Transcript for Direct Quotations Lesson

Introduction (Slide 1)
Hello and welcome! My name is Joy Robbins, and Ill be discussing direct
quotations and paraphrases with you.
You may already be familiar with these terms from your previous work
experiences or school experiences using style guides. This lesson will build on your
previous knowledge to show you how the AMA Manual of Style handles direct
quotations and paraphrases.
What is a Direct Quotation? (Slide 2)
Lets begin with a definition to make sure were all on the same page. A direct
quotation is a report of the exact words of an author or speaker. It is helpful to
think of a persons words as belonging to him or her. Just like its not okay to steal
someones belongings, its not okay to steal their words and use them without
acknowledging who said the words. The act of stealing another persons words or
ideas is plagiarism.
Quotations in AMA Style (Slide 3)
So the question is: how can we quote authors but avoid plagiarism? We can do
this by properly formatting and attributing direct quotations. Lets break down
the two types of direct quotations described by the AMA Manual of Style.
Short Quotes (Slide 4)
Short quotes, or run-on quotes, are less than four lines of text. Because these
shorter quotes are integrated into the body of the text, it is very important to use
quotation marks and citations to avoid plagiarism. Quotation marks should be
placed at the beginning and at the end of a short quote. A citation, which is a
reference to an outside source, should be included to show the reader where to
find the original document.


Punctuating Short Quotes (Slide 5)
The AMA Manual of Style has a few important punctuation rules for short quotes.
Closing quotation marks are placed outside commas and periods and inside
colons and semicolons. End punctuation marks, such as question marks, dashes,
and exclamation points, are placed inside the end quotation marks when the end
punctuation is part of the quote.
Short Quote Example (Slide 6)
You can see here an example of a short quote that has been integrated into a line
of text. Notice that the end punctuation, in this case a period, is placed inside the
closing quotation marks and that the citations are placed outside the closing
quotation marks.
Block Quotes Introduction (Slide 7)
Longer quotes, or block quotes, are longer than four lines of text.
Block Quotes (Slide 8)
Block quotes are formatted differently from short quotes. The longer quotes
dont need quotation marks. Instead, they are set off from the rest of the text
with a space above and below the quote, they are indented half an inch from the
left margin, and they are single spaced instead of double spaced like the rest of
the text.
Block Quote Example (Slide 9)
This is an example of text with a block quote. Notice that unlike a short quotation,
this block quote is set apart from the text using spaces. There are no quotation
marks, but there is a citation placed at the end of the quote. Finally, notice that
the quote is indented half an inch from the left margin.
YouTube Video (Slide 10)
Click on the image to view a short YouTube tutorial on creating block quotes using
HTML. This may be helpful if you need to format block quotes on a website.


Editing Quotations Introduction (Slide 11)
Sometimes, it is necessary to make slight changes to a direct quotation. If the
words belong to the original author, how can you make changes? You can do this
by following the rules set by the AMA Manual of Style.
Editing Quotations (Slide 12)
First, if there is a misspelling in the original quotation, put the Latin term sic
immediately after the misspelled word. Be sure to put sic in italics and brackets.
This is a signal to the reader that the misspelling is a part of the original quotation.
Next, lets say you need to change the capitalization of a quotation to integrate
the quote into your text. You can do this by replacing the original letter with the
new letter enclosed in brackets. The brackets signal to the reader that the original
letter was changed.
Last, you can add emphasis to a direct quotation by putting words or phrases in
italics. Be sure to add the words italics added or emphasis added in brackets
to the end of the quotation.
Deleting Text from a Quotation (Slide 13)
Although it is generally a good idea to use the entire quotation, sometimes it is
necessary to delete words, phrases, or even entire sentences or paragraphs from
a quote. Ellipses are multiple periods that signal missing words or phrases from a
quotation. Use three ellipses when deleting text within a quoted sentence. Use
four periods, which is three ellipses and one end period, when text is omitted
between two sentences or at the end of a quote. Remember to use ellipses
sparingly so that readers have access to as much of the original quote as possible.
Example (Slide 14)
You can see several examples of proper formatting in this text sample. The first
letter of the block quote has been changed from an uppercase letter to a
lowercase letter, and the author noted this change by placing brackets around the
letter. Three ellipses are used when text is deleted within a sentence. Four
ellipses are used when the deleted text is at the end of a sentence. The author
also added italics for emphasis and noted this by putting [italics added] at the end
of the quote.
Paraphrases (Slide 15)
Direct quotes are not always necessary. Sometimes, you can use a paraphrase
instead. Paraphrasing means putting another persons words or ideas into your
own words without plagiarizing. Paraphrases are usually shorter and more
condensed than the original text because they include only the major points. You
dont need to enclose paraphrases in quotation marks or use indentations.
However, AMA style requires citations for paraphrases because they are based on
another persons words or ideas.
You can see an example of paraphrasing in the text at the bottom of this slide.
Notice that there are no quotation marks in the paraphrases, but there are
citations.
Wrap Up (Slide 16)
In this lesson, we talked about how to use another persons words or ideas
without plagiarizing. We covered the two types of direct quotes described in the
AMA Manual of Style and how to attribute and punctuate short quotes and block
quotes. Then, we discussed the AMA style of editing and deleting text in direct
quotes. Finally, we wrapped up the lesson by talking about paraphrasing, which is
restating an original text using ones own words.
In the next lesson, well shift gears and talk about how to format citations using
the AMA Manual of Style. See you then!
Reference:
American Medical Association. (2007). AMA manual of style: A guide for authors
and editors. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Reference Guide