How to Use Information

The best integration of quotations can be described as a quotation sandwich. You introduce the quote. Quote. And then interpret the quote. Here are more details:

Introduce the quote: The top part of the sandwich is the introduction to the quote.  Lead into the quote with context that tells how the quote connects to your discussion.  You’ll follow this introductory phrase with a comma or a colon and then the quote.

Questions to consider: 

Who said the quote?  Are the person’s credentials relevant? Is there other important context? What idea or argument does the quote illuminate?  

The Quote: Follow the introductory phrase with the “meat” of the sandwich, which is the quote. After the quote, cite the source.

Questions to consider: 

You don’t want quotes to be too long and “take over” your paper.  Your quote must express an important idea.  Don’t use quotes to summarize for you.  Choose quotes that are thought-provoking and clearly illustrate your claims.

Interpretation of the quote: The bottom part of the sandwich, holding it all up, is your own reasoning and analysis explaining the relevance and significance of the quote and its connection to your discussion.

Questions to consider: 

What are the implications of the quote that are not stated?  What does this quote reveal that was not evident before? How does the quote prove your argument?

Quote Sandwich Example:

(Top bread/Introduction) Computer antivirus software is an important business investment that protects companies from loss due to downtime, corrupted data and liability. (Meat/Quote) In Five Reasons Why Businesses Should Not Skimp on Antivirus Software, Eric Thompson, a leading computer security expert with Microsoft Systems, states, "In 2013, American companies spent 25.8 million dollars recovering from computer hacking, most of which could have been prevented if the hackers had not discovered easy 'back doors' in the form of unprotected computers." (Bottom bread/analysis) Hackers can use trojans, rootkits and keyloggers, installed on unprotected computers, to gain access to company computers. These unauthorized pieces of software can wipe a computer's hard drive, change data or steal data, like customer identity or credit card information.