QUOTATIONS should be used sparingly. (The shorter the essay, the more sparingly quotations
should be used!)
As a general rule, there are only two situations in which direct quotations
are appropriate: (1) When the wording of the original quotation is so good that to paraphrase
it in any way would simply not do it justice and (2) when the quotation is uttered by someone
of such importance to the study that it serves as a form of documentation, with regard to
whatever point is being made.
Over-quoting is one of the most common mistakes made by writers,
students and non-students alike. Excessive quoting is a form of laziness on the part of the writer,
who by doing so abdicates the responsibility to be selective and to interpret (paraphrase) for
the reader. When quotations are used as a way of filling up space, this is painfully obvious.
In most cases, the writer would be better served by falling short of the required word or page
count but at least delivering an honest piece of writing.
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