A quotation is a short note, expression or passage that is quoted “from books, plays, etc.” . It also means that another person use a group of words, texts or speech from the original author, secondary, tertiary, etc. sources. Most quoted or repeated passages are mostly from well-known personalities or sources. In using a quotation, the source is cited using quotation marks. A quotation can be loosely synonymous with citation, especially in academic papers where different style formatting guides (e.g., American Psychological Association, Harvard System, Modern Language Association, etc.) are used.
The purpose of a quotation is to recognize the source of the quoted expression. In addition, quotations are used to support an argument in an essay. Quotations are also utilized to offer direct information in the original author’s own words. Moreover, when individuals employ quotation in their written works or speech, they often produce clearer, concise, and poignant statements. Further, quotations are means for inspiration and/or entertainment other than compliance with intellectual proprietary rights.
Quotations can be obtained from various credible internet sites and reliable collections (e.g., books, treasuries, dictionaries, encyclopedia, and so on). Atypically, almost anything can be used as quotations (e.g., photos, videos, etc.). Individuals only have to cite the material to give credit to the author, originator, and/or source. However, most of the time, what comes to mind when people use the word “quotation” are spoken or written words.
There are two types of quotations: direct and indirect quotations. In a direct quotation, the words of a writer or speaker are reproduced or reprinted “as is” and are placed inside open and close quotation marks. An example of a direct quotation: “To be, or not to be: that is the question” . On the other hand, indirect quotations are paraphrased words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs and are not put inside quotations marks. An example of an indirect quotation: No individual, who does good here on earth, is already exempted from being a non-sinner (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Douay-Rheims Version).
Some people sometimes use quotations incorrectly; they attribute them to the wrong authors, “anonymous” writer, and/or obscure source. Because the author is a famous one, a writer or speaker who is not the originator of the quotation is sometimes the one being cited rather than the original source. Unintentional or the intentional practice of misquotation sometimes goes unnoticed because it is commonly used even by expert writers or speakers.
Nowadays, the internet made it possible to quote from virtually any source. Proper citation of the source is what is required to avoid using and/or publishing plagiarized contents. Online anti-plagiarism tools can easily detect and find the sources where quotations originally appeared. Although the tools are far from perfect, such in rephrasing and paraphrasing, they are at least as effective and useful than traditional form of anti-plagiarism detection. Although not all quotations are properly cited, the important thing is that a single individual or group does not use them wantonly.
The internet continues to be virtually a limitless repository of online contents and creations (e.g., texts, images, etc.). Using search engines, a person can easily find quotations of one’s own liking. Although accuracy is sometimes sacrificed, there are techniques that a person can use to obtain quotations only from reputable sources. Most educational sites (e.g., websites ending in .edu extensions), some organizational sites (e.g., un.org), and some commercial sites (e.g., ebscohost.com, books.google.com) are a few examples of legitimate sources for one’s academic or scholarly output.
Works Cited
ADDBible. "Ecclesiastes 7:20." Members, Church of God International, 2013. Web. 26 April 2013.
Driscoll, Dana Lynn and Allen Brizee. Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing. 15 February 2013. Online Writing Lab: Purdue University. Web. 26 April 2013.
Morales, Franc and Leah Gilner. TheSage's English Dictionary and Thesaurus. Sequence Publishing: Software for Language Education and Research, 2012.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Collins Edition. Project Gutenberg Etext. c. 1600. Web. 26 April 2013.
