Is a literature review considered a secondary source on my college essay?
If you’re a senior drafting a 1500‑word MLA essay and you’ve already pulled a literature review from an academic journal, the short answer is yes: the review counts as a secondary source. A secondary source interprets, analyzes, or synthesizes the findings of primary research, and a literature review does exactly that. In your bibliography you’ll label it as a “secondary source” and format the citation like any other journal article, but you’ll also note that it is a review when you describe its role in your works‑cited list.
Why does the distinction matter? Your AP English rubric likely awards points for “use of primary texts” and “integration of scholarly commentary.” If you list a literature review as a primary source, the grader may deduct points because you haven’t demonstrated direct engagement with the original works. By correctly flagging the review as secondary, you show that you understand the research hierarchy and you give the grader a clear map of where your arguments are rooted.
Here’s a concrete scenario: you’re writing about the influence of nature in Wordsworth’s “Lines Written in Early Spring.” You read a literature review that surveys ten recent articles on Romantic ecology. That review is not Wordsworth’s poem (primary) nor the ten articles themselves (primary); it is a scholarly synthesis (secondary). In your essay you might write, “Scholars such as Doe and Smith (2022) argue that Wordsworth’s nature imagery reflects a broader 19th‑century ecological turn (see literature review).” The parenthetical citation points to the review, and the works‑cited entry will identify it as a journal article, not a poem.
One warning: do not treat the review as a stand‑in for the original studies it discusses. If the rubric asks for “two primary sources,” a literature review does not satisfy that requirement. Instead, pair the review with at least one primary text (the poem, a historical document, etc.) to meet the expectation.
What does the rubric really mean by ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ sources?
The terminology in most AP English rubrics is deliberately narrow. “Primary source” refers to the original material you are analyzing—literary texts, historical documents, artworks, or data sets. “Secondary source” is any scholarly work that interprets those originals, including journal articles, book chapters, and, of course, literature reviews.
When the rubric says “cite at least three scholarly sources,” it does not force you to use only secondary sources; it merely wants you to demonstrate that you have consulted the conversation around your primary texts. The key is to be transparent in your bibliography: label each entry with the correct source type, and in the body of your essay make it obvious whether you are quoting a primary line or summarizing a scholar’s argument.
What to watch out for:
- Some teachers use “secondary source” to mean “peer‑reviewed scholarly source.” If a source is not peer‑reviewed (e.g., a popular magazine article), it may be counted as “non‑scholarly” even though it is still secondary.
- Occasionally a rubric will have a separate line item for “use of a literature review.” In that case, you must explicitly note the review’s status in a brief annotation or in a footnote, because the grader might be checking that you didn’t mistake the review for a primary study.
- If the rubric asks for “one primary source and two secondary sources,” you cannot satisfy the secondary requirement with a textbook chapter that merely summarizes the primary text; it must provide original analysis or synthesis.
Understanding these nuances helps you avoid the common mistake of over‑citing secondary material and under‑citing the primary works that actually earn you the highest marks.
How can I format a literature review entry correctly in MLA?
MLA 9th edition treats a literature review like any other journal article. The citation includes the author(s) of the review, the title of the review (in quotation marks), the journal name (italicized), volume, issue, year, and page range. If the review has a DOI, add it at the end. Here’s a step‑by‑step checklist you can copy into a notes app:
- Identify the author(s) of the review. If there are multiple authors, list them in the order they appear.
- Copy the exact title of the review. Do not add “Literature Review” unless it is part of the title.
- Record the journal’s full title, volume, issue, and year. MLA prefers the abbreviation “vol.” and “no.” only when the journal itself uses them.
- Note the page range of the review (e.g., 45‑62). If the review is online‑only, use the article’s e‑location number if provided.
- Append the DOI or stable URL, preceded by “doi:” or “https://doi.org/”.
- Place a period after each element, and use a hanging indent for the second line onward.
Example citation (fictional but realistic):
Doe, Jane, and John Smith. “Ecological Readings of Romantic Poetry: A Synthesis.” Journal of Literary Ecology, vol. 12, no. 3, 2022, pp. 115‑138. doi:10.1234/jle.2022.003.
Notice that the citation does not include the word “review” anywhere; the content of the article tells the grader it is a review. If you want to be extra clear in your essay, you can add a brief parenthetical note: (Doe and Smith, review). This satisfies the rubric’s demand for “clear identification of source type.”
How do I keep my bibliography safe from similarity‑detector flags?
Similarity‑detector tools (Turnitin, Copyleaks, etc.) scan the text of your essay, not the bibliography itself, but they also compare reference strings. If you copy a citation verbatim from a database without re‑typing it, the tool may flag that line as matching the source. That’s harmless for citations, but it can raise a “possible plagiarism” warning if the system isn’t configured to ignore the works‑cited page.
To stay on the safe side:
- Re‑type each citation manually or use a citation manager that inserts the formatted entry directly into your document. Avoid copy‑pasting from the journal’s PDF.
- Check the settings of your school’s similarity‑detector. Most platforms have an option to exclude the bibliography from the similarity index; if you’re unsure, ask your teacher.
- If you include a direct quotation from the literature review, enclose it in quotation marks and provide an in‑text citation with page number. The detector will recognize the quote as properly attributed.
- Do not paraphrase large blocks of the review’s synthesis without citation. Even though you’re summarizing a secondary source, you still need to credit the author.
Following these steps eliminates the risk of an accidental “similarity” flag and shows academic integrity—a factor that many graders weigh heavily.
What step‑by‑step timeline lets me finish my essay on time?
With a deadline next week, break the work into bite‑size tasks and assign each a specific day. Below is a realistic 5‑day plan that assumes you can devote about three hours each evening.
- Day 1 – Source gathering (2 hrs): Locate your primary text, find at least two scholarly articles, and pull one literature review that directly addresses your thesis. Save PDFs in a dedicated folder.
- Day 2 – Annotation and note‑taking (3 hrs): Read the literature review, highlight the main arguments, and write a one‑sentence summary for each paragraph. Do the same for the two scholarly articles. This creates a quick reference for in‑text citations.
- Day 3 – Outline and thesis (2 hrs): Draft a detailed outline with headings for introduction, each body paragraph, and conclusion. Place a placeholder citation after each claim where a source will be inserted.
- Day 4 – First draft (3 hrs): Write the essay following the outline. Insert MLA in‑text citations as you go, using the notes from Day 2. Don’t worry about perfect wording; focus on getting all ideas down.
- Day 5 – Revision and bibliography (3 hrs): Read the draft aloud, tighten sentences, and verify that every claim has a citation. Then build the works‑cited page using the checklist from the “MLA formatting” section. Run the document through a plagiarism checker set to ignore the bibliography, and make any final tweaks.
Stick to the schedule, and you’ll have a polished essay ready for submission well before the deadline.
Decision matrix: primary vs. secondary sources for an AP English essay
| Source type | What it is | How to cite in MLA |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Original literary work, historical document, artwork, or data set you analyze directly. | Author’s name (if applicable). Title of work. Publication info (if relevant). Format (e.g., poem, novel, painting). |
| Secondary – scholarly article | Peer‑reviewed analysis that interprets a primary source. | Author(s). “Title of article.” Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, year, pp. xx‑xx. DOI/URL. |
| Secondary – literature review | Synthesis of multiple scholarly articles on a topic. | Author(s). “Title of review.” Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, year, pp. xx‑xx. DOI/URL. |
| Non‑scholarly secondary | Magazine, newspaper, or website that discusses the primary source without peer review. | Author(s). “Title of piece.” Publication Name, date, URL. |