Using+Quotations

 •Major misunderstanding: when you think of direct quotation, **you may be thinking of quoted //dialogue//**.
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/direct90.gif width="64" height="228" align="bottom"]] || •**Direct quotation presents material from your sources without changing the wording**.

example: **//"I hate school," said Timmy.//** •Keep in mind that **//direct quotation is any material presented from your source in which the original wording is left intact.//** •**Avoid the major goofup of plagiarism: you have two choices:**

 •Direct quotation **gives your readers the confidence that your position is shared by those who know what they are talking about.** •Direct quotation is **especially important if your paper is on a controversial topic or on a field in which you have limited expertise**. •Here's a useful test: **if your source would qualify as an expert witness in court, and you __need__ an expert witness to back up your argument, use a direct quotation.** || //__Uniqueness__// •When one of your sources **expresses himself or herself so uniquely or forcefully that a summary or paraphrase just isn't good enough, go ahead and quote.** •Here's a useful test: **if when you read a sentence for the first time you have a "Wow!" response, it's probably something you should quote.** •There's a flip side to this, though. Sometimes students quote authors because they don't understand them (you can't summarize what you don't understand). **Summary is proof you understand, so you're usually better off summarizing.** || //__Accuracy__// •When accuracy to the original is vital, you may well need to quote the original. •Examples: //laws, judicial decision, scientific and math formulas, complex theories, and precise definitions of important terms.// || //__Strategy__// •Often using a quote is a useful strategy to set up a statement of your own. •This is especially true when your strategy is to disagree with a source's statement. •Example: //Although Smith claims the death penalty is "the most useful tactic we have against murderers" (59), the statistical evidence is overwhelming that executions do not lower murder rates.// || ||
 * -summarize an author's ideas in your own words (completely alter the syntax and vocabulary without mimicking the style);**
 * -use direct quotation. Slightly altering the author's wording and mimicking the author's syntax are both plagiarism, whether you use a parenthetical citation or not. Questions?** [|**See the section on plagiarism**]**.** ||
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/whendirect90.gif width="64" height="272" align="bottom"]] || || //__Authority__//

 Overusing direct quotation from your sources suggests you have one or more of the following problems:
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/quotenew.gif width="64" height="294" align="bottom"]] ||

//1. You don't have a clear sense of what your sources mean and are copying as a substitute for understanding and synthesizing;// //2. You aren't following a well-defined thesis and are including material that doesn't directly support your argument;// //3. You did inadequate research and are using direct quotation as padding to make your paper long enough.//


 * If you or someone else has suggested you are having this problem,** **ask your teacher for help before you go any further!** ||
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/blend90.gif width="64" height="302" align="bottom"]]





|| || [|Brief quotations of prose] || [|Extended quotations of prose] || [|Brief quotations of poetry] || [|Extended quotations of poetry] || || Brief Quotations of Prose //Rule #1: direct quotes of prose// **//shorter than five typed lines//** //should be run into the text and enclosed in double quotation marks.// //Rule #2:// **//place direct quotes at the beginning, middle, or end of your sentence. If for clarity you need to divide a quote with your own words, this is fine, too.//** || || Extended Quotations of Prose //Rule: direct quotes of prose running more than four typed lines// **//are set off from the rest of your text by doing the following://**
 * //Example//**//://
 * //Examples//**//://

//•indent one inch from the left margin (ten spaces if you are using a typewriter);// //•type it double spaced without adding quotation marks;// //•usually introduce a quotation with a colon;// //•if you quote one paragraph or part of one, do not indent the first line more than the rest.//

|| Brief Quotations of Poetry || || || Extended Quotations of Poetry
 * //Example//**//://
 * //Basic Rule//**//: direct quotes of poetry up to three lines should generally be run into the text and enclosed in double quotation marks. Quotes of two or more lines will need a slash (/) with a space on each side to separate them.//
 * //Examples//**//://
 * //Basic Rules//**//:// **//direct quotes of poetry of more than three lines//** //should follow the following rules://
 * //Basic Rules//**//:// **//direct quotes of poetry of more than three lines//** //should follow the following rules://

//•begin on a new line;// //•unless the poem uses unusual spacing, indent each line one inch (ten spaces) from the left margin;// //•double space between lines, adding no quotation marks that do not appear in the original.// //•lines too long to fit within the margins should be continued on the next line and the continued lines should be indented an extra quarter inch (three spaces).// //•unusual spacing arrangements should be reproduced as accurately as possible.// //•your parenthetical reference follows the last line of the quotation.//

|| || •Direct quotations should be short. **They should be pared down to the essential elements of the original**. •Long quotations have many disadvantages in a short research paper.
 * //Example//**//://
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/long90.gif width="64" height="273" align="bottom"]] ||

//-They raise the suspicion that you are using quotes so that your authors will do your writing (and thinking) for you.// //-They take up valuable space that could better be used for analysis.// //-They usually contain material that is totally or largely irrelevant to your topic.// //-They are distracting to the reader and interrupt the flow of your paper.//

•Most quotes in your paper will be **a sentence long or less**. [|Using the ellipsis (see below)] will help you pare long quotes down to size. ||
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/ellipsis90.gif width="64" height="363" align="bottom"]]







|| || [|What is an Ellipsis?] || [|Context] || [|Correctness] || [|Within a Sentence] ||  //An ellipsis is simply three periods with spaces in between. It is used to show that you have omitted portions of quoted material.//  //When you omit passages// **//you must be fair to the author//**//. You must never take an author's statement out of context and conceal this by eliminating part of his or her writing.//
 * [|At the End of a Sentence] || [|At the Beginning of a Sentence] || [|Omit Complete Sentences and Paragraphs] || [|Omissions in Poetry] ||
 * What is an Ellipsis?**
 * Context**

//Situation: a film reviewer writes the following passage in a review of a new action movie:// //Incorrect example:// //A dishonest use of the ellipsis used in the movie's ad campaign might read:// 
 * Correctness**
 * //Don't overuse the ellipsis//**//. Your task is to use quotes without messing up the original grammar. When you quote a phrase, your readers will understand it was originally part of a sentence. No ellipsis is necessary in this situation.//

//Correct example (no ellipsis necessary)://  Use three spaced periods to show you have omitted material from within a sentence:
 * Omission within a sentence**

//Correct example:// Use four periods with no space before the first to show material has been deleted at the end of a sentence.
 * Omission at the end of a sentence**

//Correct example:// Normally **do not use an ellipsis at the beginning of the sentence**. Your reader will be able to tell by context that the beginning of the sentence has been deleted.
 * Omission at the beginning of a sentence**

//Correct example:// //Incorrect example (awkward)://  When you omit an entire sentence or more, including whole paragraphs, use **four** spaced periods with no space before the first. This is especially useful when you are quoting more than one passage in a paragraph. This technique helps you avoid using overlong quotes [|(see above)].
 * Omission of whole sentences and paragraphs**

//Correct example://  Rule #1: Handle the ellipsis in poetry when you have left out words or phrases **just as you do with prose**. Rule #2: If you omit an entire line or more from a poem **you must indicate the omission by a line of spaced periods that equals the average length of the line(s).** //Correct example://
 * Omission in poetry**

||


 * || [[image:http://www.wikispaces.com/i/editor/insert_table.gif]] ||

The key to avoiding plagiarism when using quotes is taking good notes. If your notecards are taken correctly, all quotes will be in quotation marks. This is a must! Failing to do this may result in your mistaking a quote for a paraphrase. Watch out! •**Avoid the major goofup of plagiarism: you have two choices:**
 * [[image:http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/Research_paper/images/plagiarism90.gif width="64" height="221" align="bottom"]] || Let's assume you're not trying to plagiarize. You've decided that a zero on the research paper simply isn't an acceptable possibility.


 * -summarize an author's ideas in your own words (completely alter the syntax and vocabulary without mimicking the style);**
 * -use direct quotation. Slightly altering the author's wording and mimicking the author's syntax are both plagiarism, whether you use a parenthetical citation or not. Questions?** [|**See the section on plagiarism**]**.** ||
 * (based on __Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide__ by James D. Lester; New York: Longman, 1999, and**
 * the __MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers__, Fourth Edition).**