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So if i were to quote an author and I want to add a later part to an earlier part by putting it in the middle of the first quote? an example :

The researcher, led by Woo-Suk Hwang, insist they cloned an Afghan hound, . . . [and] [o]ne of the dog's co-creators, Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, described Snuppy . . . as 'a frisky, healthy, normal, rambunctious puppy.'

Would that be how to properly do it?

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    No. You cannot 'add a later part to an earlier part by putting it in the middle of the first quote' -- I'd say that's an atrocious style and confusing to the reader. When you quote, quote without editing in any manner, not even punctuation or style.
    – Kris
    Jan 24, 2014 at 6:29
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    To clarify things, it's better that you show the original text (first quote, second quote separately) in toto. Then show how you intended to combine them.
    – Kris
    Jan 24, 2014 at 7:23

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You could merge the quotes that way, although the multiple ellipses and brackets make the quotation a little hard to read and sketchy seeming. Also, in the context of a research paper it is not necessary to indicate that you have changed the punctuation (the capital 'O' of "one").

If I was writing this passage, I would probably paraphrase the text and quote more sparingly:

The author describes how the researchers, led by Woo-Suk Hwang, claim to have cloned an Afghan hound. One of the team members, Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is quoted by the author as describing Snuppy as "a frisky, healthy, normal rambunctious puppy."

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    One of the team members,... is not a quoted text. It cannot be ascribed to the author that way.
    – Kris
    Jan 24, 2014 at 6:31
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    @Kris Adam isn't suggesting that this is a quotation. It's paraphrasis.
    – Chris Taylor
    Jan 24, 2014 at 7:01
  • @ChrisTaylor Please also see my comment at OP. The title seems to be misleading or at least insufficient.
    – Kris
    Jan 24, 2014 at 7:02
  • @Kris Perhaps I am misunderstanding. I agree with your comment, and your guidelines about how you should quote. But Adam is suggesting that in this case, it might be better not to quote at all, but to paraphrase instead (in which case editing is acceptable, because you are not ascribing words to the original author, but instead describing what they said.)
    – Chris Taylor
    Jan 24, 2014 at 7:05
  • The actual quotation is indicated by the inverted commas. None of the rest is a quotation, but commentary giving context. This method is entirely acceptable.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Jan 24, 2014 at 7:33

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