Wikipedia:Quotations
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Quotations are a fundamental attribute of Wikipedia. Quotes provide a direct source of information or insight. A brief excerpt can sometimes explain things better and less controversially than trying to do so ourselves. However, there are certain guidelines an editor should remember about quotations within Wikipedia.
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[edit] How to use quotations
The first thing to remember when using quotations within Wikipedia is that they must be verifiably sourced to a reliable source. In general, using three or more consecutive words from a source is a quotation. We do not want to plagiarize, so be sure to attribute the quotation to the source. Quotes, especially those from living people, must be attributed properly. Any quotation that is not sourced may be removed at any time. However, a good faith search in an effort to find a source before removing a quote is appreciated. As a courtesy to other contributors, if removing a quotation, please say so on the article's talk page.
Second, editors should try to work quotations into the body of the article, rather than in a stand-alone quote section. Wikipedia is not a list or repository of loosely associated topics such as quotations. A simple list of quotations would be better suited for our sister project, Wikiquote.
Similarly, quotations should always be presented with an introduction; a stand-alone quotation is not a proper paragraph. Quotations should be put in context and given any necessary explanation. As an editor, it is your responsibility to read the source of the quotation thoroughly, in order to prevent misrepresentation.
Third, while quotations are an indispensable part of Wikipedia, try not to overuse them. Too many quotes take away from the encyclopedic feel of Wikipedia. Also, editors should avoid long quotations if they can keep them short. Long quotations not only add to the length of many articles that are already too long, but they also crowd the actual article and remove attention from other information.
Fourth, there is normally no need to put quotations in italics unless the material would otherwise call for italics (emphasis, use of non-English words, etc.). Indicate whether using the italics in the original text or whether they were added later. For example:
- Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! (emphasis added)
For information regarding the use of punctuation with quotations, including the use of quotation marks around quotes, please see the Manual of Style: "Quotation marks".
Quotations should generally be worked into the article text, so as not to inhibit the pace, flow and organization of the article. Longer quotes may need to be set apart, generally through the use of wikitext templates such as {{Quote}}, {{Quotation}}, or {{Cquote}}, or HTML block quotes. As a matter of style, quoteboxes should generally be avoided as they draw special attention to the opinion of one source, and present that opinion as though Wikipedia endorses it. Quoteboxes may be acceptable in certain circumstances, especially when the quote is itself notable, and a major part of the article's topic.
[edit] Quoting copyrighted text
Brief quotations of copyrighted text may be used to illustrate a point, establish context, or attribute a point of view or idea. Copyrighted text must be attributed. If not used verbatim, any alterations must be clearly marked, i.e. [brackets] for added text, an ellipsis (...) for removed text, and emphasis noted after the quotation as "(emphasis added)" or "(emphasis in the original)". Extensive quotation of copyrighted text is prohibited.
[edit] When to use quotations
When editing an article, a contributor should use quotations when:
- using a unique phrase or term from someone’s speech or writing. (e.g. "Orwell grew up in a 'lower-upper-middle class' household. [1]")[dead link]
- dealing with a potentially controversial statement. Using the actual spoken or written words can help avoid controversial statements by editors. (e.g. Using "Coulter stated that '[w]e need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' crème brûlée. That's just a joke, for you in the media.' [2]" instead of "Coulter called for the killing of a Supreme Court Justice." [3])
[edit] When not to use quotations
When editing an article, a contributor should try to avoid quotations when:
- a summary of a quote would be better. This may be due to lack of importance, lengthy articles, etc. On lengthy articles, editors should strive to keep long quotations to a minimum, opting to paraphrase and work smaller portions of quotes into articles.
- the same quote has been used elsewhere in the article. For example, offering a quote under a section titled "Influences" expounding on the influence of someone's religion when it has already been used in the "Biography" section should be avoided. There is no need for duplication.
- the article is beginning to look like Wikiquote. Editors should remember that Wikipedia is, at its core, an encyclopedia, and not an opportunity to list the best and worst quotations pertaining to an article's subject. If there are many quotations, please move them to Wikiquote and place a Wikiquote template on the article to inform readers that there are relevant quotations regarding the subject.
- the quotation is being used to substitute rhetorical language in place of more neutral, dispassionate tone preferred for encyclopedias. This can be a backdoor method of inserting a non-neutral treatment of a controversial subject into Wikipedia's narrative on the subject, and should be avoided.
[edit] Quotations and fair use
Quotation involves copying of another's work without permission, but is generally considered one of the uses permitted under fair use in the United States. However, just as with fair-use images, fair use quotation has limitations:
- The copied material should not comprise a substantial portion of the work being quoted, and a longer quotation should not be used where a shorter quotation would express the same information. What constitutes a substantial portion depends on many factors, such as the length of the original work and how central the quoted text is to that work. In one extreme case, Harper & Row v. Nation Enterprises, 400 quoted words from a 500-page book were ruled to be infringement. Editors are advised to exercise good judgment.
- The quotation must be useful and aid understanding of the subject; irrelevant quotations should be removed.
- Intersperse quotations with original prose that comments on those quotations, rather than grouping all the quotations together, or constructing articles out of quotations with little original prose.
- All quotations must be attributed to their source.
Unlike fair use images, quotations are also permitted on talk pages and project pages, where they are useful for discussion, but the above requirements should still be observed.
A special case is the use of quotations purely for interest or decorative purposes on user pages. By consensus such quotations are acceptable as long as they are limited in extent, particularly if they comment on the attitudes of the user in question; but because the claim of fair use is weaker, the restrictions on extent must be more strictly enforced.
Note that none of these restrictions apply in the case where the work being quoted is either public domain or available under a GFDL-compatible free license; in this case, we need not invoke fair use, and the use and extent of the quotation is purely a content and style decision.
[edit] See also
- Wikiquote
- Wikipedia:Citing sources
- Manual of Style regarding the use of quotation marks
- Category:Articles with unsourced quotes
- Style recommendations for quotes in footnotes
- Wikipedia:Plagiarism (proposed guideline)
- Wikipedia:Close paraphrasing
- {{Quotefarm}}
