Plagiarism Resources
|
|
What is a direct quote?
A direct quote is a word for word (verbatim) borrowing from another text.How does the direct quote work?That other text could be a book, a web site, a magazine or newspaper article, another student paper, or an interview - in short, any text that is not the one you are writing at the moment.
In his article, "A Post-Generation X View", Beat critic Guy Norbury writes about his first encounter with the legendary Beat poet, Allen Ginsberg. The following text is from Norbury's published article:How do I document a direct quote according to MLA protocols?I imagined him to be the radical guru that he was. Inside the sloping skyscraper on West 42nd Street, I sat on the windowsill of the classroom on the fortieth floor and listened to the poet speak amidst the backdrop of the New York City skyline. I felt that I had just climbed a man-made mountain to listen to the wisdom of this old prophet. In spite of his age, he still spoke with the conviction of a young revolutionary. After the class, I was able to introduce myself and I offered my volume for him to sign. He drew for me an enraged monstrous face freckled with pock marks and strangeness. I was too shy at the time to ask what he had drawn and to this day I still do not know what the hell this face is. I firmly believe that as soon as a work of art is completed, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience. Therefore, I have concluded that this face is a picture of the teenage frustration with society that I was beginning to experience. I did not quite understand what it meant then, but as I continued to read Ginsberg's work, throughout my teenage years, I acquired a more meaningful understanding of the symbolism of this picture.Example:
Here's an example of how one student used a quote from Norbury's article in his own essay. The student wrote:Literary critic Guy Norbury has indicated the validity of subjective interpretation. In his article, "A Post-Generation X View", he asserts, "I firmly believe that as soon as a work of art is completed, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience" (Norbury 2). This idea that works of art can be freely interpreted by any viewer or listener, despite the creator's intention, is important because it implies that any text can be subject to multiple interpretations, depending on the point of view of the reader.MechanicsStyleFrame the directly quoted material with quotation marks
Example: "Ifirmly believe that as soon as a work of art is completed, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience"
Follow the closing quotation mark with an open parentheses. Inside the parentheses write the speaker/writer's last name and the page number where the borrowed text can be found.
Example: "I firmly believe that as soon as a work of art is completed, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience" (Norbury 2)
If there are no page numbers, as can be the case with some internet sites, then omit the page number and only include the author's last name in the parentheses.
ex. (Smith)
If there is no author given, then use a truncated version of the title of the piece where the borrowed text can be found.
ex. ("Lewis Carroll's Idealism" 54)
The end punctuation follows the close parentheses. Note that there is no end punctuation immediately before the close quote.
Example: "I firmly believe that as soon as a work of art is completed, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience" (Norbury 2).
Identify the speaker
Example: Guy Norbury relates that . . .
Define the speaker by way of title
Example: Former President Bill Clintonby way of description
Example: According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, a prominent 19th century American poet and essayist, . .Explain how the quoted material relates to your discussion.
Example: Literary critic Guy Norbury has indicated the validity of subjective interpretation. In his article, "A Post-Generation X View", he asserts, "I firmly believe that as soon as a work of art is completed, it no longer belongs to the artist but to the audience" (Norbury 2). This idea that works of art can be freely interpreted by any viewer or listener, despite the creator's intention, is important because it implies that any text can be subject to multiple interpretations, depending on the point of view of the reader.