Quotation Do's and Don'ts
Do use quotations appropriately as evidence.
- Do use them when the words themselves are
significant or memorable.
- Do use them to demonstrate that a
source does in fact say what you say it says.
- Do use them when you are taking a
contrary position to a source, especially a secondary source, both for
clarity and out of respect.
Don't use quotations inappropriately.
- Don't quote material that is strictly
informational
- Don't use too many very long
quotations, especially without commentary.
Do quote accurately.
- Do type your quotation exactly as it
appears in the source.
- Do indicate mistakes in the source
with [sic].
- Do indicate your interpolations with
square brackets [ ]
- Do indicate omissions in the middle
of the quotation with ellipsis . . . three spaced dots.
- Don't put ellipsis at the beginning or
end of the quotation--the reader assumes there is material before and
after the quotation.
- Don't use ellipsis in a way that changes
the meaning of the quotation.
Do paraphrase in your own words.
Do give context for quotations.
Do give your quotations significance; don't
expect them to speak for themselves.
Do introduce quotations.
Do fit the syntax of the quotation into
your sentence.
Do punctuate the quotation, and your
introduction to it, properly. |
