For direct quotes, I agree the number one purpose and requirement is accuracy. But I also think using quotes for conveying the spirit of ideas is useful.
Can’t people either omit quotation marks around paraphrases or, failing that, at least clearly label them as paraphrases? Why does anyone need quotation marks around paraphrases to convey the spirit of ideas? How do quotation marks help convey spirit? And how is any reader supposed to know that the text in quotations mark is not a “direct” quote?
There are standard practices for how to handle these things (bold added):
In writing, an “indirect quotation” is a paraphrase of someone else’s words: It “reports” on what a person said without using the exact words of the speaker. It’s also called “indirect discourse” and “indirect speech.”
An indirect quotation (unlike a direct quotation) is not placed in quotation marks. For example: Dr. King said that he had a dream.
The combination of a direct quotation and an indirect quotation is called a “mixed quotation.” For example: King melodiously praised the “veterans of creative suffering,” urging them to continue the struggle.
Back to sphor:
Hi Elliot, I find this topic interesting but I’ve already spent more time on this thread than I intended to, so unfortunately this will likely be my last comment here. Hope it’s still useful data though.
Would you like to have a serious conversation or debate with me about another topic, or not at all?
Would you like to have a serious conversation or debate with me about another topic, or not at all?
I’m not currently interested in participating in the sort of debate you mean, sorry. For what it’s worth though, I consider our exchanges to have been serious albeit brief and unstructured.
Can’t people either omit quotation marks around paraphrases or, failing that, at least clearly label them as paraphrases? Why does anyone need quotation marks around paraphrases to convey the spirit of ideas? How do quotation marks help convey spirit? And how is any reader supposed to know that the text in quotations mark is not a “direct” quote?
There are standard practices for how to handle these things (bold added):
https://www.thoughtco.com/indirect-quotation-writing-1691163
Back to sphor:
Would you like to have a serious conversation or debate with me about another topic, or not at all?
Hi Elliot, this is just a quick reply.
I’m not currently interested in participating in the sort of debate you mean, sorry. For what it’s worth though, I consider our exchanges to have been serious albeit brief and unstructured.
Relevant: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/gL7y22tFLKaTKaZt5/debate-about-biased-methodology-or-corentin-biteau-and?commentId=iFinowJ2XGWM6gidM