Quoting Sources
You should paraphrase sources (primary and secondary) more often than you quote, and make sure you cite all of your sources with a footnote. However, when the words of a source are particularly important, you should quote directly. Avoid including too few or too many quotes. A paper that simply strings together long block quotations is analytically inadequate and a paper with no quotations may lack ample or compelling evidence.
When you do include a quote, follow these rules:
· Place the words of the author between double quotation marks. Do not include anything that does not appear in the original.
· All quotations must be introduced. Do not simply drop a quotation into your paper without an attribution. Introduce the author or speaker so the reader knows where the quote comes from.
· Make sure the quote is integrated into the sentence properly. Rules of grammar are not suspended for quotations.
· Check your quotes by reading the sentence without the quotation marks. Does it make sense?
· Punctuation nearly always goes inside the quote marks. Footnotes go after the quotation marks.
· Whenever possible avoid the use of brackets inside quotes. If you need clarifying material to integrate a quote, you may want to paraphrase instead.
· Proper citation helps you to avoid plagiarism. Include a footnote citation for every idea or quotation you use from another author.
Try to vary the manner in which you introduce quotes. Avoid redundancy in quote introduction in the same way you avoid redundancy in word choice and sentence structure.
Online guides for citing sources:
· Research and Documentation Online (online guide from Bedford/St. Martin's Press) <http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker/resdoc/history/footnotes.htm
· A Brief Citation Guide for Internet Sources in History and the Humanities <http://www.h-net.msu.edu/about/citation/>
· Online! from Bedford's/St. Martin's Press (for electronic sources only) <http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/index.html