how to use quotes in dissertation

Dissertation & Doctoral Project Formatting & Clearance: Citing In Text

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In-Text Citation Basics

Author/Date Citation Method

APA publications use the author/date in text citation system to briefly identify sources to readers.  Each in-text citation is listed alphabetically in the reference list.  All in-text citations referenced in the body of work musr appear in the reference list and vice versa.

The author-date method includes the author's surname and the the publication year.  Do not include suffixes such as Jr., Esq., etc.

(Jones, 2009)

The author/date method is also used with direct quotes.  Another component is added in this format:

(Jones, 2009, p.19)

When multiple pages are referenced, use pp.

(Jones, 2009, pp.19-21)

Variations of author/date within a sentence

Here are some examples of how the author/date citation method are formatted within different parts of a sentence. Please note the author, publication date, and study are entirely fictional (see APA, p.174).

Beginning of a sentence:

Jones (2009) completed a study on the effects of dark chocolate on heart disease.

Middle of a sentence:

In 2009, Jones's study on the effects of dark chocolate and heart disease revealed...

End of a sentence:

The study revealed that participants who ate dark chocolate bars every day did not develop heart disease (Jones, 2009).

Citing a specific part of source (chapter, tables, figures, or equations)

When citing a particular part of a source, it is important to indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or equation.  Remember to always give page numbers for direct quotations (see APA, section 6.19, p. 179). 

Correct abbreviations continue to be used (see APA, sections 4.22 - 4.30).

(National Chocolate Lovers Association, 2007, p.17)

(Jones, 2009, Chapter 8)

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is great because it allows you to use your own words and your own voice.  It demonstrates that you truly understand what the author is saying. Word of caution: Avoid changing the author's meaning and/or plagiarizing the author.  Looking up certain words within the thesaurus is not paraphrasing.  It is also important to cite the author while paraphrasing.

Here is an example of paraphrasing:

Original citation:

"With rates of childhood obesity climbing over the last decade, some parents and policy-makers have thought to consider whether the availability of endless soda and junk food in school vending machines might be contributing to the problem—and if banning those foods in schools might help solve it" (Price, 2012).

Paraphrase:

Price discusses the possibility that the availability of unhealthy, sugary snacks and drinks in school vending machines has contributed to the rising epidemic of obesity in children.  In an effort to eliminate the source of the problem, some of have proposed implementing a ban (2012).

Direct Quotes: the Short and Long

Direct quotations are sometimes necessary to truly convey the author's meaning to the reader.  When directly quoting an author(s),  (a) the quote must be relevant to your argument, (b) it needs to smoothly transition between what comes first and move to what comes later, (c), it must fit logically and make grammatical sense, and (d) it should be no longer than absolutely necessary.

When reproducing an author's word directly, it is extremely important to quote and cite.  Direct quotations with citation prevents plagiarism and gives the author credit for his/her work. The parenthetical cite should always contain the author's surname, the publication year of the work, and the page citation or paragraph number (for nonpaginated material).

Direct quotations can vary in length.  Quotes fewer than 40 words should be incorporated into the text of the paragraph.  Quotes comprised of 40 or more words, need to be formatted in block quotes.  (see APA, section 6.03, pp.170 - 173; and APA Style Blog , "How to Cite Direct Quotations" or APA Style Blog , "You Can Quote Me on This").

Short, direct quotes (less than 40 words):

Author and quote separated

Bell and Shank (2007) identify that "[a]t least one survey identified library instruction as the type of collaboration mentioned most frequently by librarians" (p.67).

Article retrieved online (see APA, section 6.05, p.171-172)

Price (2012) notes "[t]he results aren't huge, but apparently these laws have a real—and positive—effect on students' health" (para.4).

Author and quote together

"Design is designed in many ways.  By one definition it is the conscious examination of objects and processes to determine how they can be made better" (Bell & Shank, 2007, p. 23).

" The books, sold in the United States, share a piece of a foreign culture, while profits are put back into the country the story came from" (Anthony, 2012, para. 2).

Long, block quotes (40 words or more):

Formatting rules:

• Indent the block quote five spaces or half an inch. • Do not use quotation marks. • Double space the quote unless your school has a rule about single spacing block quotes. • Do not include any additional lines or spaces before or after the block quote. • Notice that in block quotes, the period goes before the parentheses, not after.

Michelli (2007) uses the coffee chain, Starbucks, as example on how to become extraordinary.  He discusses in detail various principles he discovered during his research on the renowned company.  One of the principles focuses on "making it your own."  He writes,

Like most companies, Starbucks has wrestled with ways to invite its partners to fully engage their passions and talents everyday in every interaction at wor.  Simultaneously, the leadership has to ensure that individual partners' differences are blending into a generally uniform experience for customers.  Finding a balance between these two important, yet somtimes divergent, leadership responsibilities can be awkward.  Yet through its principle of Make It Your Own, Starbucks has succeeded in creating a unique model that encourages partners at all levels to pour their creative energy and dedication into everything they do. (p. 20)

This principle does not only apply to businesses; it can be part of anyone's personal beliefs.

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DEPTH @ LSHTM Research blog

Dialogue, Evidence, Participation and Translation for Health

How to present quotes from interview transcripts: the ‘tidying up’ dilemma (including: what do with your own less-than-perfect sentences)

Two members of the DEPTH team, Cicely Marston (supervisor) and Shelly Makleff (PhD student) discuss how best to present quotations from interview transcripts when writing up. We talk about how to present ‘untidy’ speech (e.g. ‘um’, ‘er’, repetition), how much to ‘tidy up’ quotes, and the implications of any ‘tidy up’.

Shelly’s interviews and analysis have been done in Spanish and the quotes she presents in the final write up are translated into English. Here we present a lightly edited version of a supervisory email interchange we thought might be useful to others. And we would love to hear your views in the comments – we certainly don’t have all the answers.

To leave a comment, make sure you’ve clicked on this article’s headline so you are reading the post itself, not the DEPTH blog homepage.

SM: How do you clean up a transcribed quote to present it in an article? Every time I cut some words, even just filler words, should I mark these omissions with an omission marker (such as […])? Or do I have the liberty to just cut those fillers without a […], in order to create a clean and readable quote?

CM: In my opinion all cuts should be marked with an omission marker (e.g. […]). I have argued about this with a journal before because newspapers use  ellipses to indicate omissions (rather than a specific omission marker that only indicates omissions). The issue is that when you do this, there is no obvious way to mark pauses in someone speaking so you would need to find another pause marker that won’t be confused with an omission marker. You could do this by writing [pause] every time, but this also makes quotes hard to read if there are a lot of pauses. When you are using translated quotations, it is less clear what to do because for instance, you might keep the translation ‘clean’ by not including every single one of the filler words (though I would recommend you keep them as much as possible where th ere is a direct translation (e.g. in Mexican Spanish, hesitation where people say ‘este…’ can be translated as ‘um…’ in English), or at least if there is no direct equivalent, make sure you keep the spirit of the original which might have involved hesitations).

For translations, where it is good practice to provide the original language version in an appendix, one way to get around this is to present the original language quotations with all the pause markers etc included, and then present ‘tidied up’ translations in the body of the article. If you do this, you should mention it in the methods section so the reader knows they can refer to the original language quotations. Note that ‘tidying up’ is particularly challenging when you are working in your non-dominant language, which is all the more reason to present the original language tra nscript excerpts verbatim.

SM: Ok, so sounds  like you’d always use […] to signify eve ry piece of cut text in the article. For a conference poster, do you think it’s ok to leave out the […] for filler words so it’s smoother to read?

CM: I would keep it precise i.e. show where you have edited – I assume you won’t cut all the ums and errs. I get quite suspicious when I see a perfect quote because very very few people speak in complete sentences with no hesitations. if you genuinely think the hesitations are unimportant in any given instance, then you *can* edit them, but make sure there is a note that you have done this somewhere on the poster, for transparency.

SM: If I’m adding clarifying info in [], do I do that instead of or as well as the words that are being replaced? In other words, would it be “So for them [the students]” or “So for [the students]”?

CM: I would go with the longer version so that it is clear what they actually said versus what is your interpretation/explanation.

SM: Can I add punctuation and make sentences to create more clarity, when the speech was transcribed as a long run-on sentence?

CM: Yes, definitely improve the punctuation – transcriptions are almost always badly punctuated, especially when the narrative includes reported speech, in which case transcribers often give up on attempting to punctuate it altogether – and to be fair it can take a while to get it right even if it is quite obvious without punctuation what the speaker has said. It is worth doing because it does make it much harder to read when transcripts not properly punctuated. If you are not sure how to punctuate the sentence from the transcript alone (e.g. it is unclear where the emphasis in the sentence was), you will need to go back to the original audio to ensure your ‘new’ punctuation correctly represents what was said.

SM: I wish there were guidelines for this! In a quick internet search, I didn’t find any, at least not that are clear per discipline. While looking for guidelines I did see an article about the diversity of perspectives among academics about how they edit qualitative quotes. One perspective in favour of editing out the filler words pointed out that if participants saw their own quote with all the filler words, they’d feel embarrassed, and it isn’t an expectation that everyone speaks perfectly but that as researchers we should present their ideas as clearly as possible in a way they’d feel comfortable with. And actually, in Mexico when we shared the transcribed quotes with the health educators, they felt embarrassed about it, joking that they needed diction classes. They even made a meme of their horrified reactions when they read their words on paper and heard how they talked (see below). For the presentation of the data, we hadn’t really cleaned up the quotes, it was mainly verbatim, but the idea still stands- the way we represented them didn’t make them sound eloquent, and that embarrassed them.

CM. I agree that if the quotes have names attached to them, the person might prefer a ‘cleaned’ version, but your quotes are anonymised and so from an individual perspective I don’t think that is too much of a concern.

Having said that, it’s true that origi nal, not tidied-up quotations might contribute to  a discourse of the ‘other’ being inarticulate. People who are looking for ways to find others inferior will likely find them regardless and so I’m not sure that compromising the integrity of the transcript will help (although I’m open to arguments to the contrary).

Overall, though, going along with the idea that there is a ‘better’ way to s peak brings its own problems. Should we all speak in perfect sentences? Who determines what is ‘perfect’ or ‘best’? This is especially difficult if you are trying to ‘tidy up’ sentences that were spoken in another language than our dominant language. As researchers we should commit to transparency. Interviewers who worry about their sentences should probably listen back to the interviews – they will hear that it sounds very normal, even if they hesitate, repeat words, use filler words, reframe questions and so on. It’s important to build rapport – if you don’t naturally speak in 100% full sentences in real life, why would you do so in an interview? Being inauthentic, or struggling to present a more perfect self, may well have a negative impact on the interview overall.

What do you think? How have you handled these issues? Let us know in the comment section below. If you can’t see where, click on this article headline and scroll to the bottom.

3 Replies to “How to present quotes from interview transcripts: the ‘tidying up’ dilemma (including: what do with your own less-than-perfect sentences)”

Thanks for the interesting article! Indeed I have always found it hard to know when to edit a quote or not…and I feel academics do not all agree on this! Personally I have a tendency to ‘tidy it up’ depending on the audience (e.g. PowerPoint presentation).

Really interesting points here that have got me thinking. There’s a good article by Baxter and Eyles (2004) called ‘Evaluating Qualitative Research in Social Geography: Establishing ‘Rigour’ in Interview Analysis’ about how readers (or examiners!) view ‘rigour’ in qualitative research. This is the link: https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0020-2754.1997.00505.x

Thanks for the blog!

I agree with your points, excellent post.

Comments are closed.

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Direct Quotations in Theses – Presentation, Integration and Accuracy

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Nov 11, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |

Chapter 8: Direct Quotations: Presentation, Integration and Accuracy

  Not all doctoral candidates will make use of direct quotation in their theses, but many theses will include one or a few quoted passages, while others will feature a wide variety of quoted text and/or speech. The idea behind using the exact words of another person (or of other people in the case of sources with more than one author) is that those words contribute to your argument: they may support or contradict your methods, results or conclusions; they may be selected from a text or texts that your thesis analyses in detail; they may be exemplary, pithy or perfect expressions of ideas you introduce and discuss. Whatever your reasons for quoting the words of others in your own writing may be, you need to quote them accurately, remembering that ‘a direct quotation presents the exact words spoken on a particular occasion or written in a particular place’ (Ritter, 2005, Section 9.1). It is also essential that you observe with precision the appropriate scholarly techniques for quoting sources and that you make it absolutely clear to your readers how you are using direct quotations by introducing them effectively and discussing their significance in relation to your argument. In most cases, it is not enough simply to quote a passage and assume that your readers (and examiners) will know why you have quoted it: you need to let them know what you expect them to read or understand in the borrowed words. Any quotations you use should be integrated correctly into the syntax of your own prose as well, and all direct quotations must be acknowledged with precise references to the sources from which they have been taken. If your university or department has provided you with guidelines, they may offer instructions on the quotation practices appropriate for your thesis, in which case those instructions should be prioritised and used in conjunction with the more general advice provided in this chapter. The sections that follow focus on the scholarly practices and formats associated with quoting sources in acceptable ways in formal English prose, beginning with the most practical aspects of presenting quoted material – namely, laying it out on the page and providing the necessary references to the sources quoted.

8.1 Formatting and Acknowledging Quotations

There are two main ways to present quoted material in scholarly prose: it can be formatted as run-on or run-in quotations that are embedded in the main text, or it can be laid out as displayed or block quotations that are set off from the text. Short prose quotations, particularly those of less than a single sentence, are generally embedded, which means that they become a part of your own sentences and paragraphs. They therefore appear in the same font size as the surrounding text and are enclosed in quotation marks (The results of my investigation did not show ‘the negative effect of poor lighting’ (Bennett, 2007, p.197) revealed in an earlier study of the problem). Single quotation marks (‘ ’), as I use in this book, or double quotation marks (“ ”) can be used, but the same type must be used to mark all quotations in a thesis. Traditionally, single quotation marks tended to be used in British English and double quotation marks in American English, but this distinction is no longer as consistent or widespread as it once was. If the university or department guidelines you are using give any indication of the kind of quotation marks desired, you should follow that advice; otherwise, you may want to prefer one type of mark over the other based on whether British or American English is required or used, or you may want to follow your own preferences.

Whichever type of quotation mark is adopted for embedded quotations, the opposite type will be needed to enclose any quotations that appear within those quotations, as double quotation marks are used to enclose the word ‘novelty’ (a quote within a quote) in the following sentence: The results of my investigation did not show ‘the negative effect of poor lighting’ that surprised Bennett ‘due to its “novelty” in trials of this kind’ (2007, p.197). Were the main quotation enclosed in double quotation marks instead, the word ‘novelty’ would be marked by single quotation marks. In both cases the pattern of alternation continues if there is, by chance, a quote within a quote within a quote: single marks for the main quote with double marks enclosing the quote within it and a return to single marks to enclose the quote within that, or double marks for the main quote with single marks enclosing the quote within it and a return to double marks to enclose the quote within that. The two types could theoretically alternate indefinitely to provide many layers of quotation, but it is rare that more than three layers are used. Since errors often creep into the layered use of quotation marks, quotations featuring them require especially careful checking to ensure that each opening quotation mark has a matching and appropriately placed closing mark.

Longer prose quotations are usually displayed or set off as block quotations, but exactly what length quotations should be to justify such treatment varies considerably from style to style: quotations of forty words or more are displayed as block quotations in some styles, while in others a quotation should be longer (100 words or more in some cases) to receive such treatment. There is, then, no firm rule based on the length of the passage, though if university or department guidelines indicate that quotations over a particular word count should be displayed, do observe them. Alternate criteria can be used, however, to determine the format of quotations in the absence of such instructions. You might, for example, choose to display a short quotation that is central to your argument or to embed a long quotation in order to comment on parts of it in more detail; you might decide to display a series of quotations of varying length in order to highlight them and facilitate comparison, or to embed the same series of quotations to make the text more readable; or you might embed quotations that are central to the argument of your thesis, but display those cited as examples or illustrations. It is therefore essential to determine exactly what criteria you will use to make this distinction before formatting quotations and then to stick to those criteria as consistently as possible, making exceptions only when they serve your argument or your reasons for quoting in the first place.

When quotations are displayed, they are not enclosed in quotation marks, but they should start on a new line and they often feature a slightly smaller font size than that used in the main text of a document (in this book, for instance, I use a 12-point font for the main text, but an 11-point font for block quotations). The line spacing around and within a block quotation may also differ from that used in the main text of a thesis, and the same may be the case with indentation and justification, with all of these differences enabling the quotations to stand out effectively from your own prose. If your university or department provides specific instructions for laying out block quotations, they should be followed, but, in most cases, indentation (left or both left and right) and a smaller font size will suffice for marking displayed quotations. The following passage shows a simple but effective layout for prose quotations:

His manuscript project underwent various changes as it proceeded, however, and among these developments was the transformation of this meditation designed for readers into twin ‘meditational dramas’ that enact that reflective experience and could well have been performed, in the author’s priory perhaps, or the hall of a local gentleman, or the streets of a nearby Yorkshire community.

                                                                                                                   (Olson, 2012, p.338)

Since quotation marks are not required around the entire quotation, single quotation marks are used for quotations within the quotation, which results in a different alternation pattern than that for embedded quotations: single marks for quotations within the block quotation, double marks for quotations within those quotations and so on, with the reverse the case if double quotation marks are the predominant marks used in the thesis (double marks for quotations within block quotations, single marks for quotations within those quotations and so on).

When quoting more than a single line of poetry or any text (whether long or short) for which retaining the exact format of the original is important, such as lists, letters, interviews and passages from plays, and when quoting prose passages of more than a single paragraph, displaying the quotation is in almost all cases a much better choice than embedding it. Here, for instance, is a passage of the Middle English poem Piers Plowman (B-Text) formatted as a block quotation:

      For if heuene be on þis erþe, and ese to any soule,

      It is in cloistre or in scole, by manye skiles I fynde.

      For in cloistre comeþ no man to carpe ne to fiȝte

      But al is buxomnesse þere and bokes, to rede and to lerne.

          (Kane & Donaldson, 1975, X.305–308)

Notice that the indentation at the left is set so that the longest line is more or less centred on the page, although each line starts in the same position (not centre justified), and the passage is formatted to represent as faithfully as possible the layout of the poem in the source text. If the poem’s indentation varies in the source, this should be represented by extra indentation in the format of the block quotation. If any line is too long to fit on a single line in the block quotation and thus runs over onto the next line, the runover line should be indented a space or two beyond the usual indentation to distinguish it from new lines. If any quotations appear within the quoted lines, they should be enclosed in quotation marks exactly as they are in prose block quotations. Finally, if the quotation begins part way through a line, a space representing the length of the omitted material should be inserted before the quotation:

                             comeþ no man to carpe ne to fiȝte

                                              (Kane & Donaldson, 1975, X.307–308)

The layout of a letter or list, the dialogue of a play including speaker tags and stage directions, the exchange during an interview and the breaks between paragraphs in a long prose quotation can be reproduced in similar ways in the formatting of a block quotation, as is the case in this example:

INTERVIEWER: Were you able to move easily when connected to the equipment?

RESPONDENT 1: Yes, most of the time, but a few of the exercises were more difficult.

INTERVIEWER: Do you remember which ones presented movement problems?

If two or more block quotations appear one after the other, make sure that the spacing between them leaves no ambiguity about where one quotation ends and the next begins. It should also be made clear whether the paragraph that precedes a block quotation continues after the quotation or not, so if a new paragraph begins immediately after displayed material, indentation and/or spacing should indicate that this is the case.

Although embedding such specifically formatted quotations should be avoided if at all possible, there are instances in which more than one line of poetry, more than one paragraph of prose or the parts of a letter, list or play will need to be presented as run-on quotations within your own sentences and paragraphs. In such cases, the original formatting should be represented as accurately as possible while maintaining effective sentence and paragraph structure and a tidy page layout. For lines of poetry, for instance, the font should be the same size as the main text, capitalisation should be retained and line breaks should be marked by either a forward slash or a vertical line (see Section 5.6.5) with a space on either side, as in the following example: ‘For if heuene be on þis erþe, and ese to any soule, | It is in cloistre or in scole, by manye skiles I fynde. | For in cloistre comeþ no man to carpe ne to fiȝte | But al is buxomnesse þere and bokes, to rede and to lerne’ (Kane & Donaldson, 1975, X.305–308). When a quotation of more than one paragraph is embedded, quotation marks should appear at the beginning of the quotation and at the beginning of each new paragraph, but only at the end of the final paragraph (or the end of the quotation if the final paragraph is not quoted in its entirety). The same approach should be used when quoting dialogue in which a single speaker’s words extend over more than one paragraph.

Representing lists, the dialogue in plays (along with stage directions) and the questions and answers in interviews as embedded quotations will be a little more challenging, and it is always best to format them as block quotations if possible, but short passages of this kind can be successful (if not ideal) when careful and creative formatting is used: ‘INTERVIEWER: Were you able to move easily when connected to the equipment? RESPONDENT 1: Yes, most of the time, but a few of the exercises were more difficult. INTERVIEWER: Do you remember which ones presented movement problems?’ I have not used quotation marks around the actual speech of the two parties in this example, which is an acceptable approach for such dialogue (when quoting a play as well) whether it is embedded or displayed, but the additional quotation marks can certainly be added around those bits of direct speech to avoid confusion when using an embedded format: ‘WILL: “Where did she go?” ROB, looking from side to side : “She was just here.” WILL, looking up and pointing : “She’s there.”’ Embedding quotations of this kind may be particularly necessary in footnotes and endnotes, because the font used in notes is usually smaller than that in the main text, which means that block quotations become smaller still, so even long quotations with complicated formatting are often embedded in notes.

When the quotation is displayed, the same source information is required, but the parenthetical reference is positioned a little differently: after the closing punctuation of a block quotation, for instance, and usually oriented to the right on the line directly below the quotation, as it appears in the block quotations from Olson and Piers Plowman that I provided above. If there is room for the reference on the final line of the quotation, that is usually an acceptable position as well, and certainly it is on that line immediately after the closing punctuation of the block quotation that a note number or numerical reference would appear instead if that is the system you are using:

                                But al is buxomnesse þere and bokes, to rede and to lerne. 1

As with embedded quotations, an explanation of your referencing practices can be offered in the first relevant note to facilitate shorter references and avoid numerous notes if the same text is quoted frequently, and, as a general rule, regardless of which quotation format or system of referencing you use, subsequent references to the same text can be shortened to provide only the information absolutely necessary for the reader to locate the quotation accurately. If, for example, you are discussing Langland for several paragraphs in which you quote repeatedly from his poem, it is not necessary to identify the author, poem, editors and publication date with each quotation unless it is unclear which text is being cited; only if a different author or text, or perhaps a different edition or version of the poem is quoted in the midst of the discussion would a full reference be required to reorient the reader. Shortening references to a bare minimum is noted as desirable in most style guides, but do be sure that you provide enough information in each instance for your readers to identify and locate your quotations, remembering that offering too much information is preferable to offering too little.

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations. 

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

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Rene Tetzner

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

Related Posts

PhD Success – How To Write a Doctoral Thesis

October 1, 2021

Table of Contents – PhD Success

October 2, 2021

The Essential – Preliminary Matter

October 3, 2021

The Main Body of the Thesis

October 4, 2021

• Integrating Direct Quotations into Your Writing

by acburton | Mar 21, 2024 | Resources for Students , Writing Resources

If you’ve ever had a professor ask you to “use quotes” or quote other texts in your writing before, you know that it’s no easy task. It can feel awkward sometimes to determine what parts of the text are worth quoting, as well as how to directly quote in your writing without sounding too formulaic or repetitive. Keep reading for some strategies on effectively using direct quotations in your next writing project!

Why do I need to know how to directly quote?

If you’ve seen our blog post on “Quoting Directly,” you know that using direct quotations (or “quotes”) in our writing can be useful for a variety of reasons. By quoting other credible, relevant sources in our own writing projects, we can provide more convincing evidence and reasoning for our own ideas. Direct quotations are a type of support we can provide for our own arguments and claims, as it demonstrates to our readers that other writers agree with what we have to say.

What are different ways to directly quote in my writing so that I don’t sound repetitive?

A common way to integrate “quotes” in our writing is with the use of a signal phrase , which is a short phrase that indicates to readers that the writer is about to introduce another source. For example, we often use the phrase “According to” as a common signal phrase for introducing quotations. However, if we were to use “According to” for every single quotation in our essays, our writing would start to sound awfully repetitive and potentially boring or uninteresting.

So, here are some different approaches you can take for integrating direct quotations to have more variety and style in your writing!

1. Use a signal phrase to introduce the quotation

The two most commonly used signal phrases only require a couple of words, primarily a verb and the author’s name:

• The introductory phrase: “According to (author’s name and/or title of source),”. e.g., “According to Ahmed,” or “According to Ulmer in Internet Invention ,”.

After a signal phrase, you can quote from the text directly. Here are some important reminders to keep in mind whenever you directly quote another source in your own writing:

•  Use quotation marks “ “ and copy the passage exactly as it appears in the original text. If there is a grammatical or spelling error in the original source, you can use [sic] to cue to your reader that you did not make the mistake and are intentionally quoting the source material (for more on using [sic] in direct quotations, see our post on Quoting Directly ).
• Long Quotations in MLA format
• Long Quotations in APA format

Note: You can also use a signal phrase after the direct quotation for more variety in your sentence structure and style. You’d follow the same rules, except the quotation would come first, followed by your ‘says’ verb and the author.

It is usually better to lead with the author’s name and a ‘says’ verb because this introduces where the quotation is coming from (ensuring your reader is not confused) and is written in active voice, which is more direct and concise.

Example According to Melissa Dahl, “[Cringe is] the intense visceral reaction produced by an awkward moment, an unpleasant kind of self-recognition where you suddenly see yourself through someone else’s eyes. It’s a forced moment of self-awareness, and it usually makes you cognizant of the disappointing fact that you aren’t measuring up to your own self-concept” (Wynn).

While this is a direct quotation attributed to author Melissa Dahl, the in-text citation is credited to (Wynn) because the writer found this quotation in an original source published by Natalie Wynn. If you directly quote an author or writer whose work is quoted by another source, you cite the source that “houses” the passage. In other words, you cite the author who introduced you to the work. You can still credit the original author by introducing them in your signal phrase, as shown in the example above, but make sure your in-text citation credits the source you found the passage in.

2. Summarize the main ideas of the quotation to create a framework for the quotation, then use a colon to present the quotation.

For this method, you would provide a concise overview of the main ideas from the passage you wish to quote as a way of contextualizing what the source is about. This provides a helpful framework for the reader to understand the purpose and meaning of your quote better.

Example In Rebecca Solnit’s Wanderlust: A History of Walking, she raises several theoretical and philosophical viewpoints concerning both the act of walking, or flânerie, and the walker, or flâneur. On escapism, Solnit posits: “In the city, one is alone because the world is made up of strangers, and to be a stranger surrounded by strangers, to walk along silently bearing one’s secrets and imagining those of the people one passes, is among the starkest of luxuries” (23).

3. Blend a shorter quotation into your own sentence structure

This is the best method to use if you have only a short passage, some key words, or a specific phrase you want to quote in your writing. For this method, you want to build your own original sentence that leads up to the key ideas in your short quotation to blend it together as one cohesive sentence.

Example Within a participatory culture, individuals are often gathered together as a community due to shared interest networks, like video games, in which “members believe that their contributions matter” and there is “some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices” (Jenkins 7).

Practice in the Writing Center

For more support and guidance on directly quoting, make an appointment with us here at the Writing Center! We can help you integrate “quotes” into your writing projects effectively and with style so that your support is interesting and convincing to readers.

For further reading, check out these resources from the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International Association:

• Integrate Quotations in Writing, by Carla Mannix (2017)
• List of Reporting Verbs, from University of Technology Sydney

***Adapted from TESOL International Association Handout “Integrate Quotations in Writing” by Carla Mannix, Nov. 2017

Our Newest Resources!

• Transitioning to Long-form Writing
• Developing a Research Question
• Nurturing a Growth Mindset to Overcome Writing Challenges and Develop Confidence in College Level Writing
• An Introduction to Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting

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• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

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On this page:

Language of the Dissertation

Page and text requirements, body of text, tables, figures, and captions, dissertation acceptance certificate, copyright statement.

• Table of Contents

Front and Back Matter

Supplemental material, dissertations comprising previously published works, top ten formatting errors, further questions.

• Related Contacts and Forms

When preparing the dissertation for submission, students must follow strict formatting requirements. Any deviation from these requirements may lead to rejection of the dissertation and delay in the conferral of the degree.

The language of the dissertation is ordinarily English, although some departments whose subject matter involves foreign languages may accept a dissertation written in a language other than English.

Most dissertations are 100 to 300 pages in length. All dissertations should be divided into appropriate sections, and long dissertations may need chapters, main divisions, and subdivisions.

• 8½ x 11 inches, unless a musical score is included
• At least 1 inch for all margins
• Body of text: double spacing
• Block quotations, footnotes, and bibliographies: single spacing within each entry but double spacing between each entry
• Table of contents, list of tables, list of figures or illustrations, and lengthy tables: single spacing may be used

Fonts and Point Size

Use 10-12 point size. Fonts must be embedded in the PDF file to ensure all characters display correctly. 

Recommended Fonts

If you are unsure whether your chosen font will display correctly, use one of the following fonts: 

If fonts are not embedded, non-English characters may not appear as intended. Fonts embedded improperly will be published to DASH as-is. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that fonts are embedded properly prior to submission. 

Instructions for Embedding Fonts

To embed your fonts in recent versions of Word, follow these instructions from Microsoft:

• Click the File tab and then click Options .
• In the left column, select the Save tab.
• Clear the Do not embed common system fonts check box.

For reference, below are some instructions from ProQuest UMI for embedding fonts in older file formats:

To embed your fonts in Microsoft Word 2010:

• In the File pull-down menu click on Options .
• Choose Save on the left sidebar.
• Check the box next to Embed fonts in the file.
• Click the OK button.
• Save the document.

Note that when saving as a PDF, make sure to go to “more options” and save as “PDF/A compliant”

To embed your fonts in Microsoft Word 2007:

• Click the circular Office button in the upper left corner of Microsoft Word.
• A new window will display. In the bottom right corner select Word Options . 
• Choose Save from the left sidebar.

Using Microsoft Word on a Mac:

Microsoft Word 2008 on a Mac OS X computer will automatically embed your fonts while converting your document to a PDF file.

If you are converting to PDF using Acrobat Professional (instructions courtesy of the Graduate Thesis Office at Iowa State University):  

• Open your document in Microsoft Word. 
• Click on the Adobe PDF tab at the top. Select "Change Conversion Settings." 
• Click on Advanced Settings. 
• Click on the Fonts folder on the left side of the new window. In the lower box on the right, delete any fonts that appear in the "Never Embed" box. Then click "OK." 
• If prompted to save these new settings, save them as "Embed all fonts." 
• Now the Change Conversion Settings window should show "embed all fonts" in the Conversion Settings drop-down list and it should be selected. Click "OK" again. 
• Click on the Adobe PDF link at the top again. This time select Convert to Adobe PDF. Depending on the size of your document and the speed of your computer, this process can take 1-15 minutes. 
• After your document is converted, select the "File" tab at the top of the page. Then select "Document Properties." 
• Click on the "Fonts" tab. Carefully check all of your fonts. They should all show "(Embedded Subset)" after the font name. 
•  If you see "(Embedded Subset)" after all fonts, you have succeeded.

The font used in the body of the text must also be used in headers, page numbers, and footnotes. Exceptions are made only for tables and figures created with different software and inserted into the document.

Tables and figures must be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or they may be placed directly into the text. If a table or a figure is alone on a page (with no narrative), it should be centered within the margins on the page. Tables may take up more than one page as long as they obey all rules about margins. Tables and figures referred to in the text may not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation.

• Given the standards of the discipline, dissertations in the Department of History of Art and Architecture and the Department of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning often place illustrations at the end of the dissertation.

Figure and table numbering must be continuous throughout the dissertation or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc.). Two figures or tables cannot be designated with the same number. If you have repeating images that you need to cite more than once, label them with their number and A, B, etc. 

Headings should be placed at the top of tables. While no specific rules for the format of table headings and figure captions are required, a consistent format must be used throughout the dissertation (contact your department for style manuals appropriate to the field).

Captions should appear at the bottom of any figures. If the figure takes up the entire page, the caption should be placed alone on the preceding page, centered vertically and horizontally within the margins.

Each page receives a separate page number. When a figure or table title is on a preceding page, the second and subsequent pages of the figure or table should say, for example, “Figure 5 (Continued).” In such an instance, the list of figures or tables will list the page number containing the title. The word “figure” should be written in full (not abbreviated), and the “F” should be capitalized (e.g., Figure 5). In instances where the caption continues on a second page, the “(Continued)” notation should appear on the second and any subsequent page. The figure/table and the caption are viewed as one entity and the numbering should show correlation between all pages. Each page must include a header.

Landscape orientation figures and tables must be positioned correctly and bound at the top so that the top of the figure or table will be at the left margin. Figure and table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure or table when on the same page. When on a separate page, headings/captions are always placed in portrait orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure or table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure were vertical on the page.

If a graphic artist does the figures, Harvard Griffin GSAS will accept lettering done by the artist only within the figure. Figures done with software are acceptable if the figures are clear and legible. Legends and titles done by the same process as the figures will be accepted if they too are clear, legible, and run at least 10 or 12 characters per inch. Otherwise, legends and captions should be printed with the same font used in the text.

Original illustrations, photographs, and fine arts prints may be scanned and included, centered between the margins on a page with no text above or below.

Use of Third-Party Content

In addition to the student's own writing, dissertations often contain third-party content or in-copyright content owned by parties other than you, the student who authored the dissertation. The Office for Scholarly Communication recommends consulting the information below about fair use, which allows individuals to use in-copyright content, on a limited basis and for specific purposes, without seeking permission from copyright holders.

Because your dissertation will be made available for online distribution through DASH , Harvard's open-access repository, it is important that any third-party content in it may be made available in this way.

Fair Use and Copyright 

What is fair use?

Fair use is a provision in copyright law that allows the use of a certain amount of copyrighted material without seeking permission. Fair use is format- and media-agnostic. This means fair use may apply to images (including photographs, illustrations, and paintings), quoting at length from literature, videos, and music regardless of the format. 

How do I determine whether my use of an image or other third-party content in my dissertation is fair use?  

There are four factors you will need to consider when making a fair use claim.

1) For what purpose is your work going to be used?

• Nonprofit, educational, scholarly, or research use favors fair use. Commercial, non-educational uses, often do not favor fair use.
• A transformative use (repurposing or recontextualizing the in-copyright material) favors fair use. Examining, analyzing, and explicating the material in a meaningful way, so as to enhance a reader's understanding, strengthens your fair use argument. In other words, can you make the point in the thesis without using, for instance, an in-copyright image? Is that image necessary to your dissertation? If not, perhaps, for copyright reasons, you should not include the image.  

2) What is the nature of the work to be used?

• Published, fact-based content favors fair use and includes scholarly analysis in published academic venues. 
• Creative works, including artistic images, are afforded more protection under copyright, and depending on your use in light of the other factors, may be less likely to favor fair use; however, this does not preclude considerations of fair use for creative content altogether.

3) How much of the work is going to be used?  

• Small, or less significant, amounts favor fair use. A good rule of thumb is to use only as much of the in-copyright content as necessary to serve your purpose. Can you use a thumbnail rather than a full-resolution image? Can you use a black-and-white photo instead of color? Can you quote select passages instead of including several pages of the content? These simple changes bolster your fair use of the material.

4) What potential effect on the market for that work may your use have?

• If there is a market for licensing this exact use or type of educational material, then this weighs against fair use. If however, there would likely be no effect on the potential commercial market, or if it is not possible to obtain permission to use the work, then this favors fair use. 

For further assistance with fair use, consult the Office for Scholarly Communication's guide, Fair Use: Made for the Harvard Community and the Office of the General Counsel's Copyright and Fair Use: A Guide for the Harvard Community .

What are my options if I don’t have a strong fair use claim? 

Consider the following options if you find you cannot reasonably make a fair use claim for the content you wish to incorporate:

• Seek permission from the copyright holder. 
• Use openly licensed content as an alternative to the original third-party content you intended to use. Openly-licensed content grants permission up-front for reuse of in-copyright content, provided your use meets the terms of the open license.
• Use content in the public domain, as this content is not in-copyright and is therefore free of all copyright restrictions. Whereas third-party content is owned by parties other than you, no one owns content in the public domain; everyone, therefore, has the right to use it.

For use of images in your dissertation, please consult this guide to Finding Public Domain & Creative Commons Media , which is a great resource for finding images without copyright restrictions. 

Who can help me with questions about copyright and fair use?

Contact your Copyright First Responder . Please note, Copyright First Responders assist with questions concerning copyright and fair use, but do not assist with the process of obtaining permission from copyright holders.

Pages should be assigned a number except for the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate . Preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents, list of tables, graphs, illustrations, and preface) should use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages must contain text or images.  

Count the title page as page i and the copyright page as page ii, but do not print page numbers on either page .

For the body of text, use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) starting with page 1 on the first page of text. Page numbers must be centered throughout the manuscript at the top or bottom. Every numbered page must be consecutively ordered, including tables, graphs, illustrations, and bibliography/index (if included); letter suffixes (such as 10a, 10b, etc.) are not allowed. It is customary not to have a page number on the page containing a chapter heading.

• Check pagination carefully. Account for all pages.

A copy of the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC) should appear as the first page. This page should not be counted or numbered. The DAC will appear in the online version of the published dissertation. The author name and date on the DAC and title page should be the same. 

The dissertation begins with the title page; the title should be as concise as possible and should provide an accurate description of the dissertation. The author name and date on the DAC and title page should be the same. 

• Do not print a page number on the title page. It is understood to be page  i  for counting purposes only.

A copyright notice should appear on a separate page immediately following the title page and include the copyright symbol ©, the year of first publication of the work, and the name of the author:

© [ year ] [ Author’s Name ] All rights reserved.

Alternatively, students may choose to license their work openly under a  Creative Commons  license. The author remains the copyright holder while at the same time granting up-front permission to others to read, share, and (depending on the license) adapt the work, so long as proper attribution is given. (By default, under copyright law, the author reserves all rights; under a Creative Commons license, the author reserves some rights.)

• Do  not  print a page number on the copyright page. It is understood to be page  ii  for counting purposes only.

An abstract, numbered as page  iii , should immediately follow the copyright page and should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions of the research. The abstract will appear in the online and bound versions of the dissertation and will be published by ProQuest. There is no maximum word count for the abstract. 

• double-spaced
• left-justified
• indented on the first line of each paragraph
• The author’s name, right justified
• The words “Dissertation Advisor:” followed by the advisor’s name, left-justified (a maximum of two advisors is allowed)
• Title of the dissertation, centered, several lines below author and advisor

Dissertations divided into sections must contain a table of contents that lists, at minimum, the major headings in the following order:

• Front Matter
• Body of Text
• Back Matter

Front matter includes (if applicable):

• acknowledgements of help or encouragement from individuals or institutions
• a dedication
• a list of illustrations or tables
• a glossary of terms
• one or more epigraphs.

Back matter includes (if applicable):

• bibliography
• supplemental materials, including figures and tables
• an index (in rare instances).

Supplemental figures and tables must be placed at the end of the dissertation in an appendix, not within or at the end of a chapter. If additional digital information (including audio, video, image, or datasets) will accompany the main body of the dissertation, it should be uploaded as a supplemental file through ProQuest ETD . Supplemental material will be available in DASH and ProQuest and preserved digitally in the Harvard University Archives.

As a matter of copyright, dissertations comprising the student's previously published works must be authorized for distribution from DASH. The guidelines in this section pertain to any previously published material that requires permission from publishers or other rightsholders before it may be distributed from DASH. Please note:

• Authors whose publishing agreements grant the publisher exclusive rights to display, distribute, and create derivative works will need to seek the publisher's permission for nonexclusive use of the underlying works before the dissertation may be distributed from DASH.
• Authors whose publishing agreements indicate the authors have retained the relevant nonexclusive rights to the original materials for display, distribution, and the creation of derivative works may distribute the dissertation as a whole from DASH without need for further permissions.

It is recommended that authors consult their publishing agreements directly to determine whether and to what extent they may have transferred exclusive rights under copyright. The Office for Scholarly Communication (OSC) is available to help the author determine whether she has retained the necessary rights or requires permission. Please note, however, the Office of Scholarly Communication is not able to assist with the permissions process itself.

• Missing Dissertation Acceptance Certificate.  The first page of the PDF dissertation file should be a scanned copy of the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC). This page should not be counted or numbered as a part of the dissertation pagination.
• Conflicts Between the DAC and the Title Page.  The DAC and the dissertation title page must match exactly, meaning that the author name and the title on the title page must match that on the DAC. If you use your full middle name or just an initial on one document, it must be the same on the other document.  
• Abstract Formatting Errors. The advisor name should be left-justified, and the author's name should be right-justified. Up to two advisor names are allowed. The Abstract should be double spaced and include the page title “Abstract,” as well as the page number “iii.” There is no maximum word count for the abstract. 
•  The front matter should be numbered using Roman numerals (iii, iv, v, …). The title page and the copyright page should be counted but not numbered. The first printed page number should appear on the Abstract page (iii). 
• The body of the dissertation should be numbered using Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, …). The first page of the body of the text should begin with page 1. Pagination may not continue from the front matter. 
• All page numbers should be centered either at the top or the bottom of the page.
• Figures and tables Figures and tables must be placed within the text, as close to their first mention as possible. Figures and tables that span more than one page must be labeled on each page. Any second and subsequent page of the figure/table must include the “(Continued)” notation. This applies to figure captions as well as images. Each page of a figure/table must be accounted for and appropriately labeled. All figures/tables must have a unique number. They may not repeat within the dissertation.
• Any figures/tables placed in a horizontal orientation must be placed with the top of the figure/ table on the left-hand side. The top of the figure/table should be aligned with the spine of the dissertation when it is bound. 
• Page numbers must be placed in the same location on all pages of the dissertation, centered, at the bottom or top of the page. Page numbers may not appear under the table/ figure.
• Supplemental Figures and Tables. Supplemental figures and tables must be placed at the back of the dissertation in an appendix. They should not be placed at the back of the chapter. 
• Permission Letters Copyright. permission letters must be uploaded as a supplemental file, titled ‘do_not_publish_permission_letters,” within the dissertation submission tool.
•  DAC Attachment. The signed Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must additionally be uploaded as a document in the "Administrative Documents" section when submitting in Proquest ETD . Dissertation submission is not complete until all documents have been received and accepted.
• Overall Formatting. The entire document should be checked after all revisions, and before submitting online, to spot any inconsistencies or PDF conversion glitches.
• You can view dissertations successfully published from your department in DASH . This is a great place to check for specific formatting and area-specific conventions.
• Contact the  Office of Student Affairs  with further questions.

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Using Direct Quotations in Your Thesis or Dissertation

Using Direct Quotations in Your Thesis or Dissertation Whenever you quote the exact words of another author or speaker in your thesis or dissertation, it is essential that you quote those words with accuracy and observe with precision and consistency all appropriate scholarly techniques and editorial styles. Your university may provide you with guidelines specifying how you should quote and cite sources, or it may refer you to a specific style manual. If you have received such guidance, presenting and formatting any quotations you use exactly as you are directed will be a necessary aspect of producing a successful thesis or dissertation. If you have not, there are still basic practices that should be observed when quoting sources in all scholarly writing, and they will be expected regardless of whether you have been provided with more detailed guidelines or not. Accuracy is vital when quoting the words of another author or speaker, so pay special attention when initially typing in quotations and take the time to check each one against its source when you proofread your work. Errors creep into quoted material with alarming frequency, so it is wise never to assume that quotations are correct. Remember that if you make errors in quoted material, you are not only compromising your work, but also misrepresenting the author you are quoting. Recording quotations inaccurately and arguing your case on the basis of erroneous information are unethical and unprofessional practices and they can certainly undermine the argument you hoped to support by using quotations. PhD Thesis Editing Services Correct and consistent formatting is also essential when directly quoting sources. Your text must be presented in such a way that it is clear to the reader exactly which words are borrowed. When quotations are short and embedded in your main text, they should appear in the font size you are using for your own prose and must be enclosed in quotation marks. Single (‘’) or double (“”) quotation marks will work, but do check any guidelines provided by your university to be sure you are using the preferred format if there is one. The same type of quotation marks must be used for every embedded quotation. The other type can then be used for any quotations that appear within quoted material – double marks within single ones or single marks within double – and these, too, must be used consistently in every relevant instance.

If you are quoting longer prose passages or several lines of poetry, they can be displayed as block quotations, generally with indentation, at least on the left margin, and often in a slighter smaller font than your main text. In such cases, no quotation marks are necessary because the block format indicates which words are borrowed. Whether you are using quotation marks or block quotation, remember that italic font is not a correct format for indicating quoted material in academic and scientific writing in the English language. Italics should therefore only be used when and where the author you are quoting used them, or when you wish to emphasise certain words within a quotation. In the latter case, the italics should be acknowledged as your own addition.

Every quotation you use should also be accompanied by a reference to its source. Methods and styles of referencing vary, so do make sure that you are using the kind of references recommended by your department. Whether your references are parenthetical, numerical or note based, always remember to include with every quotation a page number or other precise location specifying exactly where readers can find the borrowed text. PhD Thesis Editing Services Why Our Editing and Proofreading Services? At Proof-Reading-Service.com we offer the highest quality journal article editing , phd thesis editing and proofreading services via our large and extremely dedicated team of academic and scientific professionals. All of our proofreaders are native speakers of English who have earned their own postgraduate degrees, and their areas of specialisation cover such a wide range of disciplines that we are able to help our international clientele with research editing to improve and perfect all kinds of academic manuscripts for successful publication. Many of the carefully trained members of our expert editing and proofreading team work predominantly on articles intended for publication in scholarly journals, applying painstaking journal editing standards to ensure that the references and formatting used in each paper are in conformity with the journal’s instructions for authors and to correct any grammar, spelling, punctuation or simple typing errors. In this way, we enable our clients to report their research in the clear and accurate ways required to impress acquisitions proofreaders and achieve publication.

Our scientific proofreading services for the authors of a wide variety of scientific journal papers are especially popular, but we also offer manuscript proofreading services and have the experience and expertise to proofread and edit manuscripts in all scholarly disciplines, as well as beyond them. We have team members who specialise in medical proofreading services , and some of our experts dedicate their time exclusively to PhD proofreading and master’s proofreading , offering research students the opportunity to improve their use of formatting and language through the most exacting PhD thesis editing and dissertation proofreading practices. Whether you are preparing a conference paper for presentation, polishing a progress report to share with colleagues, or facing the daunting task of editing and perfecting any kind of scholarly document for publication, a qualified member of our professional team can provide invaluable assistance and give you greater confidence in your written work.

If you are in the process of preparing an article for an academic or scientific journal, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in a new book, Guide to Journal Publication , which is available on our Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals website.

Guide to Academic and Scientific Publication

How to get your writing published in scholarly journals.

It provides practical advice on planning, preparing and submitting articles for publication in scholarly journals.

PhD Success

How to write a doctoral thesis.

If you are in the process of preparing a PhD thesis for submission, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in the book, How to Write a Doctoral Thesis , which is available on our thesis proofreading website.

PhD Success: How to Write a Doctoral Thesis provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Why Is Proofreading Important?

To improve the quality of papers.

Effective proofreading is absolutely vital to the production of high-quality scholarly and professional documents. When done carefully, correctly and thoroughly, proofreading can make the difference between writing that communicates successfully with its intended readers and writing that does not. No author creates a perfect text without reviewing, reflecting on and revising what he or she has written, and proofreading is an extremely important part of this process.

APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

• Basics of APA Formatting
• In Text Quick View
• Block Quotes

About Block Quotes

Block quote example.

• Books & eBooks
• Thesis/Dissertation
• Audiovisual
• Conference Presentations
• Social Media
• Legal References
• Reports and Gray Literature
• Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
• Additional Resources
• Reference Page
• Any quotation containing 40 or more words should be formatted as a Block Quote
• Do not use quotation marks to enclose block quotations.  Do use double quotation marks to enclose any quoted material within a block quotation
• Place period at the end of the quote rather than after the citation
• Block quotes should start on a new line and indent the block about ½ inch from the left margin
• If there are additional paragraphs within the block quote, indent the first line of each an additional half inch.

For further information and examples, consult pages 92 and 171 of the APA Manual.

Accord to Siegel and Hartzell (2004)            

trauma and loss requires an understanding of the low road and its connection to patterns of experiences from the past. The passing of unresolved issues from generation to generation produces and perpetuates unnecessary emotional suffering. If our own issues remain unresolved, there is a strong possibility that the disorganization within our minds can createdisorganization in our children’s minds. (p. 183)

During gestation, the numerous genes in the nucleus of each cell become expressed and the genes determine what proteins become produced and when and how to shape the body’s structure.  In utero brain development enables neurons to grow and move to their proper locations in the skull and begin to set up the interconnections that create the circuitry of this complex organ of the nervous system.  (Siegel & Hartzell, 2004)

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Ten things I wish I'd known before starting my dissertation

The sun is shining but many students won't see the daylight. Because it's that time of year again – dissertation time.

Luckily for me, my D-Day (dissertation hand-in day) has already been and gone. But I remember it well.

The 10,000-word spiral-bound paper squatted on my desk in various forms of completion was my Allied forces; the history department in-tray was my Normandy. And when Eisenhower talked about a "great crusade toward which we have striven these many months", he was bang on.

I remember first encountering the Undergraduate Dissertation Handbook, feeling my heart sink at how long the massive file took to download, and began to think about possible (but in hindsight, wildly over-ambitious) topics. Here's what I've learned since, and wish I'd known back then…

1 ) If your dissertation supervisor isn't right, change. Mine was brilliant. If you don't feel like they're giving you the right advice, request to swap to someone else – providing it's early on and your reason is valid, your department shouldn't have a problem with it. In my experience, it doesn't matter too much whether they're an expert on your topic. What counts is whether they're approachable, reliable, reassuring, give detailed feedback and don't mind the odd panicked email. They are your lifeline and your best chance of success.

2 ) If you mention working on your dissertation to family, friends or near-strangers, they will ask you what it's about, and they will be expecting a more impressive answer than you can give. So prepare for looks of confusion and disappointment. People anticipate grandeur in history dissertation topics – war, genocide, the formation of modern society. They don't think much of researching an obscure piece of 1970s disability legislation. But they're not the ones marking it.

3 ) If they ask follow-up questions, they're probably just being polite.

4 ) Do not ask friends how much work they've done. You'll end up paranoid – or they will. Either way, you don't have time for it.

5 ) There will be one day during the process when you will freak out, doubt your entire thesis and decide to start again from scratch. You might even come up with a new question and start working on it, depending on how long the breakdown lasts. You will at some point run out of steam and collapse in an exhausted, tear-stained heap. But unless there are serious flaws in your work (unlikely) and your supervisor recommends starting again (highly unlikely), don't do it. It's just panic, it'll pass.

6 ) A lot of the work you do will not make it into your dissertation. The first few days in archives, I felt like everything I was unearthing was a gem, and when I sat down to write, it seemed as if it was all gold. But a brutal editing down to the word count has left much of that early material at the wayside.

7 ) You will print like you have never printed before. If you're using a university or library printer, it will start to affect your weekly budget in a big way. If you're printing from your room, "paper jam" will come to be the most dreaded two words in the English language.

8 ) Your dissertation will interfere with whatever else you have going on – a social life, sporting commitments, societies, other essay demands. Don't even try and give up biscuits for Lent, they'll basically become their own food group when you're too busy to cook and desperate for sugar.

9 ) Your time is not your own. Even if you're super-organised, plan your time down to the last hour and don't have a single moment of deadline panic, you'll still find that thoughts of your dissertation will creep up on you when you least expect it. You'll fall asleep thinking about it, dream about it and wake up thinking about. You'll feel guilty when you're not working on it, and mired in self-doubt when you are.

10 ) Finishing it will be one of the best things you've ever done. It's worth the hard work to know you've completed what's likely to be your biggest, most important, single piece of work. Be proud of it.

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• Referencing

A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 15 September 2023.

Referencing is an important part of academic writing. It tells your readers what sources you’ve used and how to find them.

Harvard is the most common referencing style used in UK universities. In Harvard style, the author and year are cited in-text, and full details of the source are given in a reference list .

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Table of contents

Harvard in-text citation, creating a harvard reference list, harvard referencing examples, referencing sources with no author or date, frequently asked questions about harvard referencing.

A Harvard in-text citation appears in brackets beside any quotation or paraphrase of a source. It gives the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication, as well as a page number or range locating the passage referenced, if applicable:

Note that ‘p.’ is used for a single page, ‘pp.’ for multiple pages (e.g. ‘pp. 1–5’).

An in-text citation usually appears immediately after the quotation or paraphrase in question. It may also appear at the end of the relevant sentence, as long as it’s clear what it refers to.

When your sentence already mentions the name of the author, it should not be repeated in the citation:

Sources with multiple authors

When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors’ names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Sources with no page numbers

Some sources, such as websites , often don’t have page numbers. If the source is a short text, you can simply leave out the page number. With longer sources, you can use an alternate locator such as a subheading or paragraph number if you need to specify where to find the quote:

Multiple citations at the same point

When you need multiple citations to appear at the same point in your text – for example, when you refer to several sources with one phrase – you can present them in the same set of brackets, separated by semicolons. List them in order of publication date:

Multiple sources with the same author and date

If you cite multiple sources by the same author which were published in the same year, it’s important to distinguish between them in your citations. To do this, insert an ‘a’ after the year in the first one you reference, a ‘b’ in the second, and so on:

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A bibliography or reference list appears at the end of your text. It lists all your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, giving complete information so that the reader can look them up if necessary.

The reference entry starts with the author’s last name followed by initial(s). Only the first word of the title is capitalised (as well as any proper nouns).

Sources with multiple authors in the reference list

As with in-text citations, up to three authors should be listed; when there are four or more, list only the first author followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Reference list entries vary according to source type, since different information is relevant for different sources. Formats and examples for the most commonly used source types are given below.

• Entire book
• Book chapter
• Translated book
• Edition of a book

Journal articles

• Print journal
• Online-only journal with DOI
• Online-only journal with no DOI
• General web page
• Online article or blog
• Social media post

Sometimes you won’t have all the information you need for a reference. This section covers what to do when a source lacks a publication date or named author.

No publication date

When a source doesn’t have a clear publication date – for example, a constantly updated reference source like Wikipedia or an obscure historical document which can’t be accurately dated – you can replace it with the words ‘no date’:

Note that when you do this with an online source, you should still include an access date, as in the example.

When a source lacks a clearly identified author, there’s often an appropriate corporate source – the organisation responsible for the source – whom you can credit as author instead, as in the Google and Wikipedia examples above.

When that’s not the case, you can just replace it with the title of the source in both the in-text citation and the reference list:

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Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.

The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:

• A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
• A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, September 15). A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 25 March 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-style/

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How to Use Quotations in Your Thesis

This entry was posted in Category Dissertation , Editor , on September 21 , 2015 .

A thesis is the last step towards your destination of the degree in which candidates may show their knowledge of the specific area of interest and their achievement by identifying and proposing solutions to problems within their field.

Thesis, on the other hand, is the transition from a research candidate to the contributor within their area of research by engaging in original research and adding to the body of knowledge.

The thesis requires demonstration of thorough understanding from a candidate’s end.

Quotations amassed from previously written work are one of the ways to show the thorough understanding in a specific area of research though inappropriate, or overuse of quotations may affect the impact of your thesis.

Therefore, candidates must use quotation judiciously in their thesis.

The length and number of quotation vary depending upon the academic field.

Eg: If a research candidate is working on Shakespeare’s contribution in figurative language will need to include a number of quotations from his plays.

And if a candidate is working on qualitative studies based on extensive interviews with different participants then he will also need to use quotations from the conducted interviews.

Once the researcher has decided to include quotation, he has to be careful how is going to handle.

Here are some tips:

1. Introduce Quotations:

Many university guidelines require candidates to introduce quotations in their thesis.

In that scenario, use any of the following methods:

i) Use any short introductory phrase such as ‘According to’, followed by the authors name, a comma and the quotation.

According to John, “Computer science is a practical approach to computation and its application”.

ii) Mention person’s (author’s) name, an appropriate verb such as ‘said’, ‘stated’ followed by the quotation Smith stated, “No work is small.” 2. Reproduce Quotations:

The fact is that the quotation should be written the same way it is in the source, however, depending upon the guidelines or in some exceptions, candidates can make changes in the quotation for the grammatical corrections only, but those corrections should not change the meaning of the quotation.

Grisham stated, “The books are in the table.” Grisham stated, “The books are on the table.”

3. Don’t Use Single Word Quotation: Avoid using single-word quotation.

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How To Use Quotations In Dissertations

Dissertations serve a two-fold purpose.  They are the final projects for doctoral candidates, the last step before degree conferral, in which these individuals may show their knowledge of their specific areas of interest and of their ability to identify and propose solutions to problems within their fields.  Dissertations are simultaneously the transition from students to contributors within their fields by engaging in original research and adding to the body of knowledge.

In writing dissertations, authors must demonstrate their thorough understanding of their particular areas of study.  One way to show that understanding is through the use of quotations garnered from previously written works in their field or in related areas.  However, overuse or inappropriate use of quotations may have the opposite effect, suggesting a lack of understanding.  Therefore, authors must use quotations judiciously.

The number and length of quotations may vary from one academic field to another.  For example, students examining Shakespeare’s use of figurative language in his various plays will need to include specific quotations from the plays for each type of figurative language discussed.  Such quotations may range from one word to several lines.  Students conducting qualitative studies based on extensive interviews of research participants will also need to use numerous quotations from those interviews to support whatever themes they discover through their analysis of those data.  However, inclusion of quotations from other experts in the field of study should be handled differently.

In the proposal, concept paper, and the final dissertation, candidates must demonstrate their familiarity with the research in their field.  This is the primary purpose of chapter 2 in most dissertations.  Some of that background material is also revealed in the first chapter to set up the problem and to show the significance of the study.  Additional background material is revealed in chapter 3 to show an understanding of the chosen research methodology and its appropriateness for the study in question.

In these chapters, authors are not only giving information pertinent to their studies but also showing their ability to grasp ideas, analyze material for its strengths and weaknesses, and synthesize material from various sources to create the foundation for their particular study.  Therefore, quotations should be used only when that is the best and clearest way to provide information to the reader.

Consider the following two examples:

Example 1:   According to John Smith, “The best thing about this concept is that it is easy to understand compared with other concepts in this field.”  He went on to say that “scientists will be able to use this new knowledge to create new technology for this field” and that “people will embrace this technology very quickly.”  Therefore, “companies that wish to increase their profitability” should begin investing in “this new scientific venture” so that they “will not lose out” on this “golden opportunity.”

Example 2:   According to John Smith, this new concept is easier to understand compared to others in the same field.  Because of this, new technology will be forthcoming, which people will be eager to purchase.  Therefore, he advises businesses to invest in this research as soon as possible.  Failure to do so may result in their decreased profitability.

Although not taken directly from actual dissertations, the formats of these two examples shows what editors often find in dissertations.  Both examples deal with the same topic and make the same essential points.  Yet the second one clearly shows the writer understands the material drawn from John Smith’s work; the first does not.  The first one is simply a copy of John Smith’s words interspersed with innocuous connecting phrases.  The writer in the first example has not attempted to analyze, synthesize, or summarize the meaning of Smith’s words.  Instead, the writer has found material that fits the topic being discussed and quotes from that material, expecting the reader to figure out what it all means.  Unfortunately, many candidates use this type of format.  Variations include inserting block quote after block quote, often from the same source, and quoting single words that, in and of themselves, hold no special significance.

Authors who use quotes judiciously reduce verbiage and redundancy, demonstrate their thorough grasp of the material, and often show the connection of their original research to the rest of the field more clearly.  If they include quotations at all, they do so to emphasis a particular point.  Using quotations in this way is ultimately more powerful.

After deciding to include quotations, authors must also handle them correctly.  The following points are not all inclusive but represent some of the more common problems editors find in dissertations.

1.     Introduce most quotations.

Seldom should a paragraph begin with a direct quotation.  Many university style guides require authors to introduce quotations, although there are exceptions.  However, when in doubt, error on the side of introducing the quotation to prevent any misinterpretation of the material.  Use one of the following constructions:

• a full sentence with the quotation placed after a colon;
• a short introductory phrase such as “according to” followed by the person’s name, a comma, and the quotation (e.g., According to Smith, “Businesses must take advantage of this golden opportunity”);
• the person’s name, an appropriate verb such as “stated,” and the quotation (e.g., David stated, “I am hungry”).

2.     Reproduce the quotation accurately.  

The quotation should be written the same way it is written in the source from which it is being taken.  However, there are exceptions to this rule, depending on the style guide candidates are required to follow.  For example, writers may correct minor grammatical problems within a quotation as long as those corrections do not change the meaning or are not needed to demonstrate a particular point.  This avoids overuse of [ sic ] to show that the author knows the errors are there and makes it easier for the reader to follow.  It also acknowledges that the errors may or may not have been in the original quotation but are the result of transcription by a third party.

3.  Alter the capitalization of the first word of the quotation to fit the syntax of the sentence in which it is placed.  

Generally, if the quotation follows direct attribution, the first word is capitalized (e.g., David said, “He goes to my school”).  However, if the word that is included, the first word is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun (e.g., David said that he goes to my school).  If the quotation is a block quotation and comes after a colon, capitalize the first word (see Example 1).  If it is a block quotation used as a continuation of the sentence, do not capitalize the first word unless it is a proper noun (see Example 2).

He recited the Gettysburg Address:

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  

Example 2. 

The new law states that

any person entering another individual’s domicile without the express permission of that individual is trespassing and is subject to the fines and levies as defined in Section 3 subsection 1 paragraph 1.

4.     Use appropriate punctuation.

Be sure to punctuation the quotation correctly as it is used within the dissertation.

• All run-in quotations must begin and end with quotation marks.  Block quotations are not placed within quotation marks.
• Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation marks (e.g., Patty bought “The Isle of Man,” the bestselling mystery novel).
• Other forms of punctuation go outside the closing quotation marks unless they are part of the actual quotation (e.g., Did he just say, “I’m going home”?  I asked, “What do you have for lunch?”)
• If a quotation contains a quotation, be sure to enclose the secondary quotation in single quotation marks (e.g., He stated, “I have just read the story, ‘The Scarlet Ibis,’ for the tenth time”).  Note that in block quotations, secondary quotations are punctuated with double quotation marks, not single, because the doubles are not used to define the beginning and ending of the major quotation.

5.     Use ellipses correctly.

Ellipses (. . .) are used to show the omission of wording from a quotation.  However, ellipses are not needed if an author chooses to delete the first portion of a sentence being quoted or the last part of a sentence being quoted.  Only material deleted from the middle of a quotation is noted by an ellipsis.

• Correct: He began reciting the Gettysburg address:  “Four score and seven years ago . . . perish from the earth.”
• Incorrect: He began reciting: “. . . and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal . . . .”

6.     Use attributions correctly.

Here, attributions refer to the verbs used to indicate how the speaker is speaking (e.g., said, stated, noted, etc.).  Be sure the verb used is possible.  For example, a person can shout words but cannot grimace words.  In dissertations, stick with simple verbs that allow the reader to move into the quotation as quickly as possible without having to consider if the verb makes sense.

7.     Cite, cite, cite.

Citations are attributions of a different kind.  Be sure that each quotation is cited accurately.  Citations should include the author of the source, the year of publication, and the page number in the source on which the wording may be found.  Although it is possible that a quotation may split between two contiguous pages (e.g., pp. 9–10), seldom will a quotation span more than two pages unless it is an extremely long block quotation.  (If it is, see the previous discussion about appropriate use of quotations.)

8.     Avoid single word quotations.

Generally, these are terms and should be italicized in their first use in text and not punctuated at all in subsequent use in the paper.  If a word was coined by the author of the source being quoted, incorporate a phrase or a sentence in which the word appears as a quote rather than using the single word.  This assists in eliminating the tendency to place the term in quotation marks every time it is used in the paper.

Finally, remember that overuse of almost anything minimizes its effectiveness.  This is as true with quotations as with any other writing technique.  Use quotations sparingly.  Be sure that the information cannot be conveyed as effectively or as accurately through paraphrasing, summarizing, or synthesizing it with other material.  Be accurate, use appropriate punctuation, and cite the source properly. If you’re in need of assistance, consider hiring an excellent dissertation editing service, such as Edit911 , to check everything for you.

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• Best Online Doctorates in Social Work

Best Online Doctorates in Social Work Of 2024

Published: Mar 27, 2024, 2:55pm

If you want to advance your social work career without leaving the workforce, consider earning a doctorate or Ph.D. in social work online. These high-level degrees can help you develop the advanced theoretical and practical skills you need to apply for practitioner leadership roles or university-level teaching and research jobs in social work.

Potential careers for graduates include university social work professor, executive director of a social services agency, social work administrator or social work researcher.

Most social work doctoral programs require a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) and several years of professional experience. A typical curriculum explores social work research, ethics, evidence-based practice and social justice. Graduation requirements usually include either a capstone project or a dissertation.

Explore our ranking of the best online doctorates in social work below. We also discuss considerations to help you decide whether an online social work graduate program is right for you and what you can expect if you pursue this degree.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

Our Methodology

We ranked 19 accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online social work doctoral degrees in the U.S. using 15 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes and student experience. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites.

Data is accurate as of June 2023. Note that because online doctorates are relatively uncommon, fewer schools meet our ranking standards at the doctoral level.

We scored schools based on the following metrics:

Student Outcomes:

• Overall graduation rate
• Median earnings 10 years after graduation

Affordability:

• In-state graduate student tuition
• In-state graduate student fees
• Alternative tuition plans offered
• Median federal student loan debt
• Percentage of students in federal student loan deferment

Student Experience:

• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Socioeconomic diversity
• Availability of online coursework
• Total number of graduate assistants
• More than 50% of graduate students enrolled in at least some distance education

Credibility:

• Fully accredited
• Programmatic accreditation status
• Nonprofit status

We chose the 10 best schools to display based on those receiving a curved final score of 76% or higher.

Find our full list of methodologies here .

• Best Online Bachelor Of Social Work Degrees
• Best Online Master's In Human Services
• Best Online MSW Programs
• Best Online Human Services Degrees

Degree Finder

Best online ph.d. in social work options, should you enroll in an online ph.d. in social work program, accreditation for online doctorates in social work, how to find the right online ph.d. in social work for you, frequently asked questions (faqs) about online doctorates in social work, university of southern california, university of pennsylvania, simmons university, yeshiva university.

• University of St Thomas

University at Buffalo

Sacred heart university, our lady of the lake university, spalding university, tulane university of louisiana, featured online schools.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial credit and much more by clicking 'Visit Site'

Graduate Tuition

$2,244/credit

Percentage of Grad Students Enrolled in Distance Education

Overall Graduation Rate

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles offers a fully online Doctor of Social Work through its USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Designed for experienced professionals, the program explores advanced social work theory and practice. The curriculum prepares grads to become social change leaders.

The curriculum focuses on executive leadership, innovative design and major social work challenges. Students can enroll in a 28-month accelerated or 36-month standard track. Learners must complete a capstone project to graduate.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $90
• Degree Credit Requirements: 42 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Accelerated, full-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Strategic innovations for the grand challenges, design laboratory for social innovation I
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: No

$7,014/credit

Located in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania ‘s School of Social Policy and Practice offers a doctorate in clinical social work designed for working professionals. Penn was the first social work school in the country to offer a practice-based social work doctorate starting in 2007.

The hybrid program combines synchronous online evening classes with two five-day immersions that require in-person campus attendance. You must complete a dissertation to graduate. Distance learners pay a $150 online services fee per credit in addition to tuition.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• Application Fee: $65
• Degree Credit Requirements: 12 credits
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Clinical theory, dissertation seminar
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, the program requires on-campus immersions

$1,200/credit

You can earn an online doctorate in social work from the first school of social work in the U.S. at Simmons University , based in Boston, Massachusetts. The cohort-style program includes live, online classes that let students develop relationships with instructors and classmates.

Simmons reports the total cost of the degree is $57,600. Admission requirements include an accredited M.S.W., a 3.0 GPA in M.S.W. coursework and at least three years of relevant post-M.S.W. work experience.

• Application Fee: N/A
• Degree Credit Requirements: 48 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time, full-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Seminar in ethics and social justice, the research-informed practitioner

$1,322/credit

Yeshiva University in New York City offers an online clinical Doctor of Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. The program holds accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education. You don’t need to take the GRE to apply, and the program automatically considers you for potential scholarships.

Designed for experienced clinical professionals with an M.S.W., the program explores evidence-based clinical practice, social work research and pedagogies. The degree can prepare you for leadership roles in the profession. To graduate, you’ll complete a “grand challenge” social work project.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on a set schedule
• Degree Credit Requirements: 45 credits
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Leadership and program development, clinical supervision

University of St. Thomas

You can earn an online Doctor of Social Work from the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed for social work educators and practitioners with an M.S.W., the program prepares students for teaching and leadership roles at the university level.

Coursework takes place online, but students must attend an on-campus residency in St. Paul each year until graduation. The program requires a dissertation.

• Application Fee: Free
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Scholarship of teaching and learning in social work education, mission and purpose through curriculum
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, the program requires a two-week, on-campus residency each year.

$800/credit (in-state)

The University at Buffalo ‘s School of Social Work offers a part-time, fully online Doctor of Social Work in social welfare designed for experienced social workers. The three-year program requires a four-semester capstone project that incorporates implementation science strategies and evidence-based practice focused on a target population at your local agency.

The curriculum includes some classes that meet the standards for New York State Education Department social work contact hours. In addition to tuition, distance learners must buy a virtual reality headset that they will use throughout the program.

• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $100
• Degree Credit Requirements: 39 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Doctoral seminar in trauma and human rights; technology, human behavior and professional practice

$840/credit

Located in Fairfield, Connecticut, Sacred Heart University offers a part-time, online social work Ph.D. designed for working practitioners. Students can complete their coursework primarily online but must attend one-week summer residencies during their first and second years in the program.

The program emphasizes an anti-racist approach to social work and prioritizes mentorship for BIPOC doctoral students. Learners can apply for a teaching assistantship with the school’s B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs starting in their second semester.

• Application Fee: $75
• Degree Credit Requirements: 54 credits
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Advanced social and racial justice, pedagogy and social work education
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, the program includes some on-campus experiences

$1,065/credit

The four-year, online Ph.D. in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University ‘s Worden School of Social Work focuses on serving students from underrepresented backgrounds who plan to work full time while pursuing their doctoral degree. Ph.D. students can pursue paid teaching assistantships with the school’s B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs and gain university-level teaching experience.

The program requires a dissertation and a one-week, on-campus summer residency, which fosters socialization and mentorship with faculty and other students. The summer residency in San Antonio, Texas, requires a $550 fee, including room and board.

• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Decolonized pedagogy, mixed methods research
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, the program requires an on-campus residency

Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Spalding University offers a hybrid, low-residency Doctor of Social Work that combines online classes with on-campus experiences on select Saturdays. The accelerated degree takes two years to complete.

You can customize the program with a track in advanced clinical practice or leadership and administration. To graduate, you must pass oral and written exams and complete a two-part capstone project.

• Application Fee: $30
• Degree Credit Requirements: 48 to 51 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Accelerated
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Scholarly writing, positionality, and epistemology; teaching in social work
• Concentrations Available: Advanced clinical practice; leadership and administration
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, the program requires some on-campus sessions on Saturdays

$1,292/credit

Tulane University of Louisiana, located in New Orleans, offers an online doctorate in social work that can prepare you to become a social change leader. Designed for working practitioners, the three-year degree provides flexibility and the chance to individualize the program to meet your needs.

Students benefit from faculty and classmates who have experience living and working with communities in New Orleans. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice and offers extra training in nonprofit leadership, applied research, program management and university-level teaching.

• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Social work pedagogy and curriculum development, applied social statistics
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, the program requires an on-campus weekend immersion

Earning a doctorate in social work online can be an excellent way to pursue a graduate education on your own terms. However, not everyone thrives in an online learning environment. Below, we outline some factors to consider before you choose an online or in-person degree.

• What is your budget? If you’re looking to save money, an online program might help you avoid on-campus housing and transportation costs. Also, if you’re interested in an out-of-state public university, you might be able to save on tuition. Some schools offer in-state tuition rates to all distance learners, no matter where they live.
• Does an online learning environment work for you? Some students thrive with the independence of an online program. However, others need help managing their time, staying organized and motivating themselves to work. Think about your preferred learning style and whether an on-campus or online program would better serve you.
• Do you need flexibility? Distance programs provide flexibility and convenience for people with busy schedules. If you need a program that fits your life, an online social work doctorate might be ideal, especially if you can find one with asynchronous courses.

Institutional accreditation shows that a school meets high academic standards and can provide a relevant education. Colleges get accreditation from accrediting agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Choosing an institutionally accredited school is essential if you want to qualify for federal financial aid.

Programmatic accreditation demonstrates that an individual department or program within a university meets quality standards for its field. Sometimes, employers or professional certifications may require you to graduate from a programmatically accredited program.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) provides programmatic accreditation to B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs . The CSWE recently piloted a program for accrediting professional practice doctoral social work programs, and it expects that programs will be able to apply for accreditation in 2025. As of March 2024, however, there aren’t any CSWE-accredited Ph.D. or doctoral programs.

If you want to research institutional accreditation, you can search CHEA’s website .

Consider Your Future Goals

Online social work Ph.D. programs can help you rise to a new level in your career. However, different programs offer different opportunities and often focus on different types of social work . Before you choose where to earn a doctorate in social work, think about what you want to do after graduation.

For example, decide whether you want to pursue a social work career in academia or university-level teaching. If so, you’ll probably need to choose a research-focused Ph.D. program to get the proper training and the opportunity to complete a dissertation. On the other hand, if you want to work as an advanced practitioner in the field, you may want to apply to other types of social work doctoral programs.

Also, consider whether a prospective program requires a capstone or in-person learning experience. These experiences provide hands-on learning and the chance to make connections. However, they require time and travel, which might be difficult for students with busy schedules to complete.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

Tuition rates for online doctorate in social work programs on our list range from $800 to $2,244 per credit, and the typical program requires 39 to 54 credits. Earning a degree at one of our ranked colleges costs between about $31,000 and $94,000, averaging approximately $50,000.

Fill out the FAFSA to determine if you qualify for federal student aid opportunities to help pay for graduate school. These may include fellowships, teaching assistantships, student loans, grants and scholarships. Some schools and social work departments also offer their own funding support to doctoral students.

Can you do a Ph.D. fully online?

Yes, you can complete a Ph.D. in social work online without ever coming to campus. The University of Southern California and the University at Buffalo both offer fully online doctorates in social work. However, most social work Ph.D. programs require some on-campus learning experiences.

How long does it take to earn a Ph.D. in social work?

The amount of time it takes to earn a Ph.D. in social work varies by program, but two to four years is typical. Factors that can affect program length include enrollment status (part-time or full-time), dissertation and capstone requirements, and program format (online or in person).

Which Ph.D. is best after an M.S.W.?

If you want to pursue advanced opportunities in the social work field after earning an M.S.W., consider a Ph.D. or doctorate in social work. Ph.D. programs focus on research and can prepare you for a career in academia. On the other hand, doctoral programs usually focus more on social work practice and prepare you for advanced roles in the field.

Liz Simmons has been writing for various online publications about career development, higher education and college affordability for nearly a decade. Her articles demystify the college application process and help prospective students figure out how to choose a major or career path.

Doctoral candidate killed in crash weeks before presenting dissertation, family says

AUSTIN, Texas. (Gray News) - A University of Texas at Austin doctoral candidate was killed in a car accident weeks before presenting his dissertation.

Ryan Wallace, a doctoral candidate at the School of Journalism and Media, was on his way to pick up his sister’s kids when he was killed in a crash in Bastrop County, KXAN reports.

Wallace was killed in the crash involving a Hays CISD school bus in Bastrop County. The accident also killed 5-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya.

Wallace’s family told KXAN that he was two weeks away from presenting his dissertation to receive his doctorate.

UT Journalism Professor Kathleen McElroy told KXAN that Wallace was very intelligent and insightful on many subjects.

“He was also a very giving person,” said McElroy. “I think that we all would have enjoyed having him as a faculty member. He would have been a great instructor and researcher in journalism.”

McElroy also started a GoFundMe to help Wallace’s family.

She shared that Wallace was a science writer and editor and he had worked with multiple publications,

Wallace’s committee will still meet on the day he was set to defend his dissertation to honor him.

Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Harbaugh uses 'third base' analogy with Chargers after using against Ryan Day, Ohio State

Jim Harbaugh is two months into his tenure as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. And the former Michigan coach is continuing to use his "third base" analogy.

In November 2021, Harbaugh remarked that some people are "standing on third base, think they hit a triple," a comment he later confirmed as a "counter punch" to Ohio State coach Ryan Day's reported comment that Ohio State would "hang 100" on the Wolverines in 2020.

On Monday, the "third base" comment was used to describe the state of the Chargers when Harbaugh first arrived.

"Every person in that building from equipment to training staff, to the social media staff, the analytics staff, there's so much respect to what everybody does," Harbaugh told reporters . "Everybody in that building, everybody in that organization, nobody was born on third base. They had to work their way to first, to second, to third. And the players, same thing.

"I want celebrate and congratulate them for being at the highest level in football and celebrate their story and how they got there. Now we're all here together, we're all on third base, poised to bring this home together."

In November, Harbaugh deflected an answer to a question about his level of respect for Day and Ohio State.

"It's all about our preparation for Ohio," Harbaugh said. "The days, the minutes, the hours, everything leading up to this game, that's where our focus is: preparing ourselves and planning. We're going to practice then execute. Anything else is irrelevant when it comes to this big game week."

A day later, Day responded similarly when asked about his respect for Harbaugh and Michigan.

“With everything going on and all the things out there, we have kind of stayed away from all the distractions, and our guys have done a good job of it,” Day said. “When you talk to our guys about what’s gone on this season … they’re focused on this game and their preparation, and we’re going to continue with that.”

Day later commented that "the way you respect a rivalry is to work it every day" and that Ohio State respects the rivalry.

Harbaugh, who was Michigan's football coach from 2015-23, led the Wolverines to two wins in seven meetings against Ohio State.

Sherrone Moore led Michigan to a win against Ohio State in 2023. Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the Big Ten season after Michigan was "found in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition."

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Department of Homeland Security Unveils Artificial Intelligence Roadmap, Announces Pilot Projects to Maximize Benefits of Technology, Advance Homeland Security Mission

DHS Will Launch Three Pilot Projects to Test AI Technology to Enhance Immigration Officer Training, Help Communities Build Resilience and Reduce Burden for Applying for Disaster Relief Grants, and Improve Efficiency of Law Enforcement Investigations 

WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Chief Information Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen announced the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) first “Artificial Intelligence Roadmap.” The roadmap details DHS’s 2024 plans, including to test uses of the technologies that deliver meaningful benefits to the American public and advance homeland security, while ensuring that individuals’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties are protected.

As part of the roadmap, DHS announced three innovative pilot projects that will deploy AI in specific mission areas. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will test AI to enhance investigative processes focused on detecting fentanyl and increasing efficiency of investigations related to combatting child sexual exploitation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will deploy AI to help communities plan for and develop hazard mitigation plans to build resilience and minimize risks. And, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will use AI to improve immigration officer training.

“The unprecedented speed and potential of AI’s development and adoption presents both enormous opportunities to advance our mission and risks we must mitigate,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas . “The DHS AI roadmap and pilots will guide our efforts this year to strengthen our national security, improve our operations, and provide more efficient services to the American people, while upholding our commitment to protect civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy. What we learn from the pilot projects will be beneficial in shaping how the Department can effectively and responsibly use AI across the homeland security enterprise moving forward.”

The roadmap lays out DHS’s initiatives in AI, describes the potential of AI technologies across the Department, and offers clearer visibility into the Department’s approach to AI, while underscoring the Department’s commitment to responsible utilization.

The AI roadmap outlines three lines of effort DHS is using to guide its work:

• Responsibly leverage AI to advance Homeland Security missions while protecting individuals’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties – DHS is committed to ensuring that its use of AI fully respects privacy, civil liberties, and civil rights, is rigorously tested to avoid bias, disparate impact, privacy harms, and other risks, and that it is understandable to the people we serve.  
• Promote Nationwide AI Safety and Security – Advances in AI will revolutionize the delivery of essential goods and services upon which Americans rely. AI can create tremendous efficiencies and benefits for citizens, but it can also present new and novel risks. To protect U.S. cyber networks and critical infrastructure, DHS will help govern the safe and responsible development and use of AI.   
• Continue to lead in AI through strong cohesive partnerships – DHS will foster strong relationships with private sector, academia, State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal governments, international partners, non-government organizations, research institutions, and thought leaders to accelerate the development and deployment of AI solutions tailored to the unique challenges faced by the DHS. In line with the DHS’s commitment to transparency and visibility into the Department’s vision for AI and to ensuring responsible use, DHS will continue to share information and engage with communities, advocates, and partners to demonstrate responsible AI use.  

DHS’s three new pilot programs will allow the Department to assess the efficacy of AI in improving its mission capabilities. Each pilot team is partnering with privacy, cybersecurity, and civil rights and civil liberties experts throughout their development and evaluation process. This work will inform Department-wide policies on AI governance. DHS offices and agencies submitted dozens of proposals for consideration to the Chief AI Officer, who selected three pilots that would best support evaluating the effectiveness of Large Language Models (LLM) and Generative AI technology at DHS. 

The new pilot programs announced today will:

• Transform Security Investigative Processes, Unlock Data-Driven Insights, and Improve Mission Outcomes – HSI’s pilot project will strengthen their investigative processes by introducing a LLM-based system designed to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of summaries investigators rely upon. The LLM-based system will leverage open-source technologies to allow investigators to more quickly summarize and search for contextually relevant information within investigative reports. The pilot could lead to increases in detection of fentanyl-related networks, aid in identification of perpetrators and victims of child exploitation crimes, and surface key patterns and trends that could further HSI’s vital work.   
• Bolster Planning Assistance for Resilient Communities – FEMA will launch a GenAI pilot to create efficiencies for the hazard mitigation planning process for local governments, including underserved communities. Hazard mitigation plans are not only a foundational step that communities can take to build their resilience but can be lengthy to produce and challenging for communities that lack resources to do so. The pilot will specifically support State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial governments’ understanding of how to craft a plan that identifies risks and mitigation strategies as well as generate draft plan elements—from publicly-available, well-researched sources — that governments could customize to meet their needs. This pilot could lead to more communities having the ability to submit grant applications for funding to become more resilient and reduce disaster risks.  
• Enhance Immigration Officer Training through Generative AI – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is developing an interactive application that uses GenAI to improve the way the agency trains immigration officer personnel. USCIS will generate dynamic, personalized training materials that adapt to officers’ specific needs and ensure the best possible knowledge and training on a wide range of current policies and laws relevant to their jobs. The goal is to help enhance trainees’ understanding and retention of crucial information, increase the accuracy of their decision making process, and limit the need for retraining over time.

The roadmap and announcement of pilot programs are the latest in the Department’s ongoing AI initiatives.

In February, Secretary Mayorkas and CIO Hysen announced the Department’s first-ever hiring sprint to recruit 50 AI technology experts to help build teams that will help better leverage AI responsibly across strategic areas of the homeland security enterprise. These include efforts to counter fentanyl, combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, deliver immigration services, secure travel, fortify our critical infrastructure, and enhance our cybersecurity. DHS has received a strong response to date and is in the process of reviewing. interviewing, and hiring AI technologists to support mission-enhancing initiatives. The Department continues to accept applications on dhs.gov/AI .

Last year, DHS established the Department’s first AI Task Force and named CIO Hysen its first Chief AI Officer. Informed by the Task Force’s work over the past 11 months, DHS has identified areas where AI can enhance the effectiveness of the Department’s efforts — helping pave the way for this roadmap and these new projects. The Task Force’s focus is on DHS’s entire mission space. For instance, it is working to enhance the integrity of our supply chains and the broader trade environment by helping deploy AI to improve cargo screening, the identification of imported goods produced with forced labor, and risk management. The Task Force is also charged with using AI to better detect fentanyl shipments, identify and interdict the flow of precursor chemicals around the world, and disrupt key nodes in criminal networks.

The Department’s latest efforts follow President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) “ Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence ,” signed in October2023. The EO directed DHS to promote the adoption of AI safety standards globally, protect U.S. networks and critical infrastructure, reduce the risks that AI can be used to create weapons of mass destruction, combat AI-related intellectual property theft, and help the United States attract and retain skilled talent, among other missions. The President has directed DHS to establish an AI Safety and Security Advisory Board to support the responsible development of AI. This Board will bring together preeminent industry experts from AI hardware and software companies, leading research labs, critical infrastructure entities, and the U.S. government. This Board will issue recommendations and best practices for an array of AI use cases to ensure AI deployments are secure and resilient.

To read the DHS AI Roadmap, visit the DHS Artificial Intelligence Roadmap webpage .

To learn more about how DHS uses AI technologies to protect the homeland, visit  Artificial Intelligence at DHS .

• Secretary of Homeland Security
• Science and Technology
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

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How to Block Quote | Length, Format and Examples

Published on April 25, 2018 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

A block quote is a long quotation, set on a new line and indented to create a separate block of text. No quotation marks are used. You have to use a block quote when quoting more than around 40 words from a source.

In APA and MLA styles, you indent block quotes 0.5 inches from the left, and add an  in-text citation  after the period. Some other citation styles have additional rules.

Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you – haunt me, then! The murdered DO haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts HAVE wandered on earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad! only DO not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I CANNOT live without my life! I CANNOT live without my soul! (Brontë, 1847, 268)

Table of contents

How long is a block quote, step 1: introduce the quote, step 2: format and cite the quote, step 3: comment on the quote, when to use block quotes, other interesting articles.

The minimum length of a block quote varies between citation styles . Some styles require block quote formatting based on the number of words, while others require it based on the number of lines.

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Every time you quote a source , it’s essential to show the reader exactly what purpose the quote serves. A block quote must be introduced in your own words to show how it fits into your argument or analysis.

If the text preceding the block quote is a complete sentence, use a colon to introduce the quote . If the quote is a continuation of the sentence that precedes it, you don’t need to add any extra punctuation .

lawmakers and regulators need to stop pharmaceutical companies from marketing drugs like OxyContin and establish stronger guidelines about how and when doctors can prescribe them. These drugs are often the last resort for people with cancer and other terminal conditions who experience excruciating pain. But they pose a great risk when used to treat the kinds of pain for which there are numerous non-addictive therapies available. (The Editorial Board, 2018)

Block quotes are not enclosed in quotation marks . Instead, they must be formatted to stand out from the rest of the text, signalling to the reader that the words are taken directly from a source. Each citation style has specific formatting rules.

APA and MLA format both require an indent of 0.5 inches on the left side. Block quotes are double spaced, the same as the rest of the document. Some other citation styles also require indentation on the right side, different spacing, or a smaller font.

To format a block quote in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Hit Enter at the beginning and end of the quote.
• Highlight the quote and select the Layout menu.
• On the Indent tab, change the left indent to 0.5″.

Block quotes of more than one paragraph

If you quote more than one paragraph, indent the first line of the new paragraph as you would in the main text.

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.

Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. (Rowling 1)

Citing block quotes

All block quotes must end with a citation that directs the reader to the correct source. How the citation looks depends on the citation style. In most styles, including APA and MLA , the parenthetical citation comes after the period at the end of a block quote.

A paragraph should never end with a block quote. Directly after the quote, you need to comment on it in your own words. Depending on the purpose of the block quote, your comment might involve:

• Analyzing the language of the quoted text
• Explaining how the quote relates to your argument
• Giving further context
• Summarizing the overall point you want to make

Block quotes should be used when the specific wording or style of the quoted text is essential to your point. How often you use them depends partly on your field of study.

• In the arts and humanities, block quotes are frequently used to conduct in-depth textual analysis .
• In social science research involving interviews or focus groups , block quotes are often necessary when analyzing participants’ responses.
• In scientific writing, block quotes are very rarely used.

Avoid relying on block quotes from academic sources to explain ideas or make your points for you. In general, quotes should be used as sparingly as possible, as your own voice should be dominant. When you use another author’s ideas or refer to previous research, it’s often better to integrate the source by paraphrasing .

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
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