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Parenthetical referencing is a citation system in which in-text citations are made using parentheses. They are usually accompanied by a full, alphabetized list of citations in an end section, usually titled "references", "reference list", "works cited", or "end-text citations". Parenthetical referencing can be used in lieu of footnote citations or the numbered Vancouver system.
Parenthetical referencing normally uses one of these two citation styles:
- Author–date (also known as Harvard referencing): primarily used in the natural sciences and social sciences, espoused by systems such as APA style;
- Author–title or author–page: primarily used in the arts and the humanities, such as in the MLA Handbook.
Both the author–date and author–title systems are also available in style guides such as the Chicago Manual of Style.