Direct Quotation

When you quote directly from a source, you “copy and paste” the source passage exactly, word for word, and indicate that the passage is a direct quotation by using quotation marks or indentation.

Writers typically use direct quotation, instead of paraphrasing, when

The source author expresses the idea very clearly
The source author’s language is a powerful or eloquent expression of the idea
The evidence you are providing with the source is textual, not just ideational (e.g. in literary analysis or discussions of legal or religious doctrine).
You will disagree with the source (in this case, readers want to know you have provided an accurate representation of the source author’s position)

Direct quotation is used most frequently in the humanities disciplines. It is used sometimes in the social sciences disciplines, as described above, and rarely in the sciences and engineering disciplines.

How to quote directly

The manual of style you use (e.g. MLA, APA, IEEE, Chicago) provides the specific guidelines for using and formatting direct quotation. Most manuals of style follow these guidelines:

The source author’s passage must be reproduced exactly, including words and punctuation.

Examples:

Janssen and Carradini’s (2021) study of technology use in the workplace found that “although negative stereotypes of young people should be avoided, there are still valid concerns about technology in the workplace that employers should seek to manage” (p. 151).

Verghese ends the book with the long-awaited voice of Marion’s father answering the phone: “’Stone here,’ he said, his voice sounding very close, as if he were there with me, as if nothing at all separated our two worlds” (658).

You may need to omit words to incorporate the passage more smoothly into your own prose or to focus the reader’s attention on a specific idea. If you omit words, replace them with an ellipsis (example below). Never omit words when doing so would distort the source author’s meaning.

Example:

The researchers recommend that “policies and conversations surrounding employer expectations…would be beneficial for young workers and the company at large” (Janssen & Carradini, 2021, “Personal Activities,” para. 3).

If you need to add or change words to clarify a meaning or to incorporate the passage more smoothly into your own prose, put them in square brackets.

Examples:

Janssen and Carradini (2021) reported that “there was growing concern [among Generation Z employees] about the expectation of being available professionally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” (p. 150).

Janssen’s and Carradini’s (2021) study “paint[ed] a complex picture of Generation Z respondents’ feelings about ubiquitous technology” (p. 151).

If the quotation is short, enclose it in quotation marks, as in the examples above. Your manual of style will provide a definition for a short quotation.

If the quotation is long, start it on a new line and indent it. Your manual of style will provide a definition of a long quotation and tell you how far to indent it.

Example:

Examining emoji use in the workplace, an analysis by De and Bakhshi (2024)

unravelled differing perspectives on whether emojis aided in clarifying intent or introduced ambiguity…. On the one hand, participants exhibited hesitation in using emojis in professional settings, driven by a fear of being perceived as unprofessional, and, on the other hand, they acknowledged that leaders who employed emojis appeared more approachable. (“Limitations,” para. 1)

From these findings, we can infer that emojis are a higher-risk communication strategy for new employees than for established employees with a strong track record.

Most manuals of style require you to provide a page number or other locater (if the source is not paginated) after the quotation.

Examples:

A direct quotation is typically introduced using a signal phrase, as in the examples above.

The quotation should be incorporated grammatically into your own prose, as in the examples above and below.

Examples:

Carthell (2024) notes that “tangible narratives, case studies, and findings from research study scenarios…help demonstrate the impact of bias and give voice to those pejoratively affected by bias in language” (p. 37).

Carthell (2024) identifies a variety of sources that show how bias affects people, thus “giv[ing] voice to those perjoratively affected by bias in language” (p 37).