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SAN MATEO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: WRITING A REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Prepared by: Gilbert O. Cruz, MAED

1. What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an
overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods,
and gaps in the existing research (McCombes, 2021). It is a piece of academic writing
demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the academic literature on a specific
topic placed in context (Institute for Academic Development ,2021).

2. Why do we need a Literature Review?

Good research is designed to build on and use existing knowledge. Once a research
topic is already determined and well-thought of, the researcher must look for
academic and research journals, books, and other similar documents that contain
reports of previous research studies about a topic related to the present research.
This is called literature review or review of related literature. It involves a process of
identifying, locating, organizing, and analyzing information about a research topic
(ELCOMBLUS, 2020).

Conducting a literature review is essential because it prevents duplication of studies

and helps avoid problems that others have encountered. It would be wasteful for a
researcher to begin working on a study without knowing what others have already
done. Literature review also provides valuable information about how to measure the
research variables involved and what research designs will be most useful. A
thorough literature review before the implementation of the study reflects the depth
of discussion, analysis, and interpretation of findings (ELCOMBLUS, 2020).

In writing a research paper, literature review helps the researcher to situate his/her
research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives the researcher a
chance to: Familiarity with the topic and scholarly context, develop a theoretical
framework and methodology for the research, ppositioning of oneself in relation to
other researchers and theorists and show how research addresses a gap or
contributes to a debate.

Literature review provides information about past research studies related to the
intended investigation, preventing the duplication of research undertakings. It
presents gaps in the field of study. Gaps may either be areas in the body of
knowledge that are not explored yet or parts where research studies yielded
inconclusive results. It affords confidence and authority to the researchers since
reviewing the literature can provide them all possible constructs and
perspectives of the present study (ELCOMBLUS, 2020).
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It gives information about the methods used in similar studies, including the
characteristics of the samples, the sampling techniques, or the process of selecting
the research participants, the variables considered, the kinds of data gathered, and
the type of analysis and interpretation done on the collected data. It enumerates
findings from previous studies that may support those of the present study. It
provides ideas on how implications may be drawn out of the analysis and
interpretation of data (ELCOMBLUS, 2020).

3. Organization of Writing the Literature Review

According to (Rhamdani et. Al, 2014), the main aim in structuring your review of the
literature is to lead your reader to understand the need to precisely conduct the form
of literature review or research paper that you propose or have done. The key to a
good literature review or research paper is the ability to present the findings in such
a way that it demonstrates your knowledge in a clear and consistent way (Cronin, et
al, 2008). The introduction and conclusion to your review of the literature should show
how your research project will join the on-going conversation: identify the key terms
and concepts and indicate how your research will resolve unresolved questions in
others' work

The 3 Key Elements of a Literature Review Outline

A. Introduction
Cronin, et al (2008) argue that the introduction should include the purpose of the
review and a brief overview of the ‘problem’. It is important that the literature
sources and the key search terms are outlined. The introduction will not only
present the main topic but will also make a statement about the status of
knowledge in this area of research.

Some areas of concern in preparing the introduction is (a) Define or identify the
general topic or area of concern to provide a context for reviewing the literature;
(b) Point out overall trends, conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence and
conclusions, or gaps in research and scholarship, to identify a particular problem;
(c) Establish your purpose for reviewing the literature or point of view; explain the
criteria used to select and evaluate the literature; explain what it included or
excluded (scope); and forecast the organization or sequence of the review.

B. Main Body
The main body of the report presents and discusses the findings from the
literature. There are several ways in which this can be done (Cronin et al, 2008;
Carnwell & Daly, 2001). Regardless of the way the main body of the review is
framed, there are key points that must be considered. First, Group research
studies and other literature according to common denominators such as
qualitative or quantitative approaches, purposes, theories, methodologies, or
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conclusions. Second, summarize individual studies in detail appropriate to its

comparative importance in the literature and to its relevance for your research.
Third, Use figures and/ or tables to present your own synthesis of the original
data or to show key data taken directly from the original papers.

For your reader to move through your information with ease while keeping the big
picture in view, order your body paragraphs in the same way that you did in the
statement about how your literature review will proceed. Order the abstractions
(main ideas) from general to specific, deciding which sources have contributions
to make to which concepts. You will then present more specific information from
the sources, using in-text citation, to discuss the abstractions in more detail and
to point out areas of agreement or debate among sources. Your body paragraphs
should work to not only summarize what sources have said, but to demonstrate
relationships between them.

According to (Belin, 2021), the body paragraph of a literature review can be

approached using different approaches. This portion of the review analyzes and
interprets the different findings that relate to the literature, as well as includes the
central theme that ties it together as a whole. Always remember to use transition
words, as well as subheadings, to make it easier for your professor to be able to
understand the systematic flow of words.

Here are three of the most important ones that have been used to effectively
structure the body paragraph of a literature review:

1. Chronologically
This approach is the simplest as you write the review based on the overall
timeline which starts at the beginning, to the end. In this approach, you can
identify the development and growth of the chosen topic or a particular concept
that you have examined over time. Keep in mind not to list down all the events
in order, but to rather analyze important patterns, major themes, or key turning
points in chronological order.

2. Thematically
Very different from the timeline approach, in this, you are required to examine,
elaborate, and find a link between your sources and your chosen literary text.
The thematic approach revolves around the central issue or dispute which are
organized into subsections that address each aspect of the issue(s). These
are analyzed in-depth and are time-consuming.

3. Methodologically
This type of approach is to understand the methods used to define or analyze
a certain concept. By presenting the methods, you can compare them based
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on the severity, the sociological or cultural impacts, the qualitative or

quantitative nature, the ethicality of the literature, and so on.

C. Conclusion
The conclusion should provide a summary of findings from the literature review.
Explain what your analysis of the material leads you to conclude about the overall
state of the literature, what it provides and where it is lacking. Cronin et al (2008)
mention that the review should conclude with a concise summary of the findings
that describes current knowledge and offer a rationale for conducting future
research.

In a review, which forms part of a study, any gaps in knowledge that have been
identified should lead logically to the purpose of the proposed study. In some
cases, it may also be possible to use the developed themes to construct a
conceptual framework that will inform the study. In all reviews, some
recommendations or implications for practice, education and research should be
included.

4. Steps to Outline a Literature Review

Before writing a Literature review it is very important on how to make an outline first before
starting writing. According (Adela Belin, 2021) we can make an outline using the following
steps.
a. Narrow down on your topic
Before you start looking for literary texts to analyze, you need to figure out a clear and
defined topic. Based on this topic, you can start searching for relevant literature that
surrounds your chosen topic or the question that is to be analyzed. During the search
for your literature review topic, consider subject matters that are interesting to you,
or something that you would want to know in-depth about. You can also look for
popular texts that could have multiple sources to work with.

To make this process easier, you should:

1. Start writing down keywords that are related and relevant to your topic of
choice. List any synonyms or related terms that you think would help in
narrowing down your topic. As you keep searching for your literature, you can
add any other keywords that come your way.
2. Ask yourself questions and brainstorm topic ideas that can lead to you
figuring out your chosen topic or talk to your professor if you require their
guidance.
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3. Try mapping out the concepts for your outline by creating a graphic map with
all the ideas and concepts that you would want to include in the review. Make
it a point to incorporate all of these ideas while writing your literature review.

b. Review relevant sources

When you have your topic picked out, the first thing you should do is to use your
compiled list of keywords to search for relevant literature and sources. At this time,
it is crucial to use trusted sources like libraries, published research papers, and
online databases. After finding credible sources for your literature review, take a
minute to see if your topic is related to the sources that you’ve found. Assess these
sources and prioritize them according to what is relevant, what fits, and what
doesn’t.

Literature review sources can be divided into three categories as illustrated in table
below (Business Research Methodology, 2021):

Sources of literature Characteristics Examples

Primary sources for the High level of detail Reports
literature Little time needed to Theses
publish Emails
Conference proceedings
Company reports
Unpublished manuscript
sources
Some government
publications
Secondary sources for Medium level of detail Journals
the literature Medium time needed to Books
publish Newspapers
Some government
publications
Tertiary sources for the Low level of detail Indexes
literature Considerable amount of Databases
time needed to publish Catalogues
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Bibliographies
Citation indexes

c. Map out a structure (OUTLINE)

For outlining the body of your literature review, multiple approaches can be used
to create a proper, well-organized structure. Before you begin, you should have a
rough idea about how you would wish to start your literature review. No academic
paper should be attempted before having a proper plan for framing the content of
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your paper. Through this organized skeleton structure of the paper, you can quickly
and easily identify the points that you want to be included.

LITERATURE REVIEW OUTLINE SAMPLE

I. Introduction
a. Describe the topic that you have been investigating, why it is important
to the field
b. Give a “big picture” of the literature.
c. Present a thesis or argument statement – why is it important to explore
this topic?
II. Theme A1
a. Overview of characteristics of the theme (commonalities, differences,
nuances)
b. Sub-theme – narrow but grouped findings related to the theme
i. Study 1 (Research question(s), Methods/Participants, Related Findings)
ii. Study 2 (Research question(s), Methods/Participants, Related Findings)
iii. Study 3 (Research question(s), Methods/Participants, Related Findings)
iv. Do these studies share commonalities? How do these studies differ? Discuss

c. Sub-theme – narrow but grouped findings related to the theme

i. Study 4 (Research question(s), Methods/Participants, Related Findings)
ii. Study 5 (Research question(s), Methods/Participants, Related Findings)
iii. Study 6 (Research question(s), Methods/Participants, Related Findings)
iv. Do these studies share commonalities? How do these studies differ? Discuss
d. Etc., etc., etc. with other findings that fit Theme A; studies can be
repeated if there are multiple findings that fit under more than one
theme. However, no need to re-write methods/participants in detail (just
enough to remind the reader about the study).
III.Theme B – follow a, b, c, and so on from above
IV. Keep repeating with themes
V. Conclusion: An evaluation/critique of the existing literature.
a. What are the contributions of this literature to the field?
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b. Return to your thesis statement

c. What are the overall strengths?
d. What are the overall weaknesses?
e. What might be missing?
f. What are some next steps for research? The next steps should
explicitly address how to “correct” for strengths, weaknesses, and
gaps. As subconscious. (Level 4)

d. Identifying key themes and patterns

Read your literature multiple times to understand the connections and the
relationship between the sources you’ve used and the text that needs to be
analyzed. This will help you have a solid knowledge about the subject before you
start writing, as well as create a proper flow of ideas to make writing your literature
review a simpler process.
Some of the things you need to look out for during this process include:
 themes and concepts that recur throughout the literature;
 debates or contradictions that include conflicts around the theories present in
the text.
 gaps and weaknesses in the literature that needs to be filled or addressed;
 trends and patterns that are prevalent and are an important portion of the review.

Working on this point will help show your professor that you can contribute a major
portion of ideas and knowledge through your research, to the already existing
content.

EXAMPLE OF REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

(Thematic Style of Review of Related Literature)
Stress and Coping for Adolescents
John Smith, James Cook University

The biological, psychological and social effects of stress on an individual have

been researched extensively over time. Only recently has literature begun to focus on
the influence stress has on young people during the vulnerable stage of adolescence.
Cognitive and emotional attributes play a critical role in the types of coping strategies
one chooses to adopt, thus how adolescents cope cannot be limited to one sole strategy
but is a combination of many. This paper will specifically focus on the types of life
stressors young people encounter and the coping strategies they implement. Also, to be
examined is how adolescent stressors and coping strategies differ to that of adults.
Through review of relevant coping literature, the notion of coping as a dynamic process
will be emphasized

Adolescence, stress and coping

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Adolescence is the transition between childhood and young adulthood during

which young people experience physiological, cognitive and social changes (Dumont &
Provost, 1999; Murberg & Bru, 2004). The age bracket for adolescence varies according
to different literature (de Anda et al., 2000; Spirito, Stark, Grace and Stamoulis, 1991)
however this paper defines adolescents as between 12 and 19 years of age. Williams
and McGillicuddy-De Lisi (1999) suggest that during this transition, young people have
difficulty adjusting and often struggle with unfamiliar issues.
Stress is a concept that cannot be explained using a static definition thus it is
important to be aware that different descriptions exist in both recent and seminal
literature. Delahaij, Dam, Gaillard and Soeters (2011) explain stress using a
biopsychosocial approach, suggesting that stressful reactions affect the emotional,
physiological and cognitive state of an individual. This definition describes stress as a
reaction. Alternatively, Caltabiano, Sarafino and Byrne (2008) view stress as a
discrepancy. They state that stress occurs when there is a perceived discrepancy
between the demands of a situation and an individual’s resources available to deal with
that demand (Caltabiano et al., 2008). Greater discrepancy between resources and
demand therefore causes a greater stressful reaction (Caltabiano et al., 2008). The act
of handling this response is referred to as coping.
Compas, Connor-Smith, Saltzman, Thomsen and Wadsworth (2001) suggest that
coping focuses on achieving goals to resolve the stressful situation and minimise
emotional reaction. Similarly, Delahaij et al. (2011) describes coping as a relationship
between cognitive and behavioural processes that attempts to lessen the
resources/demand discrepancy. Coping strategies are labeled as either of two major
types. These include emotion-focused and problem-focused coping (Delahaij et al.,
2011; Dumont & Provost, 1999; Fromme and Rivet, 1994; Lohman & Jarvis, 2000)
Emotion-focused coping involves regulating emotional response to a stressor and
reducing psychological discomfort, whilst problem-focused coping includes altering the
situation to minimise or eliminate the source of the stressor (Dumont & Provost, 1999;
Fromme & Rivet, 1994).

The type of strategy a young person utilises depends largely on perceived control
(Spirito et al., 1991). Problem-focused strategies are used if a solution to the problem is
considered within the individual’s capabilities, whilst emotion-focused strategies are
used if the situation is perceived to be out of the individual’s control (Spirito et al., 1991).
Despite this distinction it is important to recognise that coping is a dynamic process that
often involves a combination of both strategies, depending on the nature of the stressful
circumstances (Caltabiano et al., 2008; Delahaij et al., 2011; Herman-Stahl, Stemmler &
Peterson, 1995; Lohman & Jarvis, 2000; Williams & McGillicuddy-De Lisi, 1999; Yahav
& Cohen, 2008).

Adolescent stressors

The effect of daily stressors can be particularly harmful to the psychological and
physiological wellbeing of young people (Yahav & Cohen, 2008). The stressors
adolescents experience range from the school environment to home and family life, and
extend as far as global social issues (de Anda et al., 2000). Spirito et al. (1991) identified
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four main stressful domains in their research on young people - school, siblings, parents
and friends. Increasing academic pressure, sibling and parental conflict, peer pressure
and romantic relationship problems were the main issues children encountered daily
(Spirito et al., 1991). This data was based on a sample of adolescents aged 12-13 years,
thus it is possible the stressors could differ to those encountered by an older sample.
The article is also relatively dated therefore it is possible that the types of stressors
prevalent today have changed.
In concurrence with the article by Spirito et al. (1991) however, de Anda et al.
(2000) also identified school as a major stressor for adolescents. Pressure surrounding
future goals was reported as most stressing, with personal expectations, academic
performance and homework also significant anxiety provoking situations. (de Anda et al.,
2000). de Anda et al.’s (2000) list of adolescent stressors is extensive and included
issues unrelated to school such as body image, social issues, relationships, violence and
death. The age range for this sample was 15-18 years of age, which suggests that older
adolescents have less egocentrism and greater concern for issues outside of the
personal domain of school and home.
Persike and Seiffge-Krenke (2012) conducted a multicultural analysis of
adolescent stressors and found that academic achievement and parental control were of
most concern, whilst anxiety about peers and relationships was less than expected.
Similar to de Anda et al. (2000) and Spirito et al. (1991), Persike and Seiffge-Krenke
(2012) suggest that adolescents are increasingly concerned about school, future
employment and further education.
Comparisons of these studies indicate that time has not significantly altered the types of
stressors adolescents experience.

Coping with stress

Stress and coping literature identify an extensive range of coping strategies that
young people adopt (de Anda et al., 2000; Moskowitz, Stein & Lightfoot, 2013; Skinner
& Zimmer- Gembeck, 2006; Williams & McGillicuddy-De Lisi, 1999). Some examples of
emotion- focused coping include relaxation, distraction, escape, helplessness and
withdrawal (Caltabiano et al., 2008; de Anda et al., 2000; Skinner & Zimmer-Gembeck,
2006). Examples of problem-focused coping include problem-solving and support-
seeking (Skinner & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2006).
An individual’s ability to handle stress is determined by the relationship between
personal attributes such as cognitive, emotional and behavioural development (Delahaij
et al., 2011; Skinner & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2006). The highly influential work of Lazarus
(1966) as cited by Folkman, Tedlie and Moskowitz (2004), emphasised the role of
cognitive interpretation in both stress perception and coping. Folkman et al. (2004)
suggests that how an individual appraises a situation determines the level of stress
experienced. Williams and McGillicuddy-De Lisi’s (1999) study on stress also focuses
on the role of cognitive development in appraisal and coping. Results indicated that due
to having a wider coping repertoire, older adolescents utilised more adaptive strategies
than those younger (Williams & McGillicuddy-De Lisi, 1999). This suggests that
experience with stress prepares adolescents for certain problems, thus allowing the
individual to cope adaptively (Williams & McGillicuddy-De Lisi, 1999). It is important to
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note however that the data was gathered over a short time and from a sample of
predominantly white, middle-class students. This allows little room for generalisation to
the wider population, however effectively demonstrates the role of cognition in stress
coping.
Visconti, Sechler and Kochenderfer-Ladd (2013) suggest that emotional attributes
such as self-esteem are what influence the coping strategies individuals utilise. Visconti
et al. (2013) hypothesised that children with low self-esteem would lack the confidence
to deal with life stressors independently, thus were likely to engage in emotion-focused
coping. Unfortunately this hypothesis was unsupported. Dumont and Provost’s (1999)
study of adolescent coping however supports the relationship between low self-esteem
and unhealthy coping strategies. The results demonstrate a negative correlation
between avoidant coping and self-esteem levels, indicating that those lacking positive
coping methods also lack healthy self-esteem (Dumont & Provost, 1999). It is unknown
however, whether this correlation is bidirectional. Despite these limitations, results
suggest that those that think highly of themselves will be more capable and confident to
handle problems in a positive manner (Dumont & Provost, 1999).
During the stressful transition of adolescence, young people are at risk of
engaging in dangerous behaviour such as alcohol and drug use, as an attempt to deal
with increased stress levels (Rose & Bond, 2008). Caltabiano et al. (2008) support this
notion and indicate that older adolescents are more likely to engage in these types of
maladaptive emotion-focused coping. Rose and Bond (2008) also suggest that
adolescents lacking healthy coping skills and exposed to stressful environments are at
a higher risk of substance abuse. This study however emphasises that cognitive
appraisal and perception of the stressful situation is what determines the level of risk
(Rose & Bond, 2008). Conversely, Fromme and Rivet (1994) contend that an
adolescent’s coping repertoire is what determines the likelihood of using destructive
behaviour to cope. This study argues that young people that lack any form of coping
strategies, regardless of maladaptive or adaptive nature, have a greater likelihood of
using substance abuse to cope with stress (Fromme & Rivet, 1994). This research
emphasizes the importance of promoting healthy coping skills in young people.
De Anda et al.’s (2000) research on adolescents disagrees with Fromme and
Rivet (1994), and Rose and Bond (2008). This study found that very few respondents
of the adolescent sample reported using drugs and alcohol as a coping strategy. The
results however failed to identify a coping method with a frequency higher than moderate.
Despite this limitation, adolescents reported using adaptive coping methods most often,
with reading a book, watching television or listening to music scoring the highest on
frequency and effectiveness (de Anda et al., 2000). These findings indicate that not all
young people turn to dangerous behaviour to cope with life stressors.

Adults and adolescents

Sources of stress for adults differ by extremity to those of adolescents, however

the coping mechanisms used to deal with these problems are relatively similar. Whilst
major stressors for young people include school, family and peer relationships (de Anda
et al., 2000), adults experience problems such as job insecurity or loss, financial
problems and family issues like separation or divorce (Caltabiano et al., 2008; Lohman
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& Jarvis, 2000).

How individuals handle these stressful circumstances largely depends on
knowledge and experience, as well as how the event is perceived. Dumont and Provost
(1999) suggest that adults and adolescents perceive the severity of problems differently.
Younger people are likely to be frustrated by frequent daily problems whilst adults are
capable of differentiating between minor stressors which can be resolved easily, and
major stressors which require more attention (Dumont & Provost, 1999). Fromme and
Rivet (1994) argue however that like adolescents, adults with unhealthy coping skills
often turn to avoidant strategies such as alcohol to handle stress. Thus it is clear that,
how adults and adolescents cope with stress does not differ in the type of coping
strategies, but rather is determined by the nature of an individual’s coping skills. Those
with an unhealthy coping repertoire will struggle to deal with stressful situations,
regardless of age (Fromme & Rivet, 1994).

Conclusion

Adolescence is a transitional period of major physical and emotional change that

can result in significant psychological stress for young people. A combination of
situations such as school, academic pressure, anxiety about the future and family/peer
relationships play a role in creating angst for adolescents. The type of coping strategies
individuals use is highly dependent on cognitive and emotional development. Adaptive
coping often leads to emotionally healthy individuals, whereas maladaptive coping can
lead to destructive behavior such as substance abuse. The main point emphasized
throughout the paper is that how individuals cope with certain life stressors is a dynamic,
fluctuating relationship between different components. To examine this relationship
further, further research focusing on adolescents and stress is encouraged.

ACTIVITY 5:
Directions: Using your chosen Topic/Title, create a Literature Review Outline using the
template below.

Title: ______________________________________________________________

I. Introduction
a. Describe the topic that you have been investigating. Why it is important to the field
you are investigating?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

b. Give a “big picture” of the literature.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

c. Present a thesis or argument statement – why is it important to explore this topic?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________

II. Theme A: __________________________________________________

III. Theme B: __________________________________________________

IV. Theme C: __________________________________________________

V. Conclusion:
What will be the content of the conclusion? Give at least the expected content of
the conclusion part.

Organizing Research Papers: Citing Sources

What is a citation and citation style?

A citation is a way of giving credit to individuals for their creative and intellectual works
that you utilized to support your research. It can also be used to locate particular sources
and combat plagiarism. Typically, a citation can include the author's name, date, location
of the publishing company, journal title, or DOI (Digital Object Identifer). A citation
style dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the information is ordered,
as well as punctuation and other formatting.

How to do I choose a citation style?

There are many different ways of citing resources from your research. The citation style
sometimes depends on the academic discipline involved. For example:

 APA (American Psychological Association) is used by Education, Psychology,

and Sciences
 MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities
 Chicago/Turabian style is generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts
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What is APA Style?

APA (American Psychological Association) style is most frequently used within the social
sciences, in order to cite various sources. This APA Citation Guide provides the general
format for in-text citations and the reference page.

APA 7th Citation Examples

Material Type In-text Citation Bibliography

A book (Sapolsky, 2017) Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of
humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books.
Chapter in an edited book (Dillard, 2020) Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of
persuasion. In M. B. Oliver, A. A. Raney, & J.
(If the chapter is from an
Bryant (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory
authored book, use the
book citation) and research (4th ed., pp. 115–129). Routledge.

An article in a print (Weinstein, 2009) Weinstein, J. (2009). “The market in Plato’s

journal Republic.” Classical Philology, 104(4), 439-458.
An article in an electronic (Grady et al., 2019) Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., &
journal Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A
comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic
and racial groups in the United
States. Psychology of Popular Media
Culture, 8(3), 207–
217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185
A website (Bologna, 2019) Bologna, C. (2019, October 31). Why some
people with anxiety love watching horror movies.
HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anxiety-
love-watching-horror-
movies_l_5d277587e4b02a5a5d57b59e

What is MLA Style

MLA (Modern Language Association) style for documentation is widely used in the
humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. MLA style features brief
parenthetical citations in the text keyed to an alphabetical list of works cited that appears
at the end of the work.
Core Elements
Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—the
MLA core elements. They are assembled in a specific order.
Containers
The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being documented
forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds
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the source. For example, a short story may be contained in an anthology. The short story
is the source, and the anthology is the container.
Rationale
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh
look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are
published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print,
online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version. On the Web, modes
of publication are regularly invented, combined, and modified. Previous editions of the
MLA Handbook provided separate instructions for each format, and additional instructions
were required for new formats. Starting with the 8th edition of its best-selling handbook,
the MLA recommends instead one universal set of guidelines, which writers can apply to
any type of source.

MLA 9th Citation

In-text Citation
Material Type In-text Citation

Author's name in text Magny develops this argument (67-69).

Author's name in reference This argument has been developed elsewhere (Magny 67-69).

Two authors' names in The most notorious foreign lobby in Washington is the "Sugar
reference Mafia" (Howe and Trott 134).

Quotation found in indirect or The philosopher Alain states that "admiration is not pleasure but a
"secondhand" source kind of attention. . ." (qtd. in Magny 66).

Creating a Works Cited Page

With MLA style, you must include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. A Works
Cited page is an alphabetical listing of the resources cited in your paper. Below are some
examples of MLA style citations.
Material Type Works Cited
Book in print Card, Claudia. The Atrocity Paradigm: A Theory of Evil. Oxford UP,
2005.
eBook Gaither, Milton. Homeschool: An American History. Palgrave Macmillan,
2017. SpringerLink, doi-org.pitt.idm.oclc.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95056-
0.
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An article in a print Doggart, Julia. "Minding the Gap: Realizing Our Ideal Community
journal Writing Assistance Program." The Community Literacy Journal, vol. 2,
no. 1, 2007, pp. 71-80.
An article in an Sherrard-Johnson, Cherene. "'A Plea for Color': Nella Larsen's
electronic journal Iconography of the Mulatta." American Literature, vol. 76, no. 4, 2004,
pp. 833-869, doi:10.1215/00029831-76-4-833.
A encyclopedia entry “Patanjali.” Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, edited by Bruce Murphy,
4th ed., HarperCollins Publishers, 1996, p. 782.
A government United States, Federal Maritime Commission. Hawaiian Trade Study:
publication An Economic Analysis. Government Printing Office, 1978.
An interview you Brandt, Deborah. Personal interview. 28 May 2008.
conducted
(Note: List the interview under the name of the interviewee)
A film/DVD Note: This depends on the focus of your work. Please see the MLA
Style blog for a detailed explanation.

A Page on a Website "Stunning Lakeside View on Lake Erie." VisitPA, Commonwealth of

with no author Pennsylvania, 7 June 2018, www.visitpa.com/article/stunning-lakeside-
views-lake-erie.
A Page on a Website Del Castillo, Inigo. "How Not to Kill Your Houseplants, According to
with an author Botanists." Apartment Therapy, 29 Jan. 2020,
www.apartmenttherapy.com/houseplant-tips-botanists-36710191.
Artwork - from website Sherald, Amy. Former First Lady, Michelle Obama. 2018. National
Portrait Gallery, npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2018.15.

What is CHICAGO 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 notes and bibliography style is preferred by many in the humanities, including those
in literature, history, and the arts. This style presents bibliographic information in notes
and, often, a bibliography.
Material Type Notes/Bibliography Style
A book in print Note Style: 1. Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural
History of Four Meals (New York: Penguin, 2006), 99–100.
Duplicate Note: 2. Pollan, Omnivore's Dilemma, 3.
Bibliography: Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural
History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2006.
 16

An article in a print Note Style: 1. Joshua I. Weinstein, "The Market in

journal Plato’s Republic," Classical Philology 104 (2009): 440.
Duplicate Note: 2. Weinstein, "Plato’s Republic," 452–53.
Bibliography: Weinstein, Joshua I. "The Market in
Plato’s Republic." Classical Philology 104 (2009): 439–58.
An article in an Note Style: 1. Gueorgi Kossinets and Duncan J. Watts, “Origins of
electronic journal Homophily in an Evolving Social Network,” American Journal of
Sociology 115 (2009): 411, accessed February 28, 2010,
doi:10.1086/599247.
Duplicate Note: Kossinets and Watts, “Origins of Homophily,” 439.
Bibliography: Kossinets, Gueorgi, and Duncan J. Watts. “Origins of
Homophily in an Evolving Social Network.” American Journal of
Sociology 115 (2009): 405–50. Accessed February 28, 2010.
doi:10.1086/599247.

A website Note Style: 1.“Google Privacy Policy,” last modified March 11,
2009, http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html.
Duplicate Note: “Google Privacy Policy.”
Bibliography: Google. “Google Privacy Policy.” Last modified
March 11, 2009.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html.

The author-date style has long been used by those in the physical, natural, and social
sciences. In this system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by
author’s last name and date of publication. The short citations are amplified in a list of
references, where full bibliographic information is provided.

Author/Date Style In-text Citation Bibliography

A book (Pollan 2006, 99–100) Pollan, Michael. 2006. The Omnivore’s
Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New
York: Penguin.
An article in a print journal (Weinstein 2009, 440) Weinstein, Joshua I. 2009. “The Market in
Plato’s Republic.” Classical Philology 104:439–
58.
An article in an electronic (Kossinets and Watts Kossinets, Gueorgi, and Duncan J. Watts. 2009.
journal 2009, 411) “Origins of Homophily in an Evolving Social
Network.” American Journal of
Sociology 115:405–50. Accessed February 28,
2010. doi:10.1086/599247.
A website (Google 2009) Google. 2009. “Google Privacy Policy.” Last
modified March 11.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html.
 17

What is Turabian Style?

Based on Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations, Turabian citation style presents two basic documentation systems, notes-
bibliography style (or simply bibliography style) and author-date style (previously
called parenthetical citations–reference list style). These styles are essentially the same
as those presented in The Chicago Manual of Style with slight modifications for the needs
of student writers. It is always a good idea to double-check the style guide or official online
resources; do not rely on these examples for formatting such as indents.
Notes/Bibliography style is used widely in literature, history, and the arts. This style
presents bibliographic information in footnotes or endnotes and, usually, a bibliography.
Material Note Bibliographic Entry
Books in print 1. Wendy Doniger, Splitting the Doniger, Wendy. Splitting the
Difference (Chicago: University of Chicago Difference. Chicago: University of
Press, 1999), 65. Chicago Press, 1999.
An article in a 8. John Maynard Smith, “The Origin of Smith, John Maynard. “The Origin
print journal Altruism,” Nature 393 (1998): 639. of Altruism.” Nature 393 (1998):
639–40.
An article in an 33. Campbell Brown. "Consequentialize Brown, Campbell.
electronic This," Ethics 121, no. 4 (July 2011): "Consequentialize
journal 751, http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/660696. This." Ethics 121, no. 4 (July
2011): 749-
71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/6606
96.
A website 11. "Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy
Google, last modified April 17, 2017, & Terms. Last modified April 17,
https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/. 2017.
https://www.google.com/policies/p
rivacy/.

Author-date style has long been used in the physical, natural, and social sciences. In
this system, sources are briefly cited in parentheses in the text by author’s last name and
date of publication. The parenthetical citations are amplified in a list of references, where
full bibliographic information is provided.
Material Parenthetical Citation Reference List
Books in print (Doniger 1999, 65) Doniger, Wendy. 1999. Splitting the
Difference. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press.
An article in a (Smith 1998, 639) Smith, John Maynard. 1998. "The Origin
print journal of Altruism." Nature 393: 639–40.
An article in an (Kiser 2011, 340) Kiser, Lisa J. 2011. "Silencing the
electronic Lambs: Economics, Ethics, and Animal
journal Life in Medieval Franciscan
 18

Hagiography." Modern Philology 108, no.

3 (February): 323-42.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/658052.
A website (Google 2017) Google. 2017. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy &
Terms. Last modified April 17, 2017.
https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

ACTIVITY 6:
Directions: Identify whether the following format follows APA or MLA Style. Write APA
or MLA.

1. Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Name of Newspaper or Periodical.

Retrieved http://webaddress/full/url/

2. Author(s). "Article Title." Title of Resource. Date of publication/update/posting. Web. Access

Day Month Year <Electronic address if needed for easy access>.

3. Author(s). Title of Book. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Print.

4. Author(s). (Year published). Title of Book:Captial letter for subtitle. City Where
Published, State (if city can be confused): Publisher.

5. Title. (n.d. or date published) In Name of online resource. Retrieved Month date,
year, from http://webaddress.

6. Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal. Volume.Issue (Month Year): pages.

Print.

7. Songwriter, Firstname. (Date of copyright). Title of song [Recorded by artist if

different from song writer]. On Title of album [Medium of recording]. Location: Label.
(Recording date if different from copyright date).

8. Author(s). Name of Web Page. Date of posting/revision. Name of

institution/corporation affiliated with the site. Web. Access Day Month Year.
<electronic address if needed for easy access>.

9. "Episode Title." Title of Program. Title of series. Name of network. Station call
letters, City. Broadcast Day Month Year.

10. Author(s). (Year published). Name of article. Name of Journal, number of

journal(issue if available). Retrieved Month day, year, from
http://webaddress/full/url/
 19

ACTIVITY 7: Paraphrasing One Sentence

Directions: This activity consists of three steps:

1. Read the following published sentence and then paraphrase it—that is, rewrite it in
your own words. You do not need to repeat every element. Instead, try changing the
focus of the sentence while preserving the meaning of the original.
2. Write an APA Style reference list entry for the published work using the source
information provided. Look up the document type in Chapter 10 of the Publication
Manual and follow the appropriate reference example.
3. Figure out the in-text citation that corresponds to the reference list entry. Then add
a parenthetical citation to your paraphrased sentence. Use the standard citation
formats shown in Table 8.1 of the Publication Manual.

Published Sentence:
Leaders who lack emotional and social competence undoubtedly can become a liability
to organizations, directly leading to employee disengagement, absenteeism, stress-
disability claims, hostile-workplace lawsuits, and increased health care expenses.

Source Information:
• Document type: Journal article (Section 10.1)
• Authors: Kenneth Nowack and Paul Zak
• Publication year: 2020
• Article title: Empathy enhancing antidotes for interpersonally toxic leaders
• Journal information: C onsulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Volume
72, Issue 2, pages 119–133
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000164

Your paraphrased sentence and parenthetical in-text citation:

Your reference list entry:

 20

ACTIVITY 8: Paraphrasing One Sentence

Directions: This activity consists of three steps:
1. Read the following published paragraphs and summarize them in your own words in two to
three sentences (a long paraphrase). Do not repeat every idea. Instead, highlight
important findings and accurately represent the meaning of the original.
2. Write an APA Style reference list entry for the published work using the source information
provided (see Chapter 10 in the Publication Manual for examples).
3. Figure out the in-text citation that corresponds to your reference list entry. Then add either
a parenthetical or narrative citation to your first sentence. You do not need to re-cite the
works that are already cited in the published paragraphs.
Published Paragraphs:
Food selectivity is the most frequently documented and well-researched feeding problem
associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It most often involves strong
preferences for starches and snack foods, coinciding with a bias against fruits and
vegetables. Associated mealtime difficulties include disruptive mealtime behavior (e.g.,
tantrums, crying), rigidity surrounding eating (e.g., only eating in a specific location,
requiring certain utensils), and avoidance of certain food items based on the sensory
characteristic (e.g., texture). Severe food selectivity in ASD most often involves deficits
in dietary variety, not volume, and children with ASD typically consume enough food to
meet gross energy needs (Sharp, Berry, et al., 2013; Sharp et al., 2014). Because
children with ASD typically consume an adequate volume of food, this may explain why,
historically, feeding concerns in ASD have been overlooked in relation to other areas of
clinical concern. The clinical picture, however, for food selectivity in ASD is more
complicated from a nutritional and medical standpoint and requires looking beyond
anthropometrics to determine the overall impact of atypical patterns of intake, including
enhanced risk for underlying dietary insufficiencies and associated poor health outcomes
(e.g., obesity).
Source Information:
• Document type: Edited book chapter (Section 10.3)
• Chapter authors: T. Lindsey Burrell, William Sharp, Cristina Whitehouse, and Cynthia R. Johnson
• Publication year: 2019
• Chapter title: Parent training for food selectivity in autism spectrum disorder
• Book editors: Cynthia R. Johnson, Eric M. Butter, and Lawrence Scahill
• Book title: Parent training for autism spectrum disorder: Improving the quality of life for children and their
families • Chapter page range: 173–202
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0000111-008
Your paraphrased sentence and parenthetical in-text citation:

Your reference list entry:

 21

PERFORMANCE TASK 3
WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW
Directions: Make a Literature review of your chosen topic/title. Make an introduction,
the main body and conclusion. Use thematic style in writing a literature review.

(Research Title)
A. Introduction
B. Main Body
C. Conclusion
D. Reference

Rubric for Scoring:

Criteria Excellent Outstanding Good Need For
(4 points) (3 points) (2 points) Improvement
(1 point)
Title Title is worded Title is worded Title is reasonably Title is not
correctly and correctly and correctly and clear and not
concisely. Title concisely. Title concisely. Title concisely.
accurate describe the accurate describe accurate describe the
topic Title shows the topic topic
originality and capture
interest
Introduction The introduction was The introduction The introduction was The specific
excellent. clearly and was outstanding, good, clearly, and topic and its
concisely identifies clearly and concisely identifies relevance are
what the researcher concisely identifies what the researcher not clear.
will be arguing in the what the provide good will be
literature review and researcher will be arguing in the
show depth of arguing in the literature review
thoughts literature review
Main Body Excellent synthesis of Outstanding Good synthesis of Reasonable
information from synthesis of information from synthesis of
relevant research, information from relevant research, information
article and other relevant research, article and other from relevant
resources. article and other resources. research,
resources. article and
other
resources.
Conclusion Excellent discussion Outstanding Good discussion of Discussion of
of the gap across discussion of the the gap across the gap across
knowledge and gap across knowledge and knowledge are
suggestion for future knowledge and suggestion for future presented but
research show a high suggestion for research show a high some contexts
degree of critical future research degree of critical are not clear.
thinking and would be show a high thinking and would be
very suitable for a degree of critical very suitable for a
research proposal. thinking and would research proposal.
be very suitable for
a research
proposal.
In-text Format and content of Format and Minor errors were Many errors
Citations -in-text citations and content of -in-text observed in the format were observed
and references are citations and and content of -in-text in the format
Referencing flawless. references were citations and and content of -
good references in-text citations
and references
Total 20 points
 22

References

Adella Bellin 2020 How to Outline a Literature Review in 5 Steps

https://writersperhour.com/blog/how-to-outline-literature-review

ELCOMBLUS, 2020. Practical Research 1. What is a Review of Related Literature

(RRL)? https://www.elcomblus.com/what-is-a-review-of-related-literature-rrl/

Literature review sources Bisness Research. 2021. methodlogyhttps://research-

methodology.net/research-methodology/literature-review-sources/

University of Pittsburg Library System, 2021, Citation Styles: APA, MLA, Chicago,
Turabian, IEEEhttps://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp/ap
7th Edition Paraphrasing and Citation Activities. 2021 https:// -aids/paraphrasing-
citation-activities.pd