Writing CommonsCitationPublication Manual of the APA: 7th EditionAPA CitationsAPA

Quoting

APA Quoting
• Written by
• Jennifer Janechek
• Maryam Alnaggar
• Cassandra Branham
APA
:

In-Text Quotations
Whether they are used to provide evidence, support for an argument, or to illustrate an
idea using another writer’s words, short quotations are valuable tools that can enhance
any essay. Because short quotations contain fewer than 40 words, they should be
integrated into the surrounding paragraph using introductory phrases that provide some
context for the quoted material. Introductory phrases, or signal phrases as they are
often called, can be used to provide information about the quoted material, such as
author or publication, and can also be used to build connections to ideas developed in
previous sentences.

When should I use a short quotation?

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When using APA style, paraphrasing is preferred to quoting. However, direct quotes
should be used in the following situations:

1. when referencing definitions;

2. when the original author’s phrasing is exceptionally artful or precise;
3. when analyzing the exact phrasing used in the quote (APA, 2022).

APA considers quotations less than 40 words to be short quotations. To learn how to
format quotations of 40 words or more, please see the information below on Block
Quotations.

How should a short quotation be formatted?

The formatting of a short quotation contrasts with that of a block quotation in several
ways. A short quotation should be surrounded by quotation marks and followed by a
parenthetical in-text citation. The final punctuation of the sentence is then typed after
the in-text citation, outside of the parentheses.

Let’s look at some examples:

However, as one researcher pointed out, “science can be seen as an ideal and altruistic
activity conducted for the best of mankind, where knowledge is in itself a value”
(Simonsen, 2012, p. 46).

An alternate method of formatting a short quotation is to include the author(s) and year
of publication in the introductory clause, while the original page number remains in
parentheses at the end of the sentence. Consider the placement of the author’s name
and year of publication as the quotation is introduced.

As Simonsen (2012) went on to explain, “science can be seen as an ideal and altruistic
activity conducted for the best of mankind, where knowledge is in itself a value” (p. 46).

Or, if you wanted to build a connection between Simonsen’s work and the work of
another, previously discussed scholar, your signal phrase might look like this:
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When should I use a long quotation?

Quotes of 40 or more words are also known as block quotations and should be used in
moderation. Use of block quotes in brief articles can be problematic because the quote
may consume the reader’s attention and interfere with the author’s Rhetorical
Stance. Loads of block quotes may give the reader the impression that you are
inexperienced in the subject or are simply filling pages to meet a word count
requirements. Lengthy, wordy quotations should never be used simply to fill pages when
the writer has little to say about the topic or issue.

When a writer chooses to include a long quotation—one that is 40 or more words—it

must be set off as a free standing block. As with any quotation a writer employs as
evidence, the original text should contain relevant and compelling ideas that are
expressed in vivid and concise language.

How should a block quote be formatted?

While a short quotation is enclosed in quotation marks and integrated into the
surrounding paragraph, a block quotation is an independent paragraph that is indented
five spaces from the left margin. Each line of the block quotation should be indented.

APA Style has these formatting guidelines for block quotes:

• A block quotation is introduced with an informative, full-sentence signal phrase

that ends with a colon.
• The entire, free-standing block of the quoted material is indented .5” from the left
margin (5 spaces) and is double-spaced throughout.
• The first line of the quotation is not indented more than the following lines,
unless two or more paragraphs are quoted.
• Quotation marks are not added at the beginning or end of the quotation.
 • The end punctuation appears at the end of the last sentence in the quotation, not
after the page number; no additional punctuation appears after the parenthesis.

Let’s look at some examples:

One researcher outlines the viewpoints of both parties:

Freedom of research is undoubtedly a cherished ideal in our society. In that respect

research has an interest in

being free, independent and unrestricted. Such interests weigh against regulations. On
the other hand, research

should also be valid, verifiable, and unbiased, to attain the overarching goal of gaining
obtaining [sic] generalisable

knowledge. (Simonsen, 2012, p. 46)

Note that although the block quotation is formatted as a separate block of text, it is
preceded by an introductory phrase or sentence(s) followed by a colon. If the author’s
name and the year of publication appear in the introductory sentence, the parenthetical
in-text citation at the end of the paragraph should simply include the page number(s) of
the original text, as shown in this example:

Simonsen (2012) outlines the two opposing viewpoints:

Freedom of research is undoubtedly a cherished ideal in our society. In that respect

research has an interest in

being free, independent and unrestricted. Such interests weigh against regulations. On
the other hand, research

should also be valid, verifiable, and unbiased, to attain the overarching goal of gaining
obtaining [sic] generalisable

knowledge. (p. 46)

Altering Direct Quotations

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How do I add words to a direct quotation?

In some instances, you may need to add words to a direct quotation for clarification or
explanation. When additional words are added to a direct quote, the added words must
be surrounded by brackets. Additionally, the inserted material should present an
accurate representation of the author’s message in the original text. Bracketed
language should never be used to change the meaning of the original text.

Let’s look at an example:

Using an excerpt from Marc Kutner’s book, Astronomy: A Physical Perspective, the
bracketed words in the quoted sentence were inserted into the quotation to clarify the
meaning of the word they:

Original direct quotation: “Since they carry the continents with them as they move, we
refer to this motion as continental drift” (Kutner, 2003, p. 451).

Quoted sentence with added words: “Since they [tectonic plates] carry the continents
with them as they move, we refer to this motion as continental drift” (Kutner, 2003, p.
451).

How do I emphasize words in a direct quotation?

APA style generally advises against using italics for emphasis. Instead, whenever
possible, you should create emphasis through diction, sentence construction, and
sentence length.

However, in circumstances in which confusion or misreading is likely, you may choose

to add italics to emphasize words in a direct quotation that were not originally
emphasized by the author.

Additionally, type the phrase emphasis added and enclose it in brackets directly after
the emphasized words to indicate to the reader that the emphasis is not present in the
original text.

Let’s look at an example:

Consider this excerpt from Katherine Cullen’s book, Biology: The People Behind the
Science:

“Nature selects variations that are advantageous for survival and reproduction in
a particular environment [emphasis added], just as farmers artificially select for
economically desirable characteristics” (Cullen, 2006, pp. 52-53). [1]

Note: The phrase emphasis added is placed inside brackets and is not italicized.

Removing Words from Direct Quotations

How do I indicate omitted words from a direct quotation?
When a portion of a sentence (or sentences) is not included in a quotation, three ellipsis
points should be typed in place of the omitted material. However, ellipsis points do not
need to be included at the beginning or end of a quotation; the reader will assume that
additional material is present in the original text before and after the quotation.

Let’s look at an example:

Original direct quotation: “One application of the term organic memory in which we are
especially interested is that which refers to retentions in the nervous system” (Judd,
1907, p. 236).

Quoted sentence with ellipsis points: “One application of the term organic memory . . .
refers to retentions in the nervous system” (Judd, 1907, p. 236).

In this instance, the author has chosen to remove the portion of the sentence
expressing Judd’s interest in the specific application of the term. This omission has
removed words from the original quotation that were not applicable in this new context,
but the omission has not altered the original author’s intent in any way.

How should ellipsis points be used after a complete sentence?

If a sentence between two other sentences is omitted, retain the end punctuation of the
first sentence and add the three ellipsis points after it.

Let’s look at an example:

The following example quotes specific sentences from Sigmund Simonsen’s
book, Acceptable Risk in Biomedical Research:

Original direct quotation: “The principle of human primacy has been criticised as being
vague and ill-founded or redundant in bioethical literature. A critical analysis of the
principle as such falls outside the scope of this book. But, despite occasional criticism,
the principle is obviously fundamental. It has also since its explicit adoption into
international professional ethics in 1974 and European law in 1997 been widely
acknowledged.” (Simonsen, 2012, p. 53)

Quoted sentence with ellipsis points following a complete sentence:

As Simonsen (2012) observes, “The principle of human primacy has been criticised as
being vague and ill-founded or redundant in bioethical literature. . . . But, despite
occasional criticism, the principle is obviously fundamental” (p. 53).

Again, in this example, the author has used ellipses to omit information that is not
relevant for the current application of this quote, but ensures that the omission does not
change the author’s original meaning.

Indicating Original Errors in Direct Quotations

In some situations, you may need to quote a primary source that contains a spelling or
grammatical error. In these cases, it is important to indicate that the error is present in
the original material.

How do I indicate an original error in a direct quotation?

To indicate that a spelling or grammatical error appears in the original work and that
you are accurately reproducing the original material, insert the word sic in italics and
enclose it in brackets directly after the error [sic].

Let’s look at some examples:

If a participant in a research experiment incorrectly spells a word in a written response,
you might indicate the error in your paper as follows:

In response to the question, “How many hours of sleep per night, on average, do you
receive?” one participant reported, “Twevle [sic] hours of sleep.”

In the following example, the synonymous words gaining and obtaining are both
included (incorrectly) in a single sentence, leading to redundancy:

As Simonsen (2012) argued, “research should also be valid, verifiable, and unbiased, to
attain the overarching goal of gaining obtaining [sic] generalisable knowledge” (p. 46).

See also:

• Formatting In-text Citations (APA)

References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.).