Quotation marks are essential in academic writing whenever you use someone else’s exact words. Failing to use them correctly can be considered a violation of academic integrity (plagiarism), so it’s important to understand how to use them properly.
When to Use Quotation Marks
You must use quotation marks whenever you directly quote a source—i.e., when using the exact wording from another text.
Direct Quotes
“Quotation marks serve primarily to tell the reader the exact words someone used” (Hope, 2010, p. 21).
This citation tells us that Hope (2010) wrote this sentence on page 21.
If you paraphrase a source (put the idea into your own words), you do not use quotation marks, but you must still cite the source.
Paraphrasing
Quotation marks indicate to the reader the specific words originally written by someone else (Hope, 2010, p. 21).
Here, we’ve restated Hope’s idea in our own words, so we omit quotation marks but retain the citation.
Using quotation marks
Any words or ideas from another source must be acknowledged. If you’re using the exact wording, put it in quotation marks and provide a citation. If you’re putting the idea into your own words, you don’t need quotation marks, but you do still need to cite the source.
Think of quotation marks as a signal to your reader: “These words aren’t mine, but I’m using them exactly as they were written.” When you paraphrase, you’re still borrowing the idea, so you need to give credit, but you’re showing that you’ve processed and restated it in your own way.
Other Uses of Quotation Marks
Quotation marks have additional functions beyond direct quotations.
Quoting Speech
Use quotation marks when reproducing someone’s exact words:
Reproducing Exact Speech
- She said, “I’ll meet you at the library after class.”
- As Dr. King famously stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
However, quotation marks are not needed for paraphrased speech, which summarizes what someone said without repeating it exactly:
Paraphrased Speech
- She told me she would meet me at the library after class.
- Dr. King argued that injustice in one place affects justice everywhere.
Highlighting Words
Quotation marks can be used to call attention to a specific word, but italics are preferred in formal writing.
- I can never say “Worcestershire” correctly.
- How do you spell “definitely”?
Note: It is this course’s preference to use italics in these instances:
- I can never say Worcestershire correctly.
- How do you spell definitely?
Scare Quotes
Scare quotes signal irony, skepticism, or that a term is being used in a non-standard or questionable way:
- The “fresh” sushi had clearly been sitting out for hours.
- The company claims they offer “unlimited” data, but there are hidden restrictions.
- Employees “must” wash their hands before returning to work.
Titles of Short Works
Use quotation marks for the titles of short works, such as articles, poems, chapters, and songs:
- Articles – I just read the New York Times article, “The Science of Learning.”
- Poems – One of my favorite poems is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
- Chapters – The chapter “Understanding Quotation Marks” helped clarify the topic.
- Songs – Have you heard “Let It Be” by The Beatles?
For larger works, such as books, magazines, newspapers, and movies, use italics:
- Books – I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird for my English class.
- Magazines – I read an interesting article in The Atlantic about climate change the other day.
- Newspapers — Did you read The New Yorker article, “How to Make Yourself Useful to Our New Robot Overlords”? (Notice that the journal, The New Yorker, gets italics because it is the title of a larger body of work, but the title of the article published in the journal, gets quotation marks.)
- Movies — Have you seen Inception?