OECD Style Guide (Fourth Edition)

12. Quotations

Abstract

It is essential to correctly format your quotations and cite their sources. Doing so ensures that you respect copyright and avoid plagiarism. It also helps other readers to identify and access your source materials.

General rules

• A quotation is a passage taken from another work and clearly indicated as such. A quotation can also present the words and thoughts of third parties reported in the text.

• In order to avoid plagiarism, always fully cite your sources. Further information on plagiarism is available at https://com-apps.oecd.org/com-guidance-portal/en/how-to/how-to-avoid-plagiarism.

See also: Bibliographical references, citations and notes; Punctuation.

Long quotes

• Use a separate, indented paragraph for quotes of more than five lines.

• Use the correct O.N.E Author style for long quotes and do not add quotation marks.

• Insert the author name in the “Reference Management” tool in Word™. The reference number will be automatically generated when the reference is added to your bibliography.

• Cite the source in parentheses at the end of the quote and do not put a full stop after the citation.

The global economy has remained resilient this year, despite differences in the strength of activity across countries and sectors. Inflation has continued to moderate and headline inflation is now back to central bank targets in most economies. Labour market tightness has also eased, although unemployment rates generally remain at or near historical lows. However, risks are casting a shadow over what is otherwise a relatively benign central projection. Key risks pertain to the intensification of geopolitical tensions, inflation turning out more persistent than anticipated and a sharp repricing of risk in financial markets. (OECD, 2024_[1])

Short quotes

• Insert quotes of five lines or less into the running text, using double quotation marks (“ ”) and in‑text citation.

  “The global economy has proved resilient. Inflation has declined further towards central bank targets, while growth has remained stable,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said (OECD, 2024).

Quotations and punctuation

• Place punctuation inside the quotation marks if the quote ends the clause or sentence; place outside the quotation marks if not.

  “Inflation in the OECD is expected to ease further, from 5.4% in 2024 to 3.8% in 2025 and 3.0% in 2026.” (OECD, 2024)

  “Inflation in the OECD is expected to ease further” in 2025 and 2026 (OECD, 2024).

• Use single quotation marks (‘ ’) for quotes of more than one word within quotes.

  “In Figure 2.15, ‘green technology’ refers to a firm that in the previous two years has invested in products or technologies that reduce its energy consumption or improve its environmental footprint.”

• Replace omitted words or phrases with an ellipsis (…); replace omitted paragraphs with an ellipsis in square brackets ([…]).

  “A common indicator of labour shortages is the ratio of the number of job vacancies to the number of unemployed individuals. … By late 2023, vacancies per unemployed had returned to their pre‑pandemic trend in the United States, the euro area and Japan.” (OECD, 2024)

  “In the past few years, the global economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience despite being subject to major shocks. Global trade has also been recovering. […] Trade has been an important engine of global growth, job creation and declining poverty in the past decades.” (OECD, 2024)

• Place square brackets “[ ]” around that has been added to the quotation.

  “Trade has been an important engine of growth, job creation and declining poverty in the past decades [in all OECD countries].” (OECD, 2024)

• Use a capital letter to start the quote if the quote is at the start of the sentence or if it follows a colon. Use a lowercase letter if the quote is part of a run on phrase.

  “Another source of risk comes from the public finances, as public debt remains at elevated levels,” noted the OECD Economic Outlook. (OECD, 2024)

  The OECD Economic Outlook argued that “some emerging market economies and low-income countries are now in debt distress”. (OECD, 2024)

See also: Ellipses; Square brackets.

Key differences between English and French

 

English	French
Double quote marks (“example”) are placed around quotes and single quote marks (‘example’) are used for quotes within quotes. As the committee chair noted, “The Recommendation aims to help Member countries, as well as non-Members who have signed the Recommendation (hereafter ‘adherents’), to finalise or update their national strategies for fighting financial crime.”	Double quote marks called “guillemets” (« example ») are placed around quotes and English style double quote marks (“example”) are used for quotes within quotes. Comme l'a rappelé le président du Comité, « La Recommandation vise à aider les pays Membres ainsi que les non-Membres y ayant adhéré (ci‑après les “Adhérents”) à mettre au point ou à mettre à jour leurs stratégies nationales pour lutter contre la délinquance fiscale ».
When reporting direct speech, the comma is placed before the closing quotation mark. “Taxes play a vital role in limiting the social and economic costs of smoking,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said.	When reporting direct speech, the comma is placed after the closing quotation mark. « La fiscalité contribue de manière déterminante à limiter les coûts sociaux et économiques de la consommation de tabac », a déclaré le Secrétaire général de l’OCDE, Mathias Cormann.