quotd
concentrated content from consequential commentators
Quotr Guidelines
The Four Principles of Quality Quoting
- Answer the question. When adding a quote in response to a question, the best quotes will be those that directly answer the query. Ideally, the quote will make immediate and intuitive sense as a logical response to the question. It will provide a clear indication of opinion-maker's perspective, along with his/her explanation for that view. Conversely, quotes that only provide supporting evidence or explanation without clearly answering the question are less useful.
- The heart of the argument. The best quotes are the most essential line (or sound bite) from the original piece: the thesis statement. This isn't always possible when adding a quote in response to a question – sometimes the best answer to the question isn’t the opinion-maker's main argument – but ideally we find the line that represents the opinion-maker's main thrust that also answers the question.
- Preserve the intent. We are always trying to select and edit the quote in a way that reflects the opinion-maker's original intent. A quote that has been obscured from the original context in such a way that intent is confused or misrepresented is unfair. Quotes should be pithy and clear, but we should only remove words when they are irrelevant to the meaning of the quote.
- Style is important. A few reminders of protocol:
- When we remove words in the middle or at the end of a passage, we use the ellipsis. Like this: ... .
- When we remove words at the beginning of a sentence, we capitalize the first letter of the first word. Like this: [T]
- When quoting a passage that includes a quote from another opinion-maker, consider whether quoting the original source directly would not be clearer. One exception might be when a given quote is woven intricately within the original writer’s direct answer and the words of the secondary writer are supporting that answer.
Asking Quotable Questions
- Identify the question that is the fundamental controversy being
debated on a particular subject.
- Please don't submit general or vague queries; debates aren't
illuminating if they don't demand specific answers.
- Look hard for new topics to explore; do not ask the same or similar
question as has been recently asked.
- Compose the question in a way that truly respects all sides of the
debate, using the most neutral unbiased language you can.
- Do not pose intentionally rhetorical questions; only honest
inquiries add value.
- Be as specific and as clear as possible in the your terms of
reference; don't assume that people reading the question will
understand the context if it is not made explicit.
- If a question asks about the impact or implication of a particular
recent event, specifically mention that event to avoid
misunderstanding.
- Be careful to offer the most reasonable answer-options and avoid
biasing the results through their selection and/or wording; as a test,
opinion-makers on all sides should consider the provided
answer-options fair and exhaustive
