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 that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic.
There are five key steps to writing a literature review:
A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.
Published on
November 19, 2022
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
January 20, 2023.
The formatting of a research paper is different depending on which style guide you’re following. In addition to citations, APA, MLA, and Chicago provide format guidelines for things like font choices, page layout, format of headings and the format of the reference page.
Scribbr offers free Microsoft Word templates for the most common formats. Simply download and get started on your paper.
While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.
Published on
May 19, 2022
by
Tegan George.
Revised on
November 11, 2022.
The title page (or cover page) of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper should contain all the key information about your document. It usually includes:
Dissertation or thesis title
Your name
The type of document (e.g., dissertation, research paper)
The department and institution
The degree program (e.g., Master of Arts)
The date of submission
It sometimes also includes your dissertation topic or field of study, your student number, your supervisor’s name, and your university’s logo.
Published on
July 12, 2021
by
Jack Caulfield.
Revised on
August 2, 2021.
In MLA style, a title page is usually not required for your paper. Instead, MLA recommends including aheader on your first page listing your name, your instructor’s name, the course name and number, and the submission date, followed by the title of your paper.
However, you should include a separate title page instead in these cases:
Your instructor requires it
The paper is a group project (i.e. you need to list multiple authors)
The formats for a separate title page and a first-page header are shown below. You can also use our templates in Word or Google Docs.
Published on
June 7, 2021
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
June 16, 2022.
In MLA style, the list of Works Cited (also known as a reference list or bibliography) appears at the end of your paper. It gives full details of every source that you cited in an MLA in-text citation.
Like the rest of an MLA format paper, the Works Cited should be left-aligned and double-spaced with 1-inch margins.
You can use the free Scribbr Citation Generator to create and manage your Works Cited list. Choose your source type and enter the URL, DOI or title to get started.
Published on
November 6, 2020
by
Raimo Streefkerk.
Revised on
August 23, 2022.
This article reflects the APA 7th edition guidelines. Click here for APA 6th edition guidelines.
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual provides guidelines for clear communication, citing sources, and formatting documents. This article focuses on paper formatting.
Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr
Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines:
Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides.
Double-space all text, including headings.
Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches.
Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).
Published on
February 7, 2020
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
July 22, 2022.
When you apply for graduate school, you’ll usually be asked to submit a resume or CV along with your application. A graduate school resume should give a focused, concise overview of relevant experiences and achievements.
The exact sections you include depend on your experiences and on the focus of the program you’re applying to. Ensure your resume gives full details of:
Your college education
Relevant work experience
Relevant voluntary and extracurricular experience
Any awards, honors, publications, or other relevant achievements
Any relevant skills, certifications, and memberships
The main difference from a regular resume is that you’ll put more emphasis on your education and academic interests to show that you’re a good candidate for graduate school.
Download the Word templates and adjust them to your own purposes.
However, citations look slightly different in each style, with different rules for things like title capitalization, author names, and placement of the date.
There are also some differences in layout and formatting. Download the Word templates for a correctly formatted paper in either style.
