Skip to Main Content

Common Dissertation and CCS Errors: Overusing quotes

Overusing quotes

Generally, inserting too many quotes has the effect of cluttering up one’s writing and becomes both distracting and tedious for the reader as it interrupts the flow of the reading experience. Quotes should never be used to explain a point you are trying to make; rather, they serve to amplify a point you have already made. While adding authors’ quotes can enrich and enliven your writing, keep in mind that the art of using quotes is about picking and choosing small, potent bits of appropriate material. Over-quoting tends to weigh down the reader, whose task is to read your writing and not someone else’s. Use your own words and add only the most powerful, clarifying, or necessary quotes. Limiting quotes also helps you develop strong writing and critical thinking skills. A good rule of thumb is to keep quotes to a maximum of two or three per page while following quote length conventions (no more than five lines for in-text quotes; no more than eight lines for block quotes).

Read more about quotes here: Quotations – Knowledge Base (meridianuniversity.edu)