You've Been Quoted, Now You're Quoting: A Guide to Chicago's Quotation Inception (Because Inception Was Basically a Dream Quote Within a Dream, Right?)
Ah, the joys of research! You've unearthed the perfect quote to bolster your argument, but wait... it's quoting someone else! Buckle up, intrepid scholar, because we're diving into the delightful world of citing a quote within a quote, Chicago style.
Don't Panic, It's Not Actually That Deep (Unless You're Citing Black Holes)
Fear not, fellow wordsmiths, this isn't rocket science (although if you're citing a quote about astrophysics, that might be a different story). Chicago's got a simple system for handling these quotation nesting dolls.
Here's the gist:
- Double Up on the Quotation Marks: The original quote gets regular ol' double quotation marks.
- Single Out the Inner Quote: Now, the quote within the quote gets dressed up in some snazzy single quotation marks.
Example:
Original Author: "This is my brilliant quote!" (pg. 123) Your Text: As Researcher X argued, "[Original Author] captures the essence of the problem perfectly when they say, 'This is my brilliant quote!'" (pg. 123, quoted in Researcher X, 45).
See how the inner quote gets its own little spotlight with single quotation marks?
Punctuation Party! (But Seriously, Pay Attention Here)
Now, things can get a little tricky with punctuation. The key is to keep all punctuation that belongs to the original quote inside the double quotation marks, even if it comes after the single quotation marks for the inner quote.
Confusing, Right? Let's break it down with everyone's favorite dramatic punctuation mark: the exclamation point!
Original Author: "This is my brilliant quote!" (pg. 123) Your Text: Researcher X exclaimed, "[Original Author] absolutely nails it when they say, 'This is my brilliant quote!'" (pg. 123, quoted in Researcher X, 45).
See how the exclamation point stays put inside the double quotes, even though it technically follows the single quotes?
Citations: The Grand Finale (Not an Explosion, Thankfully)
Now for the part that separates the scholars from the Wikipedia skimmers: the citation. Here's the lowdown:
- You'll cite the original source first, followed by the page number.
- Then, you'll add the phrase "quoted in" followed by the author, title, page number of the source where you found the quote within a quote.
Phew, that's a mouthful! Don't worry, it gets easier with practice (and maybe a helpful citation management tool).
Remember: You Got This! (And If You Don't, There's Always Your Friendly Librarian)
There you have it, intrepid researchers! You're now equipped to navigate the wonderful world of Chicago-style quoted quotes. Remember, if you ever get stuck, don't be afraid to consult your friendly neighborhood librarian or a trusted citation guide. After all, even the best of us need a helping hand sometimes (especially when it comes to remembering all those fancy quotation mark rules).
Now, get out there and conquer your research with confidence (and maybe a little humor to keep things interesting)!
