Narrative Citations:
* Placement: Integrate the author's name naturally into the sentence as part of your writing. The citation is part of the sentence's flow.
* Style: Usually includes the author's last name and year of publication. You might also include the page number if directly quoting or referring to a specific passage.
* Example: "Smith (2023) argues that..." or "In a recent study, Jones and Brown (2022, p. 45) demonstrated..."
Parenthetical Citations:
* Placement: The citation is placed in parentheses at the *end* of the sentence (or clause) containing the information from the source.
* Style: Typically includes the author's last name and year of publication. Page numbers are added for direct quotes or specific references.
* Example: "...climate change is a serious threat (Smith, 2023)." or "...the study found a significant correlation (Jones & Brown, 2022, p. 45)."
In short: Narrative citations are more integrated and flow smoothly within the sentence, while parenthetical citations are more concise and appear as interruptions. The choice often depends on the style guide (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) and the writer's preference, though some styles might favor one over the other. Many styles allow for both types of citation to be used.