here is a brief MLA referencing guide:

1. In-text citations: In MLA, in-text citations are made using the author-page method. This means that the author’s last name and the page number(s) of the source are included in parentheses after the quote or paraphrase.

Example: (Smith 45)

If the author’s name is already mentioned in the sentence, only the page number is needed in parentheses.

Example: According to Smith, “…” (45)

2. Works Cited page: The Works Cited page is where all sources cited in the paper are listed alphabetically by the author’s last name. The format for each source listed in the Works Cited page is:

• Author’s name (last name, first name).
• Title of source (in italics for books, in quotation marks for articles or chapters).
• Title of container (in italics for larger works, such as books or journals).
• Other contributors (if any).
• Version (if any).
• Number (if any).
• Publisher.
• Publication date.
• Location (for print sources, the page number or range; for online sources, the URL or DOI).

Example for a book: Smith, John. The Impact of Technology on Society. Random House, 2019.

Example for an article in a journal: Jones, Mary. “The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity.” Science, vol. 365, no. 6458, 2019, pp. 1245-1250.

Example for a website: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, 2022, climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/.

3. Formatting:

• The paper should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins.
• The font should be 12-point Times New Roman.
• The first line of each paragraph should be indented half an inch.
• Titles of larger works (such as books and journals) should be italicized.
• Titles of shorter works (such as articles and chapters) should be in quotation marks.
• The heading should include the author’s name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date, all double-spaced and centered on the page.

This is just a brief MLA referencing guide. For more detailed guidelines and specific examples, it is best to consult the MLA Handbook, which is the authoritative source for MLA style.

Chicago Manual of Style

Chicago is a documentation syle that has been published by the Chicago University Press since 1906. This citation style incorporates rules of grammar and punctuation common in American English. Typically, Chicago style presents two basic documentation systems: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. Choosing between the two often depends on subject matter and the nature of sources cited, as each system is favored by different groups of scholars.

The Chicago Manual of Style is a comprehensive style guide used for academic writing, particularly in the fields of history, literature, and the arts. Here is an overview of the Chicago Manual of Style:

1. Footnotes and endnotes: In Chicago style, sources are cited using either footnotes or endnotes. The citation information is presented in a note at the bottom of the page (footnote) or at the end of the paper (endnote), and a corresponding reference is included in the bibliography.

Example for a book:

1. John Smith, The Impact of Technology on Society (New York: Random House, 2019), 45.

Example for an article in a journal: 2. Mary Jones, “The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity,” Science 365, no. 6458 (2019): 1245-1250.

2. Bibliography: The bibliography is a list of all sources cited in the paper, arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. The format for each source listed in the bibliography is:

• Author’s name (last name, first name).
• Title of source (in italics for books, in quotation marks for articles or chapters).
• Publication information (publisher, date, and place of publication for books; volume and issue number, date, and page numbers for articles; and so on).

Example for a book: Smith, John. The Impact of Technology on Society. New York: Random House, 2019.

Example for an article in a journal: Jones, Mary. “The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity.” Science 365, no. 6458 (2019): 1245-1250.

3. Formatting:

• The paper should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins.
• The font should be 12-point Times New Roman.
• The first line of each paragraph should be indented half an inch.
• Titles of larger works (such as books and journals) should be italicized.
• Titles of shorter works (such as articles and chapters) should be in quotation marks.
• The heading should include the author’s name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date, all double-spaced and centered on the page.

These are just the basics of the Chicago Manual of Style. The manual is extensive, and includes guidelines for a wide range of topics, including manuscript preparation, citation of electronic sources, and more.

Harvard Referencing Style

The Harvard system is another parenthetical system and the bracketed references in the body of your essay are: the author’s surname and the date of publication. The list of works at the end of the essay is headed ‘References’. The works listed in it appear in alphabetical order by the author’s surname and follow the same format as the APA system.

Harvard Referencing Style is a popular citation style used in academic writing. Here is an overview of the Harvard Referencing Style:

1. In-text citation: In Harvard style, sources are cited in the text using the author’s name and the year of publication in parentheses. If you quote directly from the source, you should also include the page number(s) in the citation.

Example: According to Smith (2019), technology has had a significant impact on society. Alternatively, technology has had a significant impact on society (Smith, 2019). If you directly quote Smith’s work, the citation would be (Smith, 2019, p. 45).

2. Reference list: The reference list is a list of all sources cited in the paper, arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. The format for each source listed in the reference list is:

• Author’s name (last name, first name).
• Year of publication.
• Title of source (in italics for books, in quotation marks for articles or chapters).
• Publication information (publisher, date, and place of publication for books; volume and issue number, date, and page numbers for articles; and so on).

Example for a book: Smith, John. (2019). The Impact of Technology on Society. New York: Random House.

Example for an article in a journal: Jones, Mary. (2019). The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity. Science, 365(6458), 1245-1250.

3. Formatting:

• The paper should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins.
• The font should be 12-point Times New Roman.
• The first line of each paragraph should be indented half an inch.
• Titles of larger works (such as books and journals) should be italicized.
• Titles of shorter works (such as articles and chapters) should be in quotation marks.
• The heading should include the author’s name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date, all double-spaced and centered on the page.

These are just the basics of the Harvard Referencing Style. The style is quite flexible and allows for variations, such as using et al. for more than three authors, adding a URL or DOI for online sources, and so on.

Oxford Referencing Style

Oxford Referencing Style is a citation style that uses footnotes or endnotes and a reference list to acknowledge sources in academic writing. Here is an overview of the Oxford Referencing Style:

1. Footnotes or Endnotes: In Oxford style, sources are cited in footnotes or endnotes, which are numbered consecutively throughout the paper. The superscript number used in the text refers to the corresponding note, which contains the citation details.

Example: According to Smith^1, technology has had a significant impact on society. Alternatively, technology has had a significant impact on society^1.

The citation details are then given in the footnote or endnote, which includes:

• Author’s name (last name, first name).
• Year of publication.
• Title of source (in italics for books, in quotation marks for articles or chapters).
• Publication information (publisher, date, and place of publication for books; volume and issue number, date, and page numbers for articles; and so on).

Example for a book:

1. Smith, John. The Impact of Technology on Society. New York: Random House, 2019.

Example for an article in a journal: 2. Jones, Mary. “The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity.” Science 365, no. 6458 (2019): 1245-1250.

2. Reference list: The reference list is a list of all sources cited in the paper, arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. The format for each source listed in the reference list is similar to the footnote or endnote citation, but with slight variations, such as using full names of authors and different punctuation.

Example for a book: Smith, John. The Impact of Technology on Society. New York: Random House, 2019.

Example for an article in a journal: Jones, Mary. “The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity.” Science 365, no. 6458 (2019): 1245-1250.

3. Formatting:

• The paper should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins.
• The font should be 12-point Times New Roman.
• The first line of each paragraph should be indented half an inch.
• Titles of larger works (such as books and journals) should be italicized.
• Titles of shorter works (such as articles and chapters) should be in quotation marks.
• The heading should include the author’s name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date, all double-spaced and centered on the page.

These are just the basics of the Oxford Referencing Style. The style allows for variations, such as using ibid. for repeated citations, and also provides guidelines for citing different types of sources, such as websites, films, and artwork.

The MHRA System

The MHRA (Modern Humanities Research Association) system is a referencing style used primarily in the humanities, particularly in the field of English literature. The system uses footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography, and it is similar to the Oxford referencing style.

The MHRA system does not use bracketed references in the body of an essay. Instead, superscript numbers like this 1 are linked to a sequence of notes which appear either at the foot of the page or in a section at the end of your essay. The note contains the full reference for the book or article you are referring to.

Here are some examples of the MHRA referencing system citations:

1. Books:

• Single author: Smith, John, The Art of Writing (London: Penguin Books, 2010), p. 25.
• Multiple authors: Brown, David, and Jane Thompson, Literature and Society (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), pp. 40-41.

2. Journal Articles:

• Jones, Sarah, “The Role of Nature in Romantic Poetry,” The Wordsworth Circle 45.3 (2014): 10-20.

3. Websites:

• Williams, James, “Introduction to Literary Theory,” The Literary Encyclopedia, first published 10 September 2018, https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19471 (accessed 20 February 2023).

4. Thesis/Dissertation:

• Roberts, Emily, “The Significance of Gender in the Novels of Virginia Woolf,” PhD diss., University of Manchester, 2019.

In the MHRA system, the footnote or endnote citation number used in the text corresponds to the corresponding note, which contains the citation details. In the bibliography, sources are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.

Conclusion

Academic writing requires adherence to specific referencing styles to ensure the accurate and consistent citation of sources. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Modern Language Association (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style, the Harvard Referencing Style, the Oxford Referencing Style, and the Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) system are some of the most commonly used referencing styles. Each style has its unique guidelines for citing sources and formatting bibliographies or reference lists. It’s essential to consult the appropriate style guide and follow its guidelines when preparing a literature review or any other academic document. Accurate citation of sources not only demonstrates academic integrity but also enables readers to locate the sources used in a document, assess the quality of the research, and identify areas for further study.