(5.11) All direct quotations, excluding block quotations, require double quotation marks at the beginning and at the end of the material being quoted. When a quoted passage contains a quotation that is set off with double quotations marks, then change the double quotation marks to single quotations marks (see 5.16). Double quotation marks are retained within quoted passages when the source material is placed into a block quotation.

(5.16) For a quotation within a quotation, single quotation marks are used; for another quotation within that one, double quotation marks are again used; for yet another, single marks; and so on:

The chairman reported:

      The mayor's representative has replied: "I am authorized by the Chamber of Commerce to make this offer, their provision stating, ' The jobs shall be made available provided that the committee guarantee all the means for receiving applications.' That guarantee has been made and a procedure outlined for taking job applications." Our thanks go to the mayor for his handling of our committee's request. (Guthrie Center 1987, 4)

(5.18) Any omission of words, phrases, or paragraphs in quoted matter is shown by ellipsis points, which are period dots (.), not asterisks (stars*). There should be a space before each dot, unless the first dot is the period of a sentence, and a space after the last dot if a word follows. As ellipsis points stand for words omitted from the quotation itself, they are always placed within quotation marks. When quotation marks either precede or follow ellipsis points, do not leave a space between the quotation mark and the first or last dot (see 5.27 - 5.28). Ellipsis points are not used either before or after a block quotation (see 5.27).

(5.19) An omission within a sentence is shown by three spaced dots:

In conclusion the chairman stated, "What we require . . . is a new software program" (Lunger 1970).

(5.22) An omission following a complete sentence is indicated by four dots. The first dot, placed immediately after the last word of the preceding sentence, is the period:

"When a software program is first installed, it ought to work properly. . . . This premise is not an unreasonable expectation" (Lunger 1989).

(5.23) In current practice, the period (or other mark of terminal punctuation) and three spaced dots may indicate the omission of (1) the last part of a quoted sentence, (2) the first part of a quoted sentence, (3) the last part of one sentence and the first part of the next sentence, (4) a whole sentence or more, or (5) a whole paragraph or more (see 5.24 - 5.28 for exceptions).

1. If the quotation is set off syntactically from the text by a comma, period, or colon, then the first word in the quotation is capitalized, even though it may be lowercase in the original (In the example below, "with" occurred within the sentence and was not originally capitalized.):

The following day Sand (1968) reported, "With Pebble soliciting members on the side, it was imperative that the meeting be delayed no longer."

2. If, however, the quotation is joined syntactically to the writer's introductory words, the first word of the quotation is begun with a small letter, even if it is capitalized in the original (In the example below, "the" was the first word of the sentence and was originally capitalized.):

The act provided that "the general counsel of the board shall exercise complete supervision" (Bently 1979).

(5.35) It is sometimes advisable to insert in a quotation a word or more of explanation, clarification, or correction. All such insertions, or interpolations, must be enclosed in brackets [ ]. Parentheses may not be substituted for brackets. Brackets indicate that the comment was added by the writer of the paper.

(5.56) To assure the reader that any faulty logic, error in fact, wrong word usage, incorrect spelling, or the like is in the original, the Latin word sic (meaning "so") may be placed in brackets, in italics, immediately following the error. Sic should not be overused. Quotations from obviously archaic or nonstandard writing should not be strewn with sic:

". . . surely likke [sic] to see the current mayor reelected" (James 1996).