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How to Quote | Citing Quotes in Harvard & APA

How to Quote | Citing Quotes in Harvard & APA

Published on 15 April 2022 by Shona McCombes and Jack Caulfield. Revised on 3 September 2022.

Quoting means copying a passage of someone else’s words and crediting the source. To quote a source, you must ensure:

The quoted text is enclosed in quotation marks (usually single quotation marks in UK English, though double is acceptable as long as you’re consistent) or formatted as a block quote
The original author is correctly cited
The text is identical to the original

The exact format of a quote depends on its length and on which citation style you are using. Quoting and citing correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism , which is easy to detect with a good plagiarism checker .

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How to cite a quote in harvard and apa style, introducing quotes, quotes within quotes, shortening or altering a quote, block quotes, when should i use quotes, frequently asked questions about quoting sources.

Every time you quote, you must cite the source correctly . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style you’re using.

Citing a quote in Harvard style

When you include a quote in Harvard style, you must add a Harvard in-text citation giving the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number if available. Any full stop or comma appears after the citation, not within the quotation marks.

Citations can be parenthetical or narrative. In a parenthetical citation , you place all the information in brackets after the quote. In a narrative citation , you name the author in your sentence (followed by the year), and place the page number after the quote.

Evolution is a gradual process that ‘can act only by very short and slow steps’ (Darwin, 1859, p. 510) . Darwin (1859) explains that evolution ‘can act only by very short and slow steps’ (p. 510) .

Complete guide to Harvard style

Citing a quote in APA Style

To cite a direct quote in APA , you must include the author’s last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use ‘p.’; if it spans a page range, use ‘pp.’

An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative. In a parenthetical citation , you place all the information in parentheses after the quote. In a narrative citation , you name the author in your sentence (followed by the year), and place the page number after the quote.

Punctuation marks such as full stops and commas are placed after the citation, not within the quotation marks.

Evolution is a gradual process that ‘can act only by very short and slow steps’ (Darwin, 1859, p. 510) .
Darwin (1859) explains that evolution ‘can act only by very short and slow steps’ (p. 510) .

Complete guide to APA

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Make sure you integrate quotes properly into your text by introducing them in your own words, showing the reader why you’re including the quote and providing any context necessary to understand it. Don’t present quotations as stand-alone sentences.

There are three main strategies you can use to introduce quotes in a grammatically correct way:

Add an introductory sentence
Use an introductory signal phrase
Integrate the quote into your own sentence

The following examples use APA Style citations, but these strategies can be used in all styles.

Introductory sentence

Introduce the quote with a full sentence ending in a colon . Don’t use a colon if the text before the quote isn’t a full sentence.

If you name the author in your sentence, you may use present-tense verbs, such as “states’, ‘argues’, ‘explains’, ‘writes’, or ‘reports’, to describe the content of the quote.

In Denmark, a recent poll shows that: ‘A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
In Denmark, a recent poll shows that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: ‘A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
Levring (2018) reports that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: ‘A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ (p. 3).

Introductory signal phrase

You can also use a signal phrase that mentions the author or source but doesn’t form a full sentence. In this case, you follow the phrase with a comma instead of a colon.

According to a recent poll, ‘A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
As Levring (2018) explains, ‘A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ (p. 3).

Integrated into your own sentence

To quote a phrase that doesn’t form a full sentence, you can also integrate it as part of your sentence, without any extra punctuation.

A recent poll suggests that EU membership ‘would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ in a referendum (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
Levring (2018) reports that EU membership ‘would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters’ in a referendum (p. 3).

When you quote text that itself contains another quote, this is called a nested quotation or a quote within a quote. It may occur, for example, when quoting dialogue from a novel.

To distinguish this quote from the surrounding quote, you enclose it in double (instead of single) quotation marks (even if this involves changing the punctuation from the original text). Make sure to close both sets of quotation marks at the appropriate moments.

Note that if you only quote the nested quotation itself, and not the surrounding text, you can just use single quotation marks.

Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: ‘ ‘ Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, ‘ he told me, ‘ just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had ‘ ‘ (Fitzgerald 1).
Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: ‘”Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had “ (Fitzgerald 1).
Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: ‘“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”’ (Fitzgerald 1).
Carraway begins by quoting his father’s invocation to ‘remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’ (Fitzgerald 1).

Note: When the quoted text in the source comes from another source, it’s best to just find that original source in order to quote it directly. If you can’t find the original source, you can instead cite it indirectly .

Often, incorporating a quote smoothly into your text requires you to make some changes to the original text. It’s fine to do this, as long as you clearly mark the changes you’ve made to the quote.

Shortening a quote

If some parts of a passage are redundant or irrelevant, you can shorten the quote by removing words, phrases, or sentences and replacing them with an ellipsis (…). Put a space before and after the ellipsis.

Be careful that removing the words doesn’t change the meaning. The ellipsis indicates that some text has been removed, but the shortened quote should still accurately represent the author’s point.

Altering a quote

You can add or replace words in a quote when necessary. This might be because the original text doesn’t fit grammatically with your sentence (e.g., it’s in a different tense), or because extra information is needed to clarify the quote’s meaning.

Use brackets to distinguish words that you have added from words that were present in the original text.

The Latin term ‘ sic ‘ is used to indicate a (factual or grammatical) mistake in a quotation. It shows the reader that the mistake is from the quoted material, not a typo of your own.

In some cases, it can be useful to italicise part of a quotation to add emphasis, showing the reader that this is the key part to pay attention to. Use the phrase ’emphasis added’ to show that the italics were not part of the original text.

You usually don’t need to use brackets to indicate minor changes to punctuation or capitalisation made to ensure the quote fits the style of your text.

If you quote more than a few lines from a source, you must format it as a block quote . Instead of using quotation marks, you set the quote on a new line and indent it so that it forms a separate block of text.

Block quotes are cited just like regular quotes, except that if the quote ends with a full stop, the citation appears after the full stop.

To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more. (16)

Avoid relying too heavily on quotes in academic writing . To integrate a source , it’s often best to paraphrase , which means putting the passage into your own words. This helps you integrate information smoothly and keeps your own voice dominant.

However, there are some situations in which quotes are more appropriate.

When focusing on language

If you want to comment on how the author uses language (for example, in literary analysis ), it’s necessary to quote so that the reader can see the exact passage you are referring to.

When giving evidence

To convince the reader of your argument, interpretation or position on a topic, it’s often helpful to include quotes that support your point. Quotes from primary sources (for example, interview transcripts or historical documents) are especially credible as evidence.

When presenting an author’s position or definition

When you’re referring to secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, try to put others’ ideas in your own words when possible.

But if a passage does a great job at expressing, explaining, or defining something, and it would be very difficult to paraphrase without changing the meaning or losing the weakening the idea’s impact, it’s worth quoting directly.

A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.

To present information from other sources in academic writing , it’s best to paraphrase in most cases. This shows that you’ve understood the ideas you’re discussing and incorporates them into your text smoothly.

It’s appropriate to quote when:

Changing the phrasing would distort the meaning of the original text
You want to discuss the author’s language choices (e.g., in literary analysis )
You’re presenting a precise definition
You’re looking in depth at a specific claim

Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .

For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: ‘This is a quote’ (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).

Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.

In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quoting should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.

In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .

As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.

If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarises other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA recommends retaining the citations as part of the quote:

Smith states that ‘the literature on this topic (Jones, 2015; Sill, 2019; Paulson, 2020) shows no clear consensus’ (Smith, 2019, p. 4).

Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted.

If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase ‘as cited in’ in your citation.

A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate ‘block’ of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.

APA uses block quotes for quotes that are 40 words or longer.

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McCombes, S. & Caulfield, J. (2022, September 03). How to Quote | Citing Quotes in Harvard & APA. Scribbr. Retrieved 24 June 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/working-sources/quoting/

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How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago

How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago

Published on April 15, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Jack Caulfield. Revised on May 31, 2023.

Quoting means copying a passage of someone else’s words and crediting the source. To quote a source, you must ensure:

The quoted text is enclosed in quotation marks or formatted as a block quote
The original author is correctly cited
The text is identical to the original

The exact format of a quote depends on its length and on which citation style you are using. Quoting and citing correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism which is easy to detect with a good plagiarism checker .

How to cite a quote in apa, mla and chicago, introducing quotes, quotes within quotes, shortening or altering a quote, block quotes, when should i use quotes, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about quoting sources.

Every time you quote, you must cite the source correctly . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style you’re using. Three of the most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Citing a quote in APA Style

To cite a direct quote in APA , you must include the author’s last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas . If the quote appears on a single page, use “p.”; if it spans a page range, use “pp.”

Punctuation marks such as periods and commas are placed after the citation, not within the quotation marks .

Evolution is a gradual process that “can act only by very short and slow steps” (Darwin, 1859, p. 510) .
Darwin (1859) explains that evolution “can act only by very short and slow steps” (p. 510) .

Complete guide to APA

Citing a quote in mla style.

An MLA in-text citation includes only the author’s last name and a page number. As in APA, it can be parenthetical or narrative, and a period (or other punctuation mark) appears after the citation.

Evolution is a gradual process that “can act only by very short and slow steps” (Darwin 510) .
Darwin explains that evolution “can act only by very short and slow steps” (510) .

Complete guide to MLA

Citing a quote in chicago style.

Chicago style uses Chicago footnotes to cite sources. A note, indicated by a superscript number placed directly after the quote, specifies the author, title, and page number—or sometimes fuller information .

Unlike with parenthetical citations, in this style, the period or other punctuation mark should appear within the quotation marks, followed by the footnote number.

, 510.

Complete guide to Chicago style

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There are three main strategies you can use to introduce quotes in a grammatically correct way:

Add an introductory sentence
Use an introductory signal phrase
Integrate the quote into your own sentence

The following examples use APA Style citations, but these strategies can be used in all styles.

Introductory sentence

Introduce the quote with a full sentence ending in a colon . Don’t use a colon if the text before the quote isn’t a full sentence.

If you name the author in your sentence, you may use present-tense verbs , such as “states,” “argues,” “explains,” “writes,” or “reports,” to describe the content of the quote.

In Denmark, a recent poll shows that: “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
In Denmark, a recent poll shows that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
Levring (2018) reports that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (p. 3).

Introductory signal phrase

You can also use a signal phrase that mentions the author or source, but doesn’t form a full sentence. In this case, you follow the phrase with a comma instead of a colon.

According to a recent poll, “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
As Levring (2018) explains, “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (p. 3).

Integrated into your own sentence

To quote a phrase that doesn’t form a full sentence, you can also integrate it as part of your sentence, without any extra punctuation .

A recent poll suggests that EU membership “would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” in a referendum (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
Levring (2018) reports that EU membership “would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” in a referendum (p. 3).

When you quote text that itself contains another quote, this is called a nested quotation or a quote within a quote. It may occur, for example, when quoting dialogue from a novel.

To distinguish this quote from the surrounding quote, you enclose it in single (instead of double) quotation marks (even if this involves changing the punctuation from the original text). Make sure to close both sets of quotation marks at the appropriate moments.

Note that if you only quote the nested quotation itself, and not the surrounding text, you can just use double quotation marks.

Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: “ “ Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, ” he told me, “ just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had ” ” (Fitzgerald 1).
Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had ” (Fitzgerald 1).
Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’” (Fitzgerald 1).
Carraway begins by quoting his father’s invocation to “remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1).

Shortening a quote

Altering a quote

You can add or replace words in a quote when necessary. This might be because the original text doesn’t fit grammatically with your sentence (e.g., it’s in a different verb tense), or because extra information is needed to clarify the quote’s meaning.

Use brackets to distinguish words that you have added from words that were present in the original text.

The Latin term “ sic ” is used to indicate a (factual or grammatical) mistake in a quotation. It shows the reader that the mistake is from the quoted material, not a typo of your own.

In some cases, it can be useful to italicize part of a quotation to add emphasis, showing the reader that this is the key part to pay attention to. Use the phrase “emphasis added” to show that the italics were not part of the original text.

You usually don’t need to use brackets to indicate minor changes to punctuation or capitalization made to ensure the quote fits the style of your text.

Block quotes are cited just like regular quotes, except that if the quote ends with a period, the citation appears after the period.

Avoid relying too heavily on quotes in academic writing . To integrate a source , it’s often best to paraphrase , which means putting the passage in your own words. This helps you integrate information smoothly and keeps your own voice dominant.

However, there are some situations in which quoting is more appropriate.

When focusing on language

If you want to comment on how the author uses language (for example, in literary analysis ), it’s necessary to quote so that the reader can see the exact passage you are referring to.

When giving evidence

When presenting an author’s position or definition

When you’re referring to secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, try to put others’ ideas in your own words when possible.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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Self-plagiarism
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Academic integrity
Consequences of plagiarism
Common knowledge

A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.

In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:

To analyze the author’s language (e.g., in a literary analysis essay )
To give evidence from primary sources
To accurately present a precise definition or argument

Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .

Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .

For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: “This is a quote” (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).

Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.

A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate “block” of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.

The rules for when to apply block quote formatting depend on the citation style:

APA block quotes are 40 words or longer.
MLA block quotes are more than 4 lines of prose or 3 lines of poetry.
Chicago block quotes are longer than 100 words.

If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarizes other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA and Chicago both recommend retaining the citations as part of the quote. However, MLA recommends omitting citations within a quote:

APA: Smith states that “the literature on this topic (Jones, 2015; Sill, 2019; Paulson, 2020) shows no clear consensus” (Smith, 2019, p. 4).
MLA: Smith states that “the literature on this topic shows no clear consensus” (Smith, 2019, p. 4).

Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted in all styles.

If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase “as cited in” in your citation.

In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .

As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. & Caulfield, J. (2023, May 31). How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-quote/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

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Capstone Form and Style

Grammar and mechanics: quotation marks, quotation mark basics.

Quotations marks are used to denote language taken from another author or source . Keep in mind that APA prefers the use of paraphrases over direct quotations . Use direct quotations purposefully and sparingly.

Note the bolding and highlighting used for emphasis in the examples on this page.

Quotation Mark Placement

For titles. If referencing the title of a chapter or smaller section of a larger work, set off the title with quotation marks.

Example: The sixth chapter of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , “ Mechanics of Style, ” contains information about capitalization, italics, and the use of numbers.

In sentences . When copying language from any source (including published texts, internet resources, marketing or business materials, and test or interview questions) into the manuscript, use quotation marks (and proper citation ) to indicate the source. In academic writing, avoid beginning sentences with direct quotations; instead, place the direct quotation in the middle or end of the sentence:

Middle: Paltridge and Starfield (2007) asserted that there is “ no single right way in which to organize the review of the literature ” (p. 101) as the organization is often determined by the research question and approach. End: Ferris (2011) emphasized that teachers “ need to distinguish in their own minds and in their marking strategies between errors and stylistic differences ” (p. 80).

For more information about quotation marks, refer to APA 7, Section 6.7 and 8.25-8.36.

Keep in mind that quotations of 40 words or more require block quotation formatting , which does not involve quotation marks.

Quotations and Punctuation

Quotation marks should always face the quoted material. One set of quotation marks will show the beginning of the quote, and the other will show where it ends. Leave no space between the quotation marks and the text they surround.

CORRECT: Ansarifar et al. (2017) discovered, “ Abstracts by PhD-level students better approximated those of expert writers ” (p. 67). INCORRECT: Ansarifar et al. (2017) discovered, ” Abstracts by PhD-level students better approximated those of expert writers “ (p. 67). Note that in this example, the quotation marks are facing the wrong way, and an extra space is added before and after them.

INCORRECT: Ansarifar et al. (2017) discovered, Abstracts by PhD-level students better approximated those of expert writers (p. 67). Note that in this example, the quotation marks are missing.

The end punctuation of the sentence should always go after a parenthetical citation.

CORRECT: Ansarifar et al. (2017) discovered, “Abstracts by PhD-level students better approximated those of expert writers” (p. 67) . INCORRECT: Ansarifar et al. (2017) discovered, “Abstracts by PhD-level students better approximated those of expert writers.” (p. 67). Note that in this example, the sentence has double punctuation.

INCORRECT: Ansarifar et al. (2017) discovered, “Abstracts by PhD-level students better approximated those of expert writers.” (p. 67) Note that in this example, the period must be moved to after the parentheses so that there are no hanging parentheses.

Capitalization in Quotations

Capitalize the first word of the quotation when it is introduced as dialogue.

Example: Cooley and Lewkowicz (2003) stated, “A lthough the abstract is the last part of a dissertation to be written, it is generally one of the first the reader will look at” (p. 112). Note that a comma follows a dialogue tag (i.e., a speaking-related verb) introducing a quotation .

Do not capitalize the first word of the quotation when it is integrated into the sentence. This is often the case with that- clauses .

Example: Cooley and Lewkowicz (2003) stated that “although the abstract is the last part of a dissertation to be written, it is generally one of the first the reader will look at” (p. 112). Note that no comma precedes the quotation in the example above because the quotation is integrated into the sentence via the conjunction "that."

Example: According to Cooley and Lewkowicz (2003), “although the abstract is the last part of a dissertation to be written, it is generally one of the first the reader will look at” (p. 112). Note that the first word in the quotation is not capitalized in this example because the quotation has been integrated into the sentence.

Additional Common Uses of Quotation Marks

Referring to a letter, phrase, word, or sentence as itself.

Use quotation marks rather than italics to refer to a letter, phrase, word, or sentence as itself.

Example: The participants answered “yes” or “no.”

Linguistic Clarification

Use quotation marks rather than italics to clarify linguistic examples. This is a new rule in APA 7. (APA 6 recommended using italics instead of quotation marks for linguistic examples.)

Example: The student struggled with the use of "their" "they're," and "there."

Introducing a Word or Phrase Used Ironically

Use quotation marks around words or phrases that are presented ironically. Use quotation marks only the first time the words or phrases are used, not for later uses.

Example: There were many instances of "friendly joking" that created a hostile workplace environment.

Do Not Use Quotation Marks in These Instances

Do not use a quotation mark in the following instances.

Use italics instead of quotation marks around key terms or scale anchors.

Example : The survey required participants to scale their responses from very bad to very good. Example : For the purposes of this paper, the term participation will be defined as...

Note that after the first time you define a key term, you will format it normally.

Do not use quotation marks to hint at a different meaning. Use more precise language instead.

Incorrect: The "orientation" turned out to be only a 2-hour meeting. Correct: The orientation meeting lasted only 2 hours, which was not long enough to cover all topics sufficiently.

Previous Page: Semicolons
Next Page: Apostrophes
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Chicago Citation Style Guide

Get Started With Chicago Style
Note-Bibliography Basics
Author-Date Basics
Citing Journal Articles
Citing Newspaper Articles
Citing Magazines
Citing Websites & Blogs
Sound Recordings
Radio Program (Podcast)
Broadcast Radio & TV
Video Recordings (DVD/VHS)
TV & Video (Web)
Images & Art
Reference Materials
Religious Texts
Legal & Government Documents

Theses & Dissertations

Citing a published thesis, citing an unpublished thesis, citing a thesis in online database or repository.

CMS 14.224: Theses and dissertations

Titles of unpublished works appear in "quotation marks"—not in italics . This treatment extends to theses and dissertations, which are otherwise cited like books.

The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these are enclosed in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography.

If the document was consulted online, include a URL or, for documents retrieved from a commercial database, give the name of the database and, in parentheses, any identification number supplied or recommended by the database.

For dissertations issued on microfilm, see 14.120 . For published abstracts of dissertations, see 14.197 .

Note-Bibliography

First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," (Publisher, Year).

Mihwa Choi, “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty,” PhD diss., (University of Chicago, 2008).

Short Note:

Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

Choi. “Contesting Imaginaires ."

Bibliography Entry:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Year.

Choi, Mihwa. “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” PhD diss. University of Chicago, 2008.

Author-Date

Text Citation:

(Last-name Year)

(Mihwa 2008)

Reference Entry:

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."

Choi, Mihwa. 2008. “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” PhD diss. University of Chicago.

Note -Bibliography

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Unpublished thesis type, University. Year.

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand," PhD diss., (Ghent University, 2010).

Note #. Last-name,"Title of Thesis."

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes."

Bibliography:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University. Year.

Hosking, Barry C. "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University, 2010.

(Hosking 2010)

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University.

Hosking, Barry C. 2010. "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University.

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Database Name (Identifier if given), Year, Internet address.

12. Meredith Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus, " Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222), 2005, http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

Note #. Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

21. Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects."

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Database Name (Identifier if given), Year. Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222), 2005. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

(Stewart 2005)

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Database Name (Identifier if given), Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. 2005. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222), http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

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Italics and Quotation Marks

Italics and quotation marks are used to draw attention to text. For example, italics are used to draw attention to key terms and phrases when providing definitions and to format parts of reference list entries (e.g., titles of books and periodicals). Quotation marks are used to present linguistic examples and titles of book chapters and articles in the text.

When writers follow guidelines for the use of italics and quotation marks, their papers become more consistent and readable.

Note that this category addresses the use of quotation marks other than in the presentation of direct quotations. For information on how to use quotation marks when presenting quotations, see the In-Text Citations category .

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Quotation Marks: When and How to Use Quotations in Academic Writing

The proper use of punctuation can help to strengthen arguments made in your research paper. But knowing the English grammar rules and using these correctly can be confusing, especially for researchers with English as a second language. One of the easiest punctuation marks that you can get wrong is quotation marks, also called inverted commas, quotes, or speech marks. Why? Because the grammar rules may differ depending on the journal’s preferred style. For instance, most authors can’t decide whether the punctuation marks at the end of the sentence, commas, full stop, question marks, etc. should be inside or outside the quotation mark. Also, what if there is a quotation mark inside a quotation mark? This article will answer your concerns about using quotation marks in your academic writing.

American English vs. British English

English is regarded as a global language, but its use varies between American and British English, the two styles used in academic writing. 1 This also holds true when you include information from external sources by using quotations in academic writing.

Single and Double quotes

Both American and British English use single and double quotation marks, but their usage varies across places. This may also differ based on the journal you are submitting to. So to avoid mistakes when using quotation marks, first decide on the language style to follow. For example, Australia and the UK use single quotation marks (‘ ’), while North America uses the double quotation mark (“ ”). An exception to this is when using quotes in news headlines and when quoting within a quote, like the example below:

American English: “Ann said to John, ‘I will finish the project on time!’”

British English: ‘Ann said to John, “I will finish the project on time!”’

Punctuation marks placement

Another difference between American and British English is where punctuation marks go when used with quotation marks. In American English, the punctuation marks are always placed inside the quotation mark. An exception is when using colons and semicolons, which are placed outside the quotes. British English places commas and periods outside the quotation marks unless it is part of the quote. In both British and American English, question marks and exclamation points that are part of the quote go inside the quotation marks.

American English: “The spaceship appeared over the ancient city.”

British English: ‘The spaceship appeared over the ancient city’.

Situation	US style	UK style
Terminal mark part of quoted matter	.”	.’
Terminal mark not part of quoted matter	.”	’.
Terminal mark not part of quoted matter is a colon or semicolon	”:	’:

Fig 1: Relative positions of punctuation and closing quotation marks in US and UK English.

But, in both styles, a question mark always appears inside the quotes when the person quoted is asking the question and outside if you are asking the question. For example,

John asks, “How far will this road go?”
How many users attending the conference reported their satisfaction as “high”?

When to use quotations in academic writing

Give historical context to a theory or construct: Quote an original article to convey a unique perspective. This is especially true if the language of the original passage is elegant, powerful, or memorable. 2 E.g., Scholars have used mathematics as a communication method (Cockcroft, 1982). The SACE Board (2010) states that “mathematics is a universal language that is communicated through all cultures.”
Quote an item from a questionnaire or measure: Use quotation marks to give examples of individual items describing a particular instrument or questions in a survey. E.g., Sample questions to rate their motivation when using a learning method include “What I feel and think about myself as a learner.” (Harlen and Crick, 2003).
Start of the paper: These quotes help set up the central issue of a paper with a historical or political quote. An article on self-sufficiency, can begin as follows: “The best definition of man is: a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, 1864).

Quotations including external information should be kept relatively short and used sparingly. Too many of them, and the reviewers will accuse you of not producing original writing. Also, readers are more interested to read your thoughts on the paper and less on what others say on the topic.

In short, it’s important to use quotations in academic writing, and researchers should focus on understanding the rules so they can apply them properly. We hope the simple tips provided in this article help you use quotation marks more confidently.

Style Manual: For Authors, Editors and Printers. 2002. 6th ed. Revised by Snooks & Co. Milton, QLD: John Wiley & Sons.
Eldh, A. C., Årestedt, L., & Berterö, C. Quotations in qualitative studies: Reflections on constituents, custom, and purpose. International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 19, 1609406920969268 (2020). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345320846_Quotations_in_Qualitative_Studies_Reflections_on_Constituents_Custom_and_Purpose.

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Paraphrasing in Academic Writing: Answering Top Author Queries

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Referencing

Leeds Harvard introduction

Citing quotations using leeds harvard, what is quoting.

Quoting is where you copy an author's text word for word, place double quotation marks around the words and add a citation at the end of the quote. Quotes should be used sparingly. Using too many quotes can suggest you don't fully understand the text you are referring to.

In most academic writing, you should generally paraphrase from sources, rather than quote directly. Quoting more extended sections of text tends to be more common in arts and humanities subjects where it may be appropriate to quote frequently from sources that are being analysed or translated, like novels, plays or historical texts.

As you take notes, ensure you clearly mark where you have quoted directly from the source.

Direct quotations

If you use a direct quotation from an author, you should:

enclose it in quotation marks
give the author, date and page number(s) that the quotation was taken from, in brackets.

If you are quoting from a website or webpage that does not have page numbers, you do not need to include anything to indicate this in the citation.

Example: "Language is subject to change, and is not caused by unnecessary sloppiness, laziness or ignorance" (Aitchison, 1981, p.67).

Quotations more than two lines long

If the quotation is more than two lines:

separate it from the rest of the paragraph by one free line above and below
indent at left and right margins
it may be in a smaller point size
it is preceded by a colon
it does not use quotation marks
the citation includes author, date and page number(s) that the quotation was taken from.

Example: One answer to this is that language has always been subject to change, just as everything else in the world is, and we should not feel that this is a bad thing. As Aitchison (1981, p.16) puts it:

Language, then, like everything else, gradually transforms itself over the centuries. There is nothing surprising in this. In a world where humans grow old, tadpoles change into frogs, and milk turns into cheese, it would be strange if language alone remained unaltered. In spite of this, large numbers of intelligent people condemn and resent language change, regarding alterations as due to unnecessary sloppiness, laziness or ignorance.

Aitchison clearly sees every change in language as neither good nor bad, but inevitable...

Editing a quote

You may want to make minor changes to a direct quotation. This is possible (as long as you don't change the meaning), but you must follow the rules.

If you omit parts of the quotation, use an ellipsis. An ellipsis consists of three dots (...). Do not begin or end a direct quotation with ellipsis points. The reader already assumes that the quote has been excerpted from a larger work.
If you want to insert your own words, or different words, into a quotation, put them in square brackets [ ].
If you want to draw attention to an error in a quotation, for example a spelling mistake or wrong date, do not correct it; write [sic] in square brackets.
If you want to emphasise something in a quotation that is particularly relevant to your essay, put the emphasised words in italics, and state that the emphasis is your own.
If the original has italics, state that the italics are in the original.

Example 1: Language changes are natural and inevitable. It has been argued that language:

gradually transforms itself over the centuries. In a world where [everything changes], it would be strange if language alone remained unaltered. In spite of this, large numbers of intelligent people condemn and resent language change (Aitchison, 1981, p.16, my italics).

Example 2: According to Smith (1992, p.45), "Aitcheson [sic] appears to believe that everything changes ; but this is questionable" (italics in original).

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, quotation – when & how to use quotes in your writing.

What is a Quotation?

A quotation refers to the precise replication of words or phrases from another source, embedded within one’s own writing or speech. To distinguish these directly borrowed elements from original content, writers use quotation marks. Additionally, they provide citations or footnotes to trace back to the original source, maintaining the integrity of the content.

Related Concepts: Copyright ; Information Has Value ; Inserting or Altering Words in a Direct Quotation ; Intellectual Property ; Omitting Words from a Direct Quotation ; Plagiarism ; Scholarship as a Conversation

Why Does Quotation Matter?

When writers incorporate quotations, they aren’t merely borrowing words. They’re strategically weaving the collective wisdom of past thinkers into their narrative, bolstering their arguments, and enhancing their credibility .

Recognition of Scholarly Foundations: Quotations enable writers to highlight and pay respect to the foundational works, insights, and contributions of past scholars, researchers, and theorists. By doing so, they acknowledge the deep roots of knowledge and ideas that have paved the way for present-day discussions and discoveries.
Authentic Representation in Discourse: Quotations preserve the precise wording of an author, grounding the reader directly in the original discourse. Unlike paraphrases or summaries , which reinterpret or condense an author’s message, quotations maintain the unaltered essence, subtleties, and nuances of the original statement.
Validation: Quotations may function as compelling evidence , fortifying the claims a writer has made in their argument
Building upon Established Knowledge: Quotations illuminate existing ideas, paving the way for writers to elaborate on, challenge, or pivot them toward new directions.
Preservation of Nuance: Quotations capture the intricate subtleties of unique expressions and poetic language, ensuring that their inherent meaning remains unaltered.
Positioning within a Discourse: Through quotations, writers can align or differentiate themselves within specific intellectual landscapes, debates, or traditions.
Credibility: Meticulous citation and thoughtful quotation are hallmarks of a diligent writer, revealing their commitment to professional and ethical codes of conduct.

What Do Writers Quote in Academic and Professional Writing

In both academic and professional writing , quotation serves multiple functions:

Authenticity and Credibility : Quoting directly from a source provides evidence that the information is based on established research or authoritative accounts . It adds weight to arguments, showcasing that they aren’t merely opinions but are backed by recognized studies or experts in the field.
Respect for Copyright & Intellectual Property : Academic and workplace writers, trained in critical literacy skills , follow citation conventions meticulously. This diligence stems from their respect for copyright laws and the broader principles of intellectual property . Properly citing and quoting indicates an acknowledgment of the original creator’s contribution and ensures that their work is not appropriated without due credit.
Preserving Original Meaning: Paraphrasing or summarizing can sometimes inadvertently alter the original meaning or nuance of a text. Quoting ensures that the exact words and context provided by the original author are retained.
Engaging the Reader: Quotations can be used strategically to capture the reader’s attention. A well-chosen quote can make an article or essay more engaging, invoking curiosity or emphasizing a point.
Paying Homage: Quoting acknowledges the original creators of content. It’s a form of respect, indicating that their words have made an impact and are deemed worthy of repetition and recognition.
Avoiding Plagiarism : In academic and professional contexts, using someone else’s words or ideas without proper citation is considered unethical and can have serious repercussions. Quoting, accompanied by appropriate citation, ensures that credit is given where it’s due.
Enriching Content: Quotations can introduce diverse voices and perspectives into a piece of writing. They can be used to support or counter arguments, provide alternative viewpoints, or illustrate a point more vividly.
Encouraging Deeper Engagement: When readers encounter a quotation, especially one from a recognized authority or a profound piece of literature, it prompts them to reflect on its meaning, perhaps encouraging them to seek out the original source and engage more deeply with the topic .
Clarifying Complex Ideas: At times, original texts may communicate complex ideas in a way that’s particularly clear or compelling. Quoting such passages can assist the writer in conveying these complexities without the risk of oversimplification.

When Should You Use Quotations in Your Writing?

There are five major reasons for using quotations:

Evidential Support: To back up claims or arguments with concrete evidence .
Illustrative Purposes: To give specific examples or to illuminate a point .
Eloquence and Impact: Sometimes, the original phrasing is so poignant or well-expressed that paraphrasing might dilute its power or clarity.
Appeal to Authority: Quoting renowned figures or experts can bolster the credibility of an argument .
Attribution : To give credit to the original source or author and avoid plagiarism .

When Should I Quote as Opposed to Paraphrasing or Summarizing?

Quoting, paraphrasing , and summarizing are all essential techniques in writing , allowing writers to incorporate the ideas of others into their work.

In general, however, because readers do not want to read miscellaneous quotations that are thrown together one after another, you are generally better off paraphrasing and summarizing material and using direct quotations sparingly. Students—from middle school, college, through graduate school—sometimes believe loads of quotations bring a great deal of credibility , ethos , to the text . Yet, if too many quotes are provided, the text loses clarity .

Like everything else in life, balance is the key. The problem with texts that use extensive direct quotations is that they tend to take attention away from the writer’s voice , purpose , thesis . If you offer quotations every few lines, your ideas become subordinate to other people’s ideas and voices, which often contradicts your instructor’s reasons for assigning research papers—that is, to learn what you think about a subject.

Below are some general strategies you might consider when determine it’s best to quote, paraphrase, or summarize:

Heart of the Argument: When a passage directly encapsulates the essence of the discussion, quoting ensures the original message isn’t diluted.
Eloquence & Precision: Some texts are so beautifully articulated or precisely worded that rephrasing would diminish their impact or clarity .
Eyewitness Accounts: Dramatic firsthand accounts of events can lose their emotional potency if not presented verbatim.
Influential Authorities: Quoting recognized experts or influential figures can lend credibility to an argument .
Pertinent Data: Specific statistics or data points, when exactness is crucial, should be quoted directly.
Challenging to Rephrase: Some complex ideas or specialized terminologies can be hard to rephrase without altering the original meaning.

Paraphrasing

Clarification: When the original text is dense or hard to understand, a paraphrase can clarify the message for the reader.
Integration: To weave source material more seamlessly into one’s writing, a paraphrase can be more fluid than a direct quote.
Modification: If a writer wishes to emphasize a particular aspect of the source material or adapt it for a different audience , paraphrasing allows for this flexibility.

Summarizing

Overview: Summaries are excellent for providing readers with a snapshot of a larger work or body of research.
Brevity: When the main gist of a longer text is relevant, but details aren’t necessary, summarizing captures the essence in fewer words.

In all cases, whether quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, proper attribution is vital to respect the original author’s intellectual property and to provide readers with a clear path to the primary source.

Is It Okay to Edit Quotations for Brevity and Clarity ?

Yes, editing quotations for clarity and brevity is often necessary, especially when you want to emphasize your own voice and perspective in your writing . Utilizing direct quotations from reliable sources enhances your credibility , but extensive quotations can overshadow your voice and detract from your main argument . Responsible writers prioritize both the quality and the quantity of their quotations, selecting only the most pertinent words or phrases to articulate their points effectively.

How Can I Effectively Shorten a Quote?

Opt for integrating the part of a quotation that is most impactful, concise, and uniquely expressive.
Extract only the key segments of the quote that align with your argument , employing ellipses where you omit sections.
Aim for quotations that span no more than two lines.
Adhere to the 10% rule: quotations shouldn’t exceed 10% of your paper’s total word count.
Always respect guidelines given by instructors or publishers regarding quotation length.

Example: Trimming a Quote for Brevity

Original quote:.

“Hand-washing is especially important for children in child care settings. Young children cared for in groups outside the home are at greater risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, which can easily spread to family members and other contacts. Be sure your child care provider promotes frequent hand-washing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Ask whether the children are required to wash their hands several times a day — not just before meals.” (“Hand-washing: Do’s and Don’ts” 2)

Revised Quote with Context :

Parents should be concerned about their child’s hand-washing habits—not only under supervision at home, but when the child is being cared for by others. Experts from the Mayo Clinic staff advise that “[h]and-washing is especially important for children in child care settings. . . . Be sure your child care provider promotes frequent hand-washing” (“Hand-washing: Do’s and Don’ts” 2).

What is the Purpose of Ellipses in Quotations?

Ellipses, represented by three dots ( . . . ), indicate that a portion of the original text has been removed for brevity , relevance, or clarity.

How Should Ellipses Be Formatted Within a Quotation?

Spacing : There should be a space before, between, and after each of the dots. Example :“Original thought . . . remains crucial.”

When Is It Appropriate to Use Ellipses in a Quotation?

To remove non-essential information that doesn’t alter the quote’s original meaning.
To make the quotation fit seamlessly into the writer’s sentence or argument.

Are There Any Cautions to Consider When Using Ellipses?

Avoid altering the original intent or meaning of the quotation.
Refrain from overusing ellipses; excessive omissions can make the quote unclear or misleading.
Do not start or end a quotation with ellipses, unless it’s essential to convey that the quote is part of a larger context.

How Do I Use Ellipses After a Complete Sentence?

If you’re omitting content following a complete sentence, the ellipsis points should come after the sentence’s ending punctuation.

Correct : “He enjoyed the evening. . . . They discussed various topics.”

Incorrect : “He enjoyed the evening. . . They discussed various topics.”

Remember, while ellipses help in streamlining quotations, they should be used judiciously to ensure the integrity of the original text remains intact.

Can I Make Changes to Quotations? If So, How to Do I Alert My Readers to Those Changes?

Purpose of Brackets in Quotations : Brackets [ ] are used to insert or alter words in a direct quotation for clarity, explanation, or integration.
Example: “It [driving] imposes a heavy procedural workload on cognition…”
Reminder: The word ‘driving’ clarifies the pronoun ‘it’.
Example: “[D]riving imposes a heavy procedural workload [visual and motor demands] on cognition…”
Point: Brackets offer deeper insights on the “procedural workload”.
Example: Salvucci and Taatgen propose that “[t]he heavy cognitive workload of driving suggests…”
Note: The change from uppercase ‘T’ to lowercase ‘t’ is indicated with brackets.
Example: “Drivers [are] increasingly engaging in secondary tasks while driving.”
Note: The verb changes from past to present tense, and this change is enclosed in brackets.
Incorrect: “It (driving) imposes a heavy procedural workload…”
Correct: “It [driving] imposes a heavy procedural workload…”
A Key Caution : Don’t misuse brackets to alter the original text’s intent or meaning. Always represent the author’s intent accurately.
Do use brackets to enclose inserted words for clarity or brief explanation.
Do use brackets to indicate changes in letter case or verb tense.
Don’t use parentheses in these scenarios.
Never use bracketed material to twist the author’s original meaning.

Remember, the aim is to ensure clarity and respect the original author’s intent while making the quotation fit seamlessly into your writing.

For More Information on Shortening Quotations, See Also:

Inserting or Altering Words in a Direct Quotation
Omitting Words from a Direct Quotation (MLA)
Omitting Words from a Direct Quotation (APA)

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, December 10). Hand-washing: Do’s and don’ts. Mayo Clinic .

Block quotations, recommended.

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Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

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Structured Revision – How to Revise Your Work

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Credibility & Authority – How to Be Credible & Authoritative in Research, Speech & Writing

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How to Cite a Dissertation in Harvard Style

Published by Alaxendra Bets at August 27th, 2021 , Revised On September 25, 2023

What is a Dissertation?

In the UK, countries of Western Europe, as well as New Zealand and Australia, the term ‘ dissertation ’ is used instead of a ‘thesis.’ The majority of the remaining countries in the world prefer to use ‘thesis’ instead of ‘dissertation.’

Both represent the same thing, though: a full-length, academic piece of writing that students must submit after their undergraduate, post-graduate (Master), or PhD studies.

More specifically, a dissertation can refer to:

Large-scale research as part of a degree.
An article based on a small-scale study as part of a degree.
A review of another study, research or an accumulation of both.
Other full-length body texts are a requirement of the student’s degree program, no matter which level it is.

1. Basic Format

In Harvard, the following in-text citation format is used for the dissertation:

(Author Surname, Year Published)

For example, ‘Occasionally the talent for drawing passes beyond mere picture-copying and shows the presence of a real artistic capacity of no mean order. (Darius, 2014)’

In Harvard, the following reference list entry format is used for the dissertation:

Author Surname, Author Initials. (Year Published). Title of the dissertation in italics. Level. Institution Name.

For example, reference list entry for the above source would be:

Darius, H. (2014). Running head: SAVANT SYNDROME – THEORIES AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS . University of Skövde, University of Turku.

However, a slightly different format is also used in some institutions. According to that, in-text citations are done in the following way:

Author surname Year, p.#

For instance, Exelby (1997, p. 3) described the process … OR … processing gold (Exelby 1997, p. 3).

But in the case of reference list entries, these ‘other’ institutions recommend naming the dissertation title not in italics but in single quotation marks. The format would then be:

Author Surname, Initials Year of Publication, ‘Title of thesis in single quotation marks’, Award, Institution issuing degree, Location of the institution.

So, according to this format, the above example’s reference list entry would be:

Exelby, HRA 1997, ‘Aspects of Gold and Mineral Liberation’, PhD thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld.

Whichever format is followed largely depends on one’s institutional guidelines. The format specified by the university is the one that should be followed. Furthermore, it should be followed consistently throughout a manuscript.

2. Citing a Dissertation Published Online

The format for both in-text and reference list entries is the same for online and print dissertations. For example:

In-text citation: (Ram 2012) OR (Ram 2011, p. 130)
Reference list entry: Ram, R 2012, ‘Development of the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-sized Entities’, PhD thesis, The University of Sydney, viewed 23 May 2014, <http://hdl.handle.net/2123/8208>.

An important point to note: While referencing dissertations published online, the URL may or may not be enclosed within < > symbols. Whichever format is chosen, it should be used consistently throughout the text.

3. Citing an Unpublished Dissertation

This type of dissertation also uses the same formatting for in-text and reference list entries in Harvard style. For example:

In-text citation: (Sakunasingha 2006) OR (Sakunasingha 2006, p. 36)
Reference list entry: Sakunasingha, B 2006, ‘An empirical study into factors influencing the use of value-based management tools’, DBA thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do i cite my dissertation.

To cite your dissertation, follow your chosen citation style (e.g., APA, MLA). Generally, include author name, year, title, and source details. For APA: Author. (Year). Title. Source. For MLA: Author. “Title.” Degree, University, Year.

How to Use Quotation Marks: Rules and Examples

Speak right now to our live team of english staff.

Quotation marks or inverted commas are fundamental punctuation tools in written English, used to indicate direct speech, quotations, titles, and other linguistic nuances. Understanding the rules governing their usage is essential for clear and effective communication. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the rules and conventions of using quotation marks in both British English and American English, explore examples of correct usage, and discuss the distinctions between double and single quotation marks.

Understanding Quotation Marks and How to Use Them

General rules.

Quotation marks are used to enclose direct speech, dialogue, quotations, and titles of shorter works such as articles, poems, and short stories. In British English, single quotation marks (‘) are typically used as the primary punctuation for enclosing direct speech or quotations, while double quotation marks (“) are reserved for nested quotations or when quoting within a quote.

Conversely, in American English, the convention is often reversed, with double quotation marks being more commonly utilised for enclosing direct speech and quotations, while single quotation marks are employed for nested quotations or when quoting within a quote.

Titles of Works

Quotation marks are commonly used to enclose the titles of shorter works such as articles, poems, short stories, songs, and episodes of television shows or radio programmes. The titles of longer works such as books, films, and albums are typically italicised or underlined, depending on the style guide used.

I recently read ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger.
Have you seen the film ‘Casablanca’?

Quotation Marks in Dialogue

When writing dialogue in narrative or script format, quotation marks are used to indicate the spoken words of characters. Each new speaker’s dialogue is typically enclosed within separate quotation marks.

John exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe we won!’
Mary replied, ‘It’s all thanks to your hard work.’

Using Quotation Marks with Punctuation

When incorporating quotation marks into sentences, it’s important to observe proper punctuation placement. In British English, punctuation marks such as commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks are typically placed inside the closing quotation mark, unless they belong to the surrounding sentence rather than the quoted material.

Correct: She asked, ‘What time is the meeting?’
Incorrect: She asked, ‘What time is the meeting’?

In American English, the punctuation marks are often placed inside the closing quotation mark regardless of whether they belong to the quoted material or the surrounding sentence.

Double vs Single Quotation Marks

As mentioned above, in British English, single quotation marks are generally preferred for enclosing direct speech, quotations, and titles. However, double quotation marks may be used in specific contexts, such as when quoting within a quote (nested quotations) or when indicating reported speech or ironic usage.

Nested Quotations

Nested quotations occur when a quotation appears within another quotation. In such cases, in British English double quotation marks are used for the inner quotation, while single quotation marks are used for the outer quotation.

She said, ‘He told me, “I’ll be there at eight o’clock.”‘

In American English, the convention is often reversed, with single quotation marks being used for the inner quotation and double quotation marks for the outer quotation.

Mastering the rules and conventions of using quotation marks is essential for effective written communication in English. By understanding when and how to use single and double quotation marks, observing proper punctuation placement, and adhering to grammatical rules, you can ensure clarity and precision in your writing.

Struggling with punctuation and grammar in your writing? Our professional proofreading services can help ensure your documents adhere to the correct conventions of British or American English. Contact us today to learn how our experienced editors can polish your work and elevate your writing to the next level.

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Quotations and Ellipsis Marks in Research

Basic usage.

In research writing, a student needs to use quoted material carefully. Both quotation and ellipsis marks help the writer to indicate clearly what specific information is borrowed and quoted directly from outside resources.

Double Quotation Marks

Use these to open and close short quotations that can be typed in four lines or fewer.

“Walter Lee! . . . It’s after seven thirty. Lemme see you do some waking up in there now!” shouts Ruth Younger in Act I of A Raisin in the Sun .

Single Quotation Marks

Sometimes, the original passage you’re quoting already uses quotation marks. Change the existing double quotation marks to single quotation marks. Then, enclose the entire passage in double quotation marks. This is called “quote within a quote.”

E.F. Carpenter, writing in Contemporary Dramatists , says of James Butterfield: “The playwright knows where his best work originated. ‘Everything that touches an audience,’ Butterfield told me, ‘comes from memories of the period when I was down and out.’”

Block Quotes

If the borrowed material is longer than four lines, don’t use quotation marks. Instead, indent all lines ten spaces from the left margin and keep double spaced.

Sandra Cisneros’ short story “Eleven” stresses pre-teen isolation:

What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten. And you are—underneath the year that makes you eleven. (233) Note that the period goes before the MLA page citation.

Other Uses of Double Quotation Marks

Titles of articles and published essays (but NOT the title of your essay)
Short stories
Short poems
Chapters of books
Lectures and speeches
Individual episodes of radio or TV programs
Words used as words

The Ellipsis Mark

The ellipsis mark indicates that you left some material out of a direct quote. It consists of three spaced periods with a space before and after each one ( . . . ) Example: The health reporter wrote that “obese children are ten times more likely to suffer from heart attacks . . . than non-obese children.”

If you omit a full sentence or more in the middle of a quoted passage, or when the ellipsis coincides with the end of your sentence, use a period to end the sentence and then use the three-period ellipsis. You should have complete sentences—not fragments—on either side of a four-dot ellipsis. “Most of our efforts,” writes Dave Erikson, “are directed toward saving the bald eagle’s wintering habitat along the Mississippi River. . . . It’s important that the wintering birds have a place to roost, where they can get out of the cold wind and be undisturbed by man.”
The ellipsis may be used to mark a hesitation or interruption in speech, to suggest unfinished thoughts or to indicate that words have been deleted from the end of a sentence. Do not use the ellipsis at the beginning of a sentence. Before falling into a coma, the victim whispered, “It was a woman with a tattoo on her . . . .”
When necessary, add the ellipsis after question marks and exclamation points to indicate deleted material. “Is Emily Bronte,” she asked, “really the equal of Jane Austen? . . . That seems unlikely.” Muhammad Ali shouted, “I am the greatest! . . . Nobody can mess up my pretty face.”
In quoted poetry, use a full line of spaced periods to indicate that you have omitted a line or more from the poem. Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . But at my back I always hear Time’s winged chariot hurrying near. —Andrew Marvell

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Italics and Quotes for Titles: A Guide

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We’ve all been there. We’re writing along, solidly in the groove, when the Formatting Wall appears around a seemingly safe corner. Abruptly halting, you wonder: How the heck am I supposed to format this title?

Titles come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have rules for formatting that you master with just a little work. Italics, quotes, even plain text: they all apply in certain situations. How do you know which is which?

Use italics to set apart the title of a standalone work or a “container work”—that is, a work that has other, smaller works within it. Examples of titles that should be italicized include:

Academic journals
Music albums
Large musical compositions such as symphonies and operas
Anthologies of poems
Art exhibitions

For example:

My brother insists that Fists of Fury is the best movie ever made.

Have you read the latest issue of Scottish Archaeology Journal ? It’s riveting!

I know it’s not a popular opinion, but I think La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini, is an overrated opera.

I can’t believe the TV show Supernatural is in its fourteenth season.

Get a free sample proofread and edit for your references. Two professional proofreaders will proofread and edit your references.

Use quotation marks to set apart the title of a subsidiary work or a work that is part of a bigger piece (one where the title of that bigger piece would be italicized). Examples of when to use quotes include:

Book chapters
Articles (published in a journal)
Short stories
Song titles
TV episodes
Works of art (including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and performance art)

Why do I have to read Hemingway’s “ A Clean, Well-Lighted Place ” in every English class?

I can’t get the tune to “Amazing Grace” out of my head.

Every time I think of William Carlos Williams, I get irritated. “ This Is Just to Say ” is a beautiful poem, but it reminds me of my terrible roommate.

And so you can easily demonstrate which is the work “inside” the other work with proper punctuation:

My favorite episode of Doctor Who is “Blink,” without a doubt.

I love everything by the Beatles, but I think “I Should Have Known Better” from A Hard Day’s Night is an underrated classic.

Modern Construction Envelopes is a very useful reference in general, but chapter 12, “Fabric Roofs,” is groundbreaking.

The highlight of the recent exhibition, Pin-Ups: Toulouse-Lautrec and the Art of Celebrity, had to be Steinlen’s “ Cabaret du Chat Noir .” It was fascinating to see in person what I’ve seen on a wall in every undergraduate dorm across the country.

There are, of course, exceptions. A few types of publications and creative works stand a little apart from the general categories of “standalone/wrapper work” and “subsidiary work.”

For example, dissertations are typically standalone documents, but their titles go in quotation marks.

The best dissertation ever written is “The False Optic: Poisoned Fictional Objects in Renaissance Revenge Tragedies.”

I’m always moved to tears by Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor , “From the New World .”

How to Remember

A relatively easy way to remember these rules involves whether a work is “big” or “little.” If it’s a grand, sweeping thing that might contain other bits within it, like a book or journal, then use italics. If it’s a smaller thing that might itself be contained within something else, like a newspaper article or work of art in an exhibition, then it goes in quotes.

Oh, and don’t forget to capitalize those titles correctly , in addition to formatting them right.

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Direct Quotations in Theses – Presentation, Integration and Accuracy

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Nov 11, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |

Chapter 8: Direct Quotations: Presentation, Integration and Accuracy

Not all doctoral candidates will make use of direct quotation in their theses, but many theses will include one or a few quoted passages, while others will feature a wide variety of quoted text and/or speech. The idea behind using the exact words of another person (or of other people in the case of sources with more than one author) is that those words contribute to your argument: they may support or contradict your methods, results or conclusions; they may be selected from a text or texts that your thesis analyses in detail; they may be exemplary, pithy or perfect expressions of ideas you introduce and discuss. Whatever your reasons for quoting the words of others in your own writing may be, you need to quote them accurately, remembering that ‘a direct quotation presents the exact words spoken on a particular occasion or written in a particular place’ (Ritter, 2005, Section 9.1). It is also essential that you observe with precision the appropriate scholarly techniques for quoting sources and that you make it absolutely clear to your readers how you are using direct quotations by introducing them effectively and discussing their significance in relation to your argument. In most cases, it is not enough simply to quote a passage and assume that your readers (and examiners) will know why you have quoted it: you need to let them know what you expect them to read or understand in the borrowed words. Any quotations you use should be integrated correctly into the syntax of your own prose as well, and all direct quotations must be acknowledged with precise references to the sources from which they have been taken. If your university or department has provided you with guidelines, they may offer instructions on the quotation practices appropriate for your thesis, in which case those instructions should be prioritised and used in conjunction with the more general advice provided in this chapter. The sections that follow focus on the scholarly practices and formats associated with quoting sources in acceptable ways in formal English prose, beginning with the most practical aspects of presenting quoted material – namely, laying it out on the page and providing the necessary references to the sources quoted.

8.1 Formatting and Acknowledging Quotations

There are two main ways to present quoted material in scholarly prose: it can be formatted as run-on or run-in quotations that are embedded in the main text, or it can be laid out as displayed or block quotations that are set off from the text. Short prose quotations, particularly those of less than a single sentence, are generally embedded, which means that they become a part of your own sentences and paragraphs. They therefore appear in the same font size as the surrounding text and are enclosed in quotation marks (The results of my investigation did not show ‘the negative effect of poor lighting’ (Bennett, 2007, p.197) revealed in an earlier study of the problem). Single quotation marks (‘ ’), as I use in this book, or double quotation marks (“ ”) can be used, but the same type must be used to mark all quotations in a thesis. Traditionally, single quotation marks tended to be used in British English and double quotation marks in American English, but this distinction is no longer as consistent or widespread as it once was. If the university or department guidelines you are using give any indication of the kind of quotation marks desired, you should follow that advice; otherwise, you may want to prefer one type of mark over the other based on whether British or American English is required or used, or you may want to follow your own preferences.

Whichever type of quotation mark is adopted for embedded quotations, the opposite type will be needed to enclose any quotations that appear within those quotations, as double quotation marks are used to enclose the word ‘novelty’ (a quote within a quote) in the following sentence: The results of my investigation did not show ‘the negative effect of poor lighting’ that surprised Bennett ‘due to its “novelty” in trials of this kind’ (2007, p.197). Were the main quotation enclosed in double quotation marks instead, the word ‘novelty’ would be marked by single quotation marks. In both cases the pattern of alternation continues if there is, by chance, a quote within a quote within a quote: single marks for the main quote with double marks enclosing the quote within it and a return to single marks to enclose the quote within that, or double marks for the main quote with single marks enclosing the quote within it and a return to double marks to enclose the quote within that. The two types could theoretically alternate indefinitely to provide many layers of quotation, but it is rare that more than three layers are used. Since errors often creep into the layered use of quotation marks, quotations featuring them require especially careful checking to ensure that each opening quotation mark has a matching and appropriately placed closing mark.

Longer prose quotations are usually displayed or set off as block quotations, but exactly what length quotations should be to justify such treatment varies considerably from style to style: quotations of forty words or more are displayed as block quotations in some styles, while in others a quotation should be longer (100 words or more in some cases) to receive such treatment. There is, then, no firm rule based on the length of the passage, though if university or department guidelines indicate that quotations over a particular word count should be displayed, do observe them. Alternate criteria can be used, however, to determine the format of quotations in the absence of such instructions. You might, for example, choose to display a short quotation that is central to your argument or to embed a long quotation in order to comment on parts of it in more detail; you might decide to display a series of quotations of varying length in order to highlight them and facilitate comparison, or to embed the same series of quotations to make the text more readable; or you might embed quotations that are central to the argument of your thesis, but display those cited as examples or illustrations. It is therefore essential to determine exactly what criteria you will use to make this distinction before formatting quotations and then to stick to those criteria as consistently as possible, making exceptions only when they serve your argument or your reasons for quoting in the first place.

When quotations are displayed, they are not enclosed in quotation marks, but they should start on a new line and they often feature a slightly smaller font size than that used in the main text of a document (in this book, for instance, I use a 12-point font for the main text, but an 11-point font for block quotations). The line spacing around and within a block quotation may also differ from that used in the main text of a thesis, and the same may be the case with indentation and justification, with all of these differences enabling the quotations to stand out effectively from your own prose. If your university or department provides specific instructions for laying out block quotations, they should be followed, but, in most cases, indentation (left or both left and right) and a smaller font size will suffice for marking displayed quotations. The following passage shows a simple but effective layout for prose quotations:

His manuscript project underwent various changes as it proceeded, however, and among these developments was the transformation of this meditation designed for readers into twin ‘meditational dramas’ that enact that reflective experience and could well have been performed, in the author’s priory perhaps, or the hall of a local gentleman, or the streets of a nearby Yorkshire community.

(Olson, 2012, p.338)

Since quotation marks are not required around the entire quotation, single quotation marks are used for quotations within the quotation, which results in a different alternation pattern than that for embedded quotations: single marks for quotations within the block quotation, double marks for quotations within those quotations and so on, with the reverse the case if double quotation marks are the predominant marks used in the thesis (double marks for quotations within block quotations, single marks for quotations within those quotations and so on).

When quoting more than a single line of poetry or any text (whether long or short) for which retaining the exact format of the original is important, such as lists, letters, interviews and passages from plays, and when quoting prose passages of more than a single paragraph, displaying the quotation is in almost all cases a much better choice than embedding it. Here, for instance, is a passage of the Middle English poem Piers Plowman (B-Text) formatted as a block quotation:

For if heuene be on þis erþe, and ese to any soule,

It is in cloistre or in scole, by manye skiles I fynde.

For in cloistre comeþ no man to carpe ne to fiȝte

But al is buxomnesse þere and bokes, to rede and to lerne.

(Kane & Donaldson, 1975, X.305–308)

Notice that the indentation at the left is set so that the longest line is more or less centred on the page, although each line starts in the same position (not centre justified), and the passage is formatted to represent as faithfully as possible the layout of the poem in the source text. If the poem’s indentation varies in the source, this should be represented by extra indentation in the format of the block quotation. If any line is too long to fit on a single line in the block quotation and thus runs over onto the next line, the runover line should be indented a space or two beyond the usual indentation to distinguish it from new lines. If any quotations appear within the quoted lines, they should be enclosed in quotation marks exactly as they are in prose block quotations. Finally, if the quotation begins part way through a line, a space representing the length of the omitted material should be inserted before the quotation:

comeþ no man to carpe ne to fiȝte

(Kane & Donaldson, 1975, X.307–308)

The layout of a letter or list, the dialogue of a play including speaker tags and stage directions, the exchange during an interview and the breaks between paragraphs in a long prose quotation can be reproduced in similar ways in the formatting of a block quotation, as is the case in this example:

INTERVIEWER: Were you able to move easily when connected to the equipment?

RESPONDENT 1: Yes, most of the time, but a few of the exercises were more difficult.

INTERVIEWER: Do you remember which ones presented movement problems?

If two or more block quotations appear one after the other, make sure that the spacing between them leaves no ambiguity about where one quotation ends and the next begins. It should also be made clear whether the paragraph that precedes a block quotation continues after the quotation or not, so if a new paragraph begins immediately after displayed material, indentation and/or spacing should indicate that this is the case.

Although embedding such specifically formatted quotations should be avoided if at all possible, there are instances in which more than one line of poetry, more than one paragraph of prose or the parts of a letter, list or play will need to be presented as run-on quotations within your own sentences and paragraphs. In such cases, the original formatting should be represented as accurately as possible while maintaining effective sentence and paragraph structure and a tidy page layout. For lines of poetry, for instance, the font should be the same size as the main text, capitalisation should be retained and line breaks should be marked by either a forward slash or a vertical line (see Section 5.6.5) with a space on either side, as in the following example: ‘For if heuene be on þis erþe, and ese to any soule, | It is in cloistre or in scole, by manye skiles I fynde. | For in cloistre comeþ no man to carpe ne to fiȝte | But al is buxomnesse þere and bokes, to rede and to lerne’ (Kane & Donaldson, 1975, X.305–308). When a quotation of more than one paragraph is embedded, quotation marks should appear at the beginning of the quotation and at the beginning of each new paragraph, but only at the end of the final paragraph (or the end of the quotation if the final paragraph is not quoted in its entirety). The same approach should be used when quoting dialogue in which a single speaker’s words extend over more than one paragraph.

Representing lists, the dialogue in plays (along with stage directions) and the questions and answers in interviews as embedded quotations will be a little more challenging, and it is always best to format them as block quotations if possible, but short passages of this kind can be successful (if not ideal) when careful and creative formatting is used: ‘INTERVIEWER: Were you able to move easily when connected to the equipment? RESPONDENT 1: Yes, most of the time, but a few of the exercises were more difficult. INTERVIEWER: Do you remember which ones presented movement problems?’ I have not used quotation marks around the actual speech of the two parties in this example, which is an acceptable approach for such dialogue (when quoting a play as well) whether it is embedded or displayed, but the additional quotation marks can certainly be added around those bits of direct speech to avoid confusion when using an embedded format: ‘WILL: “Where did she go?” ROB, looking from side to side : “She was just here.” WILL, looking up and pointing : “She’s there.”’ Embedding quotations of this kind may be particularly necessary in footnotes and endnotes, because the font used in notes is usually smaller than that in the main text, which means that block quotations become smaller still, so even long quotations with complicated formatting are often embedded in notes.

When the quotation is displayed, the same source information is required, but the parenthetical reference is positioned a little differently: after the closing punctuation of a block quotation, for instance, and usually oriented to the right on the line directly below the quotation, as it appears in the block quotations from Olson and Piers Plowman that I provided above. If there is room for the reference on the final line of the quotation, that is usually an acceptable position as well, and certainly it is on that line immediately after the closing punctuation of the block quotation that a note number or numerical reference would appear instead if that is the system you are using:

But al is buxomnesse þere and bokes, to rede and to lerne. 1

As with embedded quotations, an explanation of your referencing practices can be offered in the first relevant note to facilitate shorter references and avoid numerous notes if the same text is quoted frequently, and, as a general rule, regardless of which quotation format or system of referencing you use, subsequent references to the same text can be shortened to provide only the information absolutely necessary for the reader to locate the quotation accurately. If, for example, you are discussing Langland for several paragraphs in which you quote repeatedly from his poem, it is not necessary to identify the author, poem, editors and publication date with each quotation unless it is unclear which text is being cited; only if a different author or text, or perhaps a different edition or version of the poem is quoted in the midst of the discussion would a full reference be required to reorient the reader. Shortening references to a bare minimum is noted as desirable in most style guides, but do be sure that you provide enough information in each instance for your readers to identify and locate your quotations, remembering that offering too much information is preferable to offering too little.

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations.

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

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Rene Tetzner

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

PhD Success – How To Write a Doctoral Thesis

October 1, 2021

Table of Contents – PhD Success

October 2, 2021

The Essential – Preliminary Matter

October 3, 2021

The Main Body of the Thesis

October 4, 2021

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Thesis writing style: when to italicize?

In a thesis or journal you write all sentences yourself, but on some occasions you prefer to take a piece of text from another source. If you do, should you use quotation marks only, or italicize it, or use both, to identify that you have not written it?

Example for quoting directly from a source:

This can, according to Someone et al. [1], be seen as "an excellent way of representing a piece of text quoted from another source", and therefore it's emphasized. This can, according to Someone et al. [1], be seen as "an excellent way of representing a piece of text quoted from another source" , and therefore it's emphasized. This can, according to Someone et al. [1], be seen as an excellent way of representing a piece of text quoted from another source , and therefore it's emphasized.

Example for a definition with a source:

Wikipedia defines italic as "a semi-cursive, slightly sloped style of handwriting and calligraphy that was developed during the Renaissance in Italy" [2]. Wikipedia defines italic as "a semi-cursive, slightly sloped style of handwriting and calligraphy that was developed during the Renaissance in Italy" [2]. Wikipedia defines italic as a semi-cursive, slightly sloped style of handwriting and calligraphy that was developed during the Renaissance in Italy [2].

Are there are any style guides or recommendations that refer to italicized text, for either quotes or definitions? And related to the two examples, what is the recommended way to distinguish between a quote and a definition?

Edit: note that if a style guide is provided, the guide should be followed. This question relates to situations where no style guide is required.

publications
writing-style

FYI: How To Use Italics (wikiHow) – Ooker Commented Mar 22, 2019 at 13:43

4 Answers 4

There can be specific exceptions for journals, which may have conventions preserved unchanged from the past, but the general principle is to be typographically simple while conveying the necessary information. Quotation marks are required to unambiguously indicate that a certain sequence of text is a literal quotation; the quote itself should then not modify the format of the text, thus should be roman when the original is roman, italic when it is italic, and so on. Thus, your first option would be the correct choice.

While quoting verbatim from a source, you should always use quotation marks. Italics are generally used for the following purposes:

titles of books, periodicals, blogs
genera, species, and varietes
introduction of a new technical term
letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic variables
some test scores and scales
periodical volume numbers in reference lists

If you have used quotation marks to indicate that you have borrowed the text, I do not see any need to italicize it. Style guides also advise against the use of italics for mere emphasis. Hence, it is better to use quotation marks only to distinguish text that you are using verbatim from another work.

1 "introduction of a new technical term" So, that term will always be italic? or It should only be italic once it's introduced first? – foobar Commented Mar 8, 2021 at 2:46

I agree with User6726’s answer , but want to add a few things.

For a journal publication (to make the answer more general) you could check the journal’s style guide or how italic type is used within articles published in the journal.

As your question is specifically about a thesis, find out which style your thesis should be in (APA, Chicago, etc.). You will be needing this information for formatting your references anyway. With this information, check online or in your library for a a style manual for the specific style. This manual will explain when italics are appropriate.

Our university does not require a specific thesis style, so I'm 'creating my own'. So my question maybe relates more to 'general' writing practice. – DoubleYou Commented Mar 31, 2015 at 22:08
In that case, to make your job more easy and because most academics prefere consistancy, I would ask either your supervisor or your the 'head of your program' if there is a style they prefer and stick to it. Or, if you don't want to bother them with this, choose and stick to an existing style yourself – Maarten van Wesel Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 3:42
You probably choose some template (class) for your thesis. This template may be associated with some style. If not explicitly, then by how others are using it or where it comes from. – allo Commented Oct 19, 2017 at 7:42

Italics are used for emphasis. Use sparingly, where required by custom (biologists write species in italics, I believe), to highlight a new term being introduced, and precious little else.

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Fact-Checking the 2024 Presidential Debate

We analyzed the candidates' statements in real time. here's what happened., snopes staff, published june 27, 2024.

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced each other Thursday evening for the first presidential debate of the 2024 presidential cycle.

Inside a CNN studio in Atlanta, the candidates sparred for roughly 90 minutes, with CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators.

While presidential debates typically happen in front of live audiences, Thursday's show was just the candidates and moderators. Also, showrunners muted the candidates' microphones when it was not their turn to speak, and they were not allowed to bring prewritten notes or props.

Snopes analyzed the candidates' statements in real time. This page is no longer receiving updates. If you'd like to support this type of fact-checking during the 2024 election cycle, we'd love your help .

Closing Statements

7:50 p.m. PT / 10:50 ET:

In his closing remarks, Biden said, "We've made significant progress from the debacle that was left by President Trump in his last term." His wife, Jill Biden, greeted him on stage when the event ended.

Meanwhile, in his final comments, Trump said, "We're living in hell." He exited alone.

Cognitive Abilities

7:39 p.m. PT / 10:39 ET:

Trump boasted about his alleged score on two cognitive tests and claimed Biden has not taken one. "I aced them, both of them," he said. "I'd like to see him take one, just one. A real easy one — like, go through the first five questions. He couldn't do it."

According to The Associated Press , Trump indeed took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which is designed to detect early signs of memory loss and other mild cognitive impairment.

Biden said of Trump: "This guy's three years younger and a lot less competent."

Alleged Past Statements by the Candidates

7:33 p.m. PT / 10:33 ET:

Biden said: "I wasn't going to run again until I saw what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia. People coming out of the woods carrying swastikas, torches, torches, and singing the same antisemitic bile they sang back in Germany."

Biden said: "I went to the World War II cemetery [...] he refused to go to. [Trump] was standing with his four-star general and he told him, he said, 'I don't want to go in there because they're a bunch of losers and suckers.'"

Trump and his allies have denied the accusation that he once called fallen soldiers "suckers" and "losers" since it first emerged in 2020, shortly before that year's election between Trump and Biden. Whether performative or authentic, Trump's apparent support for soldiers in the U.S. military, both active and veteran members, has been part of his presidential campaigns.

Trump claimed during the debate: "That was a made-up quote — 'suckers and losers.' They made it up."

2021 U.S. Capitol Attack

7:17 p.m. PT / 10:17 ET:

Trump's speech to supporters in the hours before they breached Capitol security on Jan. 6, 2021, came under question.

Additionally, Trump claimed he "offered" National Guard soldiers to help secure the federal grounds, but former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "turned them down." In reality, the House Speaker does not have control of the National Guard.

Roe v. Wade Overturned

6:40 p.m. PT / 9:40 ET:

The candidates were asked about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling that guaranteed federal abortion protections for all women, about two years ago.

The Associated Press described Biden's answer to a question about restrictions on abortion as "nonsensical." It reported :

[He said he] 'supports Roe v. Wade, which had three trimesters. The first time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state.' He added that he thought doctors, not politicians, should make decisions about 'women's health.'

Economic Conditions

6:20 p.m. PT / 9:20 ET:

In the opening minutes, the candidates highlighted economic conditions in January 2021, when Biden took over the White House.

Trump claimed Biden "inherited almost no inflation," and "then it blew up under his leadership." Biden said, "Take a look at what I was left when I became president, what Mr. Trump left me. We had an economy that was in freefall."

CNN Production Rumors

5:15 p.m. PT / 8:15 ET:

With less than an hour before start time, rumors about the event's production spread on social media.

Among them was the false claim that CNN was planning to broadcast the program with a one- to two-minute delay to give producers time to "cut and edit" audio.

Responding to an X post with the claim, the official public-relations account for CNN wrote, "This is false."

What to Look Out For

12:50 p.m. PT / 3:30 ET:

Political analysts are publishing forecasts for the show, attempting to best guess the candidates' talking points. NPR reported :

On the issues, it's expected the candidates will discuss the state of the economy and immigration policy, as both are consistently top issues for voters in national polling. It's also possible the candidates will weigh in on international politics, given voters remain divided on whether the U.S. should be sending military aid to Ukraine and Israel in their respective wars.

Issues aside, the candidates' demeanors will be a focus for viewers. Being among the oldest presidential candidates in U.S. history (Biden is 81 and Trump is 78), both candidates have fielded allegations of bizarre public behavior or verbal slip-ups because of their supposed cognitive decline. "One slip-up, stumble or verbal miscue could cement concerns about their advanced age," the BBC wrote .

Biden himself once said he was a " gaffe machine ."

Let us note here : Politicians' alleged lack of mental fitness for office is not a unique characteristic of the 2024 election cycle. Since the beginning of Snopes three decades ago — that was then-President Bill Clinton's era — the newsroom has fielded rumors about presidents' appearances or alleged faux pas, no matter their political affiliation or agenda, nor the accusations' level of truth.

Analysts also agree legal cases involving Trump and those involving Biden's son Hunter Biden will come up during the debate. Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts last month, and he faces serious charges in three other indictments. Days later , a jury convicted Hunter Biden of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018.

Curious about how Snopes' writers verify information and craft their stories for public consumption? We've collected some posts that help explain how we do what we do. Happy reading and let us know what else you might be interested in knowing.

By Snopes Staff

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Quotation Marks with Fiction, Poetry, and Titles

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Block Quotations

You should use a block quotation when the quotation occupies four or more typed lines on the page. Although they are allowed in any type of writing, you will likely most often use them when quoting from fiction or literature. A block quotation is removed from the main body of your text. Indent one inch from the main margin (the equivalent of two half-inch paragraph indentations) and begin your quote. Maintain double spacing throughout, but you do not need to use quotation marks.

Gatsby experiences a moment of clarity while standing with Daisy on his dock. Fitzgerald writes:

Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now to him vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. (98)

Quoting Poetry

When you quote a single line of poetry, write it like any other short quotation. If the piece of poetry you are quoting crosses multiple lines of the poem itself, you may still type them in your text run together. Show the reader where the poem's line breaks fall by using slash marks.

If the quotation is four lines or longer, set it off like a block quotation (see above). Some writers prefer to set off two-line verse quotations for emphasis. Quote the poem line by line as it appears on the original page. Do not use quotation marks, and indent one inch from the left margin.

In his poem, "Mending Wall," Robert Frost questions the building of barriers and walls:

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offense.

Writing Dialogue

Write each person's spoken words, however brief, as a separate paragraph. Use commas to set off dialogue tags such as "she said" or "he explained." If one person's speech goes on for more than one paragraph, use quotation marks to open the dialogue at the beginning of each paragraph. However, do not use closing quotation marks until the end of the final paragraph where that character is speaking.

Quotation Marks with Titles

Use quotations marks for:

Titles of short or minor works
Short Stories
Short Poems
One Act Plays
Other literary works shorter than a three act play or complete book
Titles of sections from longer works
Chapters in books
Articles in newspapers, magazines, or journals
Episodes of television and radio series

Underlining or italics are used for the titles of long pieces or works that contain smaller sections.

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After Supreme Court Decision, Rep. Green Introduces Sunset Chevron Act to Restore Checks and Balances

June 28 , 2024.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

After Supreme Court Decision, Rep. Green Introduces Sunset Chevron Act to Restore Checks and Balances

WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Mark Green introduced the Sunset Chevron Act , which would force executive agency rules that were upheld by Chevron Deference to sunset after a designated period of time if not passed into law by Congress. This will retroactively correct many of the disasters caused by decades of Chevron and fully put the power of lawmaking back where the Founding Fathers intended it—in Congress. More specifically, this bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to compile a list of executive agency actions that have been upheld by Chevron deference. These actions begin sunsetting every 30 days on a rolling basis unless they are upheld by Congressional action.

Rep. Green said, “This legislation restores order to our constitutional system of checks and balances. Chevron Deference has been among the greatest t hreats to the separation of powers since it was decided by the Supreme Court almost 40 years ago. Chevron Deference not only usurps Congress’ lawmaking authority, but gives unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington enormous control over the lives of Americans. My legislation seeks to right this imbalance and restore Congress and the judiciary to their rightful places in our Constitutional system.”

“Over the past three years, the Biden administration has manipulated laws passed by Congress to concentrate power. Take, for example, the Biden administration’s “90-day pause," which lasted for over 200 days, on the issuance of new firearm export licenses. The policy was intentionally vague, giving the Biden administration the cover to stonewall license applications. In response, I introduced the Stop the Bureaucratic Ineptitude Shuttering Respectable and Upstanding Lawful Exporters Act. Further, when the Biden administration threatened archery and other shooting sports in schools, I introduced the Protecti ng Hunting Heritage and Education Act, which was signed into law after its near unanimous support in Congress. Because of President Biden's pattern of overreach, I’m fighting against the flawed doctrine that empowers it—Chevron deference.”

“Chevron Deference has been a blight on our Constitutional system since it was decided. If there is ambiguity in the law, Congressional intent should be the most important tool of interpretation, not the political ambitions of federal bureaucrats. Allowing the executive branch to twist or add to laws is unconstitutional. Both Congress and the courts need to take back their respective authority instead of letting the executive branch run rogue.”

“Chevron results in agencies winning 71% of cases overall—and 93.8% of ambiguous cases—giving an unfair advantage to the government. This is not equal protection under the law. It is stepping on the scales of justice to skew favor towards bureaucrats rather than giving everyday Americans a fair chance at relief.”

Background: Agency rules will sunset in reverse chronological order so that newest rules sunset first. This legislation also makes an exception to the 60 legislative day restriction on filing a CRA for rules upheld by the Chevron doctrine, giving lawmakers more time to challenge executive agency rules and regulations, even those that are decades old.

The Sunset Chevron Act has been endorsed by the National Taxpayer Union.

Read the text of the bill here .

Permalink: https://markgreen.house.gov/2024/6/after-supreme-court-decision-rep-green-introduces-sunset-chevron-act-to-restore-checks-and-balances

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Kinky Friedman, Musician and Humorist Who Slew Sacred Cows, Dies at 79

He and his band, the Texas Jewboys, won acclaim for their satirical takes on American culture. He later wrote detective novels and ran for governor of Texas.

A black-and-white photo of Kinky Friedman, a curly-headed man with a mustache. He is wearing dark glasses and a black hat and smoking a cigar.

By Clay Risen

Kinky Friedman, a singer, songwriter, humorist and sometime politician who with his band, the Texas Jewboys, developed an ardent following among alt-country music fans with songs like “ They Ain’t Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore ” — and whose biting cultural commentary earned him comparisons with Will Rogers and Mark Twain — died on Thursday at his ranch near Austin, Texas. He was 79.

The writer Larry Sloman, a close friend, said the cause was complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Mr. Friedman occupied a singular spot on the fringes of American popular culture, alongside acts like Jello Biafra, the Dead Milkmen and Mojo Nixon . He leered back at the mainstream with songs that blended vaudeville, outlaw country and hokum, a bawdy style of novelty music typified by tracks like “ Asshole From El Paso ” and “ We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to You .”

With a thick mustache, sideburns, a Honduran cigar and a broad-brimmed cowboy hat, he played his own version of Texas-inflected country music, poking provocative fun at Jewish culture, American politics and a wide range of sacred cows, including feminism — the National Organization for Women once gave him a “Male Chauvinist Pig Award.”

Behind the jokes, he had serious musical talent. He sang with a clear, deep voice, modulated with a gentle twang, and played guitar in a spare, straightforward style borrowed from one of his idols, Ernest Tubb.

He toured widely in the 1970s, with his band and solo, including on the second leg of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue in 1976. He performed on “Saturday Night Live” and at the Grand Ole Opry — Mr. Friedman claimed to be the first Jewish musician to do so (though in fact others, including the fiddler Gene Lowinger, had beat him to it).

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IMAGES

How to Master the Use of Quotation Marks
Using Quotation Marks When Citing Information
How to Quote
When and How To Use Quotation Marks ( “ ” ) (2022)
How to quote in the title of a thesis in APA style?
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COMMENTS

When to Use Quotation Marks ("")
Revised on November 29, 2022 by Jack Caulfield. Quotation marks (also known as quotes or inverted commas) are used to indicate direct speech and quotations. In academic writing, you need to use quotation marks when you quote a source. This includes quotes from published works and primary data such as interviews.
Use of quotation marks
In APA Style papers, use double quotation marks in the following cases: Students wrote "I promise to uphold the honor code" at the top of the test page. The stimulus words were "groceries," "cleaning," "overtime," and "office.". The first item was "How often do you feel happy with your body?".
How to Quote
Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use 'p.'; if it spans a page range, use 'pp.'. An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
How to Quote
Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use "p."; if it spans a page range, use "pp.". An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
Academic Guides: Grammar and Mechanics: Quotation Marks
Quotation marks should always face the quoted material. One set of quotation marks will show the beginning of the quote, and the other will show where it ends. ... (2003) stated, "A lthough the abstract is the last part of a dissertation to be written, it is generally one of the first the reader will look at" (p. 112). Note that a comma ...
Dissertations & Theses
Theses & Dissertations. CMS 14.224: Theses and dissertations. Titles of unpublished works appear in "quotation marks"—not in italics. This treatment extends to theses and dissertations, which are otherwise cited like books. The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these ...
Italics and quotation marks
Quotation marks are used to present linguistic examples and titles of book chapters and articles in the text. When writers follow guidelines for the use of italics and quotation marks, their papers become more consistent and readable. Note that this category addresses the use of quotation marks other than in the presentation of direct quotations.
Quotation Marks: When and How to Use Quotations in Academic ...
So to avoid mistakes when using quotation marks, first decide on the language style to follow. For example, Australia and the UK use single quotation marks (' '), while North America uses the double quotation mark (" "). An exception to this is when using quotes in news headlines and when quoting within a quote, like the example below:
Citing quotations using Leeds Harvard
Quoting is where you copy an author's text word for word, place double quotation marks around the words and add a citation at the end of the quote. Quotes should be used sparingly. Using too many quotes can suggest you don't fully understand the text you are referring to. In most academic writing, you should generally paraphrase from sources ...
Using Quotation Marks
Using Quotation Marks. The primary function of quotation marks is to set off and represent exact language (either spoken or written) that has come from somebody else. The quotation mark is also used to designate speech acts in fiction and sometimes poetry. Since you will most often use them when working with outside sources, successful use of ...
Quotation
A quotation refers to the precise replication of words or phrases from another source, embedded within one's own writing or speech. To distinguish these directly borrowed elements from original content, writers use quotation marks. Additionally, they provide citations or footnotes to trace back to the original source, maintaining the ...
How to Cite a Dissertation in Harvard Style
But in the case of reference list entries, these 'other' institutions recommend naming the dissertation title not in italics but in single quotation marks. The format would then be: Author Surname, Initials Year of Publication, 'Title of thesis in single quotation marks', Award, Institution issuing degree, Location of the institution.
How to Use Quotation Marks: Rules and Examples
When writing dialogue in narrative or script format, quotation marks are used to indicate the spoken words of characters. Each new speaker's dialogue is typically enclosed within separate quotation marks. Example: John exclaimed, 'I can't believe we won!'. Mary replied, 'It's all thanks to your hard work.'.
Quotations and Ellipsis Marks in Research
The Ellipsis Mark. The ellipsis mark indicates that you left some material out of a direct quote. It consists of three spaced periods with a space before and after each one ( . . . ) Example: The health reporter wrote that "obese children are ten times more likely to suffer from heart attacks . . . than non-obese children.".
Extended Rules for Using Quotation Marks
Quotation marks may additionally be used to indicate words used ironically or with some reservation. The great march of "progress" has left millions impoverished and hungry. Do not use quotation marks for words used as words themselves. In this case, you should use italics. The English word nuance comes from a Middle French word meaning "shades ...
MLA Formatting Quotations
For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing ...
Italics and Quotes for Titles: A Guide
Quotes. Use quotation marks to set apart the title of a subsidiary work or a work that is part of a bigger piece (one where the title of that bigger piece would be italicized). ... For example, dissertations are typically standalone documents, but their titles go in quotation marks. The best dissertation ever written is "The False Optic ...
PDF THE STYLE GUIDE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
dissertation or thesis. The standard authority on all matters of presentation and format is Judith Butcher, Copy-editing for Editors, ... Do not use quotation marks in inset quotations except to indicate a quote within the inset material: use single quotation marks to indicate this quote-within-the quote. Avoid over-
Direct Quotations in Theses
Whichever type of quotation mark is adopted for embedded quotations, the opposite type will be needed to enclose any quotations that appear within those quotations, as double quotation marks are used to enclose the word 'novelty' (a quote within a quote) in the following sentence: The results of my investigation did not show 'the negative effect of poor lighting' that surprised Bennett ...
publications
3. While quoting verbatim from a source, you should always use quotation marks. Italics are generally used for the following purposes: titles of books, periodicals, blogs. genera, species, and varietes. introduction of a new technical term. letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic variables.
Jamaal Bowman's Ed.D. dissertation contains 'multiple ...
Bowman includes Rolón-Dow in his citation but does not use quotation marks in the parts of his text that are verbatim to the academics. In another section of his dissertation, Bowman's limited ...
Trump Called Fallen US Soldiers 'Suckers' and 'Losers'?
During the June 2024 presidential debate, U.S. President Joe Biden repeated an old claim that former President Donald Trump once called fallen soldiers "suckers" and "losers." Trump, in turn ...
Fact-Checking the 2024 Presidential Debate
CNN Production Rumors. 5:15 p.m. PT / 8:15 ET: With less than an hour before start time, rumors about the event's production spread on social media.
Quotation Marks with Fiction, Poetry, and Titles
Block Quotations. You should use a block quotation when the quotation occupies four or more typed lines on the page. Although they are allowed in any type of writing, you will likely most often use them when quoting from fiction or literature. A block quotation is removed from the main body of your text. Indent one inch from the main margin ...
Chairman Garbarino Gives Opening Statement on Behalf of Chairman Green
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) delivered the following opening statement on behalf of Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) in a hearing to examine the nation's cybersecurity workforce shortage, solutions to grow the workforce, and help ...
After Supreme Court Decision, Rep. Green Introduces Sunset Chevron Act
WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Mark Green introduced the Sunset Chevron Act, which would force executive agency rules that were upheld by Chevron Deference to sunset after a designated period of time if not passed into law by Congress. This will retroactively correct many of the disasters caused by decades of Chevron and fully put the power of ...
Kinky Friedman, Musician and Humorist Who Slew Sacred Cows, Dies at 79
He and his band, the Texas Jewboys, won acclaim for their satirical takes on American culture. He later wrote detective novels and ran for governor of Texas. By Clay Risen Kinky Friedman, a singer ...

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When giving evidence

When presenting an author’s position or definition

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Quotations and Punctuation

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Linguistic Clarification

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Are There Any Cautions to Consider When Using Ellipses?

How Do I Use Ellipses After a Complete Sentence?

Can I Make Changes to Quotations? If So, How to Do I Alert My Readers to Those Changes?

For More Information on Shortening Quotations, See Also:

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