Skip to Main Content
OASIS

Introduction

When incorporating sources into your writing using APA style, you will need to choose from either narrative or parenthetical in-text citations.

Narrative Citations

A narrative in-text citation appears within the grammatical structure of the sentence. This means that when you mention the author's name, it’s included within the sentence itself.

Doe (2018) studied the swimming habits of marine animals in tide pools.

lightbulb_2

In this example, the author’s last name, Doe, appears narratively in the sentence and is immediately followed by the year in parentheses.

In 2018, Doe argued that “many of the creatures in tide pools love to swim” (p. 280).

lightbulb_2

In this example, the author’s last name and year both appear narratively. Because this includes a direct quote, a page number is provided in parentheses.

Parenthetical Citations

A parenthetical in-text citation includes the author’s name in parentheses rather than within the sentence.

Childhood obesity is on the rise, particularly in the United States, where 25% of children in public schools are now being treated for type 2 diabetes (Finnegan, 2015).

lightbulb_2

In this example, the author's last name and year are in parentheses at the end of the sentence. The placement of the citation at the end tells readers that all information in this sentence was paraphrased from Finnegan (2015).

Childhood obesity is on the rise, particularly in the United States, where 25% of children in public schools are now being treated for type 2 diabetes (Finnegan, 2015), raising concerns about increased healthcare costs and long-term health outcomes.

lightbulb_2

In this example, the author's last name and year are still in parentheses but are in the middle of the sentence. The placement of the in-text citation in the middle tells readers that only the information before the citation is paraphrased from Finnegan (2015).

When to Use Narrative or Parenthetical In-Text Citations

Narrative and parenthetical citations are equally important, but when and how you use them depends on your specific goal in a paragraph and how you’re using a source.

lightbulb_2

If you’re using the same source multiple times throughout a paragraph, you might choose to vary the citation methods. This can make your writing easier to read, add variety to your sentences, and improve the integration of evidence.

Key Takeaways

Parenthetical and narrative citations are both equally important in APA style. Becoming familiar with both options gives you flexibility in how you shape your academic writing.

Check Your Answers