9 The Structure of a Quote

When quoting a source in a paper, there are three necessary parts to establish the strength of a quote-the signal phrase, the quote itself, and the context you provide to show how the quote fits into your writing.

Let’s take this excerpt from a Jun 1, 2019 editorial that Dr. Taylor Eighmy, UTSA’s president, wrote for the San Antonio Express-News to help commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary:

“Our founders recognized UTSA’s potential to create prosperity and to drive socioeconomic mobility for South Texas.”

That’s a good usable quote! Let’s see how it might appear in paper, with the frame of a signal quote and context around it.

UTSA’s President, in a 2019 San Antonio Express-News opinion piece asserted the importance of this university in the community, explaining that “[o]ur founders recognized UTSA’s potential to create prosperity and to drive socioeconomic mobility for South Texas” (Eighmy). The possibilities that Eighmy refers to are now evident throughout modern-day San Antonio with business and industry supported by UTSA and beyond the city with successful graduates across the globe.

The signal phrase (in green) is a lead-in quote, providing information about who is being quoted, how that person is qualified to discuss the topic, and where the information appears. This can be concise and yet convey key elements of ethos – the authority of the person being quoted, the credibility of using reputable sources in an academic paper, and the trust created by identifying the sources.

The quote itself (in blue) can either be a direct quote or a paraphrase, but it should end of a citation (see specific style rules for guidelines). You want to strike a balance between quoting what’s relevant and including what’s necessary to understand the point being made. Paraphrasing can help you take the information of what you want to quote and word it in a way that better connects with the reader.

The context (in red) tells the reader why you’ve chosen the quote, how it’s helping you make your point, and how it contributes to the paper and its thesis. While this addition doesn’t need to be particularly long – a sentence can suffice – it does need to be present. If you include a quote without context, you’re putting the burden on the reader to figure out why the quote is being included and risking misunderstanding by the reader.

Correct structure of a quote strengthens the use of researched material and ensures that your reader hears what you want to say. – – Phil West