Quotations

Words appearing as quotations from a source must accurately and precisely reflect what the source said or what was written. Minor slips in spoken grammer can safely be fixed, but issues of word choice and clarity should be resolved with the source. Paraphrasing or partial quotations are also useful and acceptable.

Use brackets "[ ]" and not parentheses "" when inserting clarifying parenthetical material into quotes. Rarely should we omit what was actually said. Rather, clarify vague phrasing and lack of context with brief, clear bracketed material.

But try to avoid beginning or ending a quotation with brackets. Examples:
 * Do: Alfred Hitchcok is "my favorite film director," Lynch said.
 * Don't: "[Alfred Hitchcok is] my favorite film director," Lynch said.
 * Avoid: "He's [Alfred Hitchcock] my favorite film director," Lynch said.