Quote FAC
       

      When You Have to Quote | When You Should Quote | When You Should NOT Quote | When You Have to Cite | When You Don't Have to Cite | What About Images? | Punctuation of Quotes | Common Mistakes | Accidental Plagiarizing | Self-Protection

      WHEN DO I HAVE TO QUOTE?

      • You have to quote anytime you use anyone's exact words.  The usual standard is three words in a row; however, sometimes you will want to quote a single word or phrase because it is so characteristic, so clearly the author's special language and not yours.


      WHEN SHOULD I QUOTE?

      • You should quote any time the author's language is particularly vivid, impressive, or characteristic -- anytime HOW they say something really matters.
      • You should quote to insure accuracy-- anytime you need to be sure you are correctly representing what the other person said or meant.
      • You should quote when you are interpreting a particular passage: if, for instance, you are analyzing its meaning or critiquing its logic.
      WHEN SHOULD I NOT QUOTE?
      • You don't need to quote when you could explain the point yourself
      • You don't need to put quote marks around statistics, dates, or proper names.
      • You should never quote as a substitute for explaining something yourself -- either out of laziness or confusion.
      • In a research paper, be careful about using quote marks for emphasis or to indicate slang; this can confuse the reader who wonders where the quotation is coming from.
       
      WHEN DO I HAVE TO CITE (PUT A PAGE NUMBER)?
      •  You must put an author's name and page number overtime you quote.
          • Some people think that Spam dip is just "heavenly" (Stewart 4).
        • If the author's name is in the sentence, it doesn't have to be in the parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence.
          • Martha Stewart thinks Spam dip is just "heavenly" (4).
        • If you are using two or more sources by the same author, use last name and a shortened form of the title
          • Some people think that Spam dip is just "heavenly" (Stewart, "Christmas Goodies" 4)
        • If the source has no author, refer to it by its title.
          • An anonymous editorial railed against the very idea of vegetarian Spam as "approaching blasphemy" ("Is Nothing Sacred?" 14)  -- Notice article titles stay in quotes; a book title would be in italics.
        • If your source is a web site with no pages, then weave the fact that it is a web site into your introduction of the quote.
          • The web site "New Christmas Traditions" lists both vegetarian and "carnivorous" recipes for Spam dip. -- No need to put URL in parentheses; reader can look it up on works cited page.
      • When you paraphrase, you should include an attribution to the author in the sentence.  A sentence with no quote marks and a page number raises questions in the reader's mind.
      • You must cite any idea or fact that is not common knowledge. If you are conscious that you got this idea or fact from a particular source, cite it.  Another, less fascist way to think about this is to imagine someone is really interested in your topic and cite whenever it would be useful to them to know your source.

      WHEN DO I NOT HAVE TO CITE?

      • You do not have to cite (give a specific page number) when something is common knowledge
        • In quoting the Bible, mention what version you are using, and then quote chapter and verse instead of page numbers
        • When quoting Shakespeare, simply give act, scene, and line number
        • When quoting from a dictionary, mention the title and the edition; then you do not need the page number
        • You do not need to cite common phrases, expressions etc.
        • You do not need to cite information which is commonly and readily available (the President's birthday; the capital of Afghanistan; the dates of WW II)


      HOW DO I PUNCTUATE QUOTATIONS AND CITATIONS IN MLA?

      • Here is a good web site explaining how to punctuate quotes
      • When quote is part of sentence or paragraph, you end the quote, space, put in the parenthetical documentation, and then the period.
        • Some people think that Spam dip is just "heavenly" (Stewart 4).
      • When quote is indented, set off from the text, you put period first, then the parenthetical citation.
      • When you indent a quote, you do not put quote marks around it as well.
      • When you introduce a quotation with a full sentence, you use a colon to connect your introduction to the quote:
        • According to Martha Stewart, there is only one good way to make Spam dip: "It is my way or the highway" (5).


      WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE IN QUOTING AND CITING?

      • See my handout, Some Don't on Quotes


      HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF FROM ACCIDENTALLY PLAGIARIZING?

      • Take very careful notes.  In your notes make sure you clearly differentiate between when you are quoting someone's exact words and when you are paraphrasing. (Using the magic of computers, I usually do quotes in a different color and font) Most student plagiarism comes from accidentally copying quotes from sloppy notes.
      • Xerox key articles -- if you have Xeroxes, you can go back and check whether things are quotes or not.  And you have them to prove to the teacher that you did the research.
      • Check your paraphrases.  After you have paraphrased something, go back to the text and make sure you haven't taken too much of the original's syntax.  Be careful to avoid the dreaded "garbled paraphrase" where you retain the original sentence structure and just substitute a few synonyms.  Exercise on Quoting and Paraphrase


      HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF FROM TEACHER'S SUSPICIONS/ ACCUSATIONS OF PLAGIARISM?

      • See my Handout,  How to Convince Your Professor That Your Paper Isn't Plagiarized