Guide to citation in APA 7th edition style
The basic rules for in-text citation and the reference list, with examples for books, articles, theses and websites.
The previous studies chapter isn't a list of consecutive summaries, but a critical dialogue between studies that ends by showing the space your study fills.
Step one: smart searching
- Define keywords in Arabic and English, with their synonyms.
- Search databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science, and Arabic databases such as Dar Al-Mandumah and Al Manhal.
- Focus on the last ten years, plus the older foundational studies.
- Record each study in a matrix: objective, sample, method, instrument and key findings.
Step two: organizing
Organize studies thematically by variables or themes, not only chronologically. For example: studies on transformational leadership, then on organizational performance, then studies combining both variables.
Step three: critical commentary
- Where the studies agree in results and methods.
- Where they differ and the likely explanation.
- What your study took from it.
- What sets your study apart: the context, sample, variables or method.
The review above shows that most studies were conducted in the public sector, and the few in the banking sector did not address the dimensions of transformational leadership together; this is what the current study seeks to address.
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