When writing an academic essay, it’s best to paraphrase all ideas because it allows the writer to fit the idea within the context of the text (Publication manual of APA, 2020, p. 270). Also, write paraphrased ideas as parenthetical citations to focus more on the ideas themselves as opposed to the authors or mentioning the study outright. When in doubt, check with your instructor.
Benjamin L. Stewart
A narrative citation and a parenthetical citation are two different ways of citing sources within a written document. They are commonly used in academic writing, research papers, and other scholarly works. While both methods serve the purpose of acknowledging and crediting the sources used, they differ in their presentation and placement within the text.
Narrative Citation
A narrative citation involves incorporating the author’s name or the title of the source into the text itself. This method integrates the citation smoothly into the sentence structure, providing context and attribution within the narrative flow. Here’s an example:
According to Smith (2019), climate change has a significant impact on biodiversity loss.
In this example, the author’s name, Smith, is mentioned in the narrative, and the publication year (2019) is included in parentheses. The reader can easily identify the source of the information within the sentence itself.
Parenthetical Citation
A parenthetical citation places the citation within parentheses at the end of the sentence or passage containing the borrowed information. This method is typically used when the author’s name is not mentioned in the narrative or when there are multiple sources cited within a single sentence. Parenthical ciations are recommended when the ideas are more important than who says the idea. Here’s an example:
Climate change has a significant impact on biodiversity loss (Smith, 2019).
It’s important to note that the specific format and style of citation may vary depending on the citation style guide being used, such as the APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), or Chicago style. However, the underlying principles of narrative and parenthetical citations remain consistent across most style guides. – In this example, the author’s name (Smith) and the publication year (2019) are enclosed in parentheses at the end of the sentence. The reader can easily locate the corresponding entry in the reference list or bibliography for more detailed information about the source.
In summary, narrative citations integrate the source information into the text itself, while parenthetical citations place the information in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Both methods are used to give credit to the original authors and allow readers to locate the sources for further information or verification. The choice between narrative and parenthetical citations depends on the writer’s preference, the specific citation style guide, and the context in which the citations are being used.