How to write previous studies and identify the research gap
From searching to organizing to critical commentary: a practical way to write the previous studies chapter and highlight your study's contribution.
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is one of the most widely used citation styles in the humanities, social sciences and management. Its 7th edition, released in 2020, simplified several rules from the 6th edition.
In-text citation
- One author: (Al-Otaibi, 2023) or Al-Otaibi (2023).
- Two authors: (Al-Otaibi & Al-Khatib, 2023), with both named every time.
- Three or more authors: (Al-Otaibi et al., 2023) from the first citation. This is one of the main changes in the 7th edition.
- Direct quotation: add the page number (Al-Otaibi, 2023, p. 45).
Reference list
Al-Khatib, A. (2021). Research methods in administrative sciences (3rd ed.). Dar Al-Masirah.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.
Smith, J., & Lee, K. (2022). Digital transformation and firm performance. Journal of Business Research, 140, 112–125. https://doi.org/xxxx (the journal name and volume number in italics in the thesis)
Al-Otaibi, S. (2024). The effect of transformational leadership on organizational performance [Unpublished master's thesis]. The University of Jordan.
Central Bank of Jordan. (2023). Annual report 2022. https://www.cbj.gov.jo
Key changes in the 7th edition
- The place of publication isn't listed for books; the publisher's name is enough.
- A DOI link is written as https://doi.org/ instead of “doi:”.
- Don't write “Retrieved from” before links unless a retrieval date is needed.
- Up to 20 authors are listed in the reference list.
And always check your university's guide; some Arab universities adopt modifications to APA or a completely different style such as Chicago or Harvard.
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