A Quick Guide To Research Paper Quotations

Knowing how to quote correctly sources is essential if you plan on writing a research paper. All research is built on the legacy of scientists and other academics who came before. Unless you want to reinvent modern culture from scratch, you need to be able to quote sources. Every debatable claim made in an essay should be backed up by a reputable source. Even if you are doing your own research, there should still be previous work worth quoting.

Choose the Correct Format

In this article, we will be looking at the MLA approach to citations. This is because the MLA format is the most widespread. The general philosophy behind the MLA approach applies to all of the formats, but the specifics vary from one to the next. It is up to you to ensure that your formatting meets the requirements. Check your assignment carefully and examine the format guidebook. Taking these steps will ensure that you end up with results you can be proud of.

Proper Citation Technique

In the MLA there are different citation methods for various mediums. Articles, books, and internet sites all require different information. There are also different ways to quote material, based on the length of the quote in question. Short quotations should be written into the body of the surrounding paragraph. Longer articles require a different technique. Lengthy quotes become what are known as block quotes. If a citation is longer than four sentences you drop the quotation marks, start a new line, and indent to the left of the other paragraphs. This sets the quote apart and makes it easier to read. In both cases, information pointing to the source goes in parenthesis following the quotation. The parenthesis should be short, and to the point., Often it will be a page or paragraph number. Whatever the case may be, the parenthetical should quote to the works cited page so readers can follow your thinking.

Supporting Your Claims

A research paper needs to be written to stand up to extreme scrutiny. The better the paper is, the more people will try and test its logic and conclusions. A single unsupported claim can undermine years of work. Don’t let this happen to you, take the time to cite your sources correctly. If you want to learn more about proper research paper quotations try out this. Learning how to quote sources accurately will help you throughout your academic and professional career. Simply put, this is a skill you should learn as soon as possible.