Writing with Quotations:  The Basics

What is the point of using Quotations?

When teachers assign research papers, they expect the finished product to contain a thesis that is clearly explained and skillfully argued using your own thoughts, ideas and words.  Instructors anticipate reading the words that you craft into an argument, and arguments are always strengthened when you use the words and ideas of experts to support your point.  This is primarily why quotations are used.

Using quotations properly requires a bit of skill and a bit of practice.  In order to be truly effective, quotations need to be well-selected, well-placed, and well-documented.   This guide will provide an overview of some of the basics about differentiating between quotes and paraphrases and integrating quotations effectively into your writing.  The guide will also provide some practice exercises and additional links for citation and note-taking assistance.

Balanced Writing

Quotations are so much more than mere "proof" that you collected resources through research.  Quotations should support and enhance your writing, without overpowering it.  Whenever possible you should try to express ideas and arguments in your own words .  The voice of your paper should primarily be yours, not those of your sources.  If you notice that your paper is becoming quotation-heavy, take a moment to collect your thoughts and rediscover your own voice.  One suggestion to help make differentiating between your voice and the voice of an author easier to do is to practice good note-taking.  A note-taking method that incorporates the major ideas from a source as well as your own thoughts concerning the importance of source material is one way to keep different voices clearly defined.  The Cornell note-taking is a prominent note-taking system.

Even if ideas come from an outside source, try to paraphrase those thoughts whenever possible rather than constantly quote them word for word.  Word for word quotations are really only necessary when the words themselves are what is important; a particular vocabulary, a specific tone, a significant point, or a statement to be analyzed.  Regardless of whether you paraphrase or use quotations, you must always cite your source.  There are additional APA and MLA handouts available from the library to help you with citation formats.

Maintaining the Flow

Whether paraphrasing or using quotations, the ideas from your sources need to be integrated into your sentences.  A common mistake is to plunk down a quotation without introducing or explaining anything about it.  This often results in your reader missing the point you are trying to make as well as creating a choppy flow in your paper.  One solution is to open a sentenence by introducing and explaining the words of the source, followed by the actual words.  This practice will help create a logical flow that explains the importance of your source and incorporates your personal perspective.  However, you must be sure not to "over-use" this writing style to avoid sounding robotic.

Other common mistakes stem from quoting too much of what an author is saying, or simply repeating that which has been quoted instead of expanding upon it.  It is not necessary to always include the entire thought of an author, so you may choose to use only the necessary language  and integrate it into your own sentence.

Example:

            Burton states that it is important to stir the mixture properly.  “Stir the mixture constantly for approximately ten minutes, or until it pulls away from the side of the bowl”(Cooking, 2010, p. 17).

            Burton states that it is important to stir the mixture for about "ten minutes, or until it pulls away from the side of the bowl"(Cooking, 2010, p.17).

The first example is an ineffective use of a quotation because the two sentences simply repeat one another.  The second example is a better incorporation of the text that is actually important and descriptive. 

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

A quoteis usually identified by text surrounded by a set of quotation marks ("").  Quotation marks indicate that the exact words of an outside source are being integrated into a piece of your writing.  Additionally, direct quotes longer than 40 words are identified as sections of blocked text that have smaller margins than the main body of text.

Example:

        Aside from comment on modern society's wealth of meaningless activities and lack of spritual depth, the poet's depiction of the modern city is far from pristine or idealistic.  The modern city is gritty and faded in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock .

                                  The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,                                  The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
                                  Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
                                  Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
                                  Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
                                  Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
                                  And seeing that it was a soft October night,
                                  Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.
                                  (Eliot, 1919)

To paraphrase, or quote indirectly, is to still use the thoughts and ideas of an outside source, but not word them exactly the same.  Although the words may be different, you still must cite a source for the use of their ideas .  Failure to do so crosses the line into plagiarism,so remain aware of the difference between your voice and that of an author.

Below are examples of the same outside source idea being used in both quoted and paraphrased formats.

Quote:

   Biographies were not written because "exposing details like socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic lineage, accusations against a relative, hidden   enthusiasms or grudges- was treacherous for the subject"(Colton, 2008, p.3).

Paraphrase:

   Communist Russia's position against exposing the intimate and private details of a citizen's life kept biography writing from becoming a well-practiced art form (Colton, 2008, p.3).

Documenting Sources

Credit must be given to outside sources parenthetically (in the text of your writing, right at the point of use) and at the end of your paper in a bibliography, or works cited document.  These two uses are linked in that someone reading your work should be able to use your parenthetical references to locate full citations from your bibliography, and the source directly, should they desire.

( HINT:  This works backwards as a great time-saving research technique!  Track down works cited in research articles to quickly add to your own list of sources).