In academic writing, the “Quote Sandwich” approach is useful for incorporating other writers’ voices into your essays.  It gives meaning and context to a quote, and helps you avoid plagiarism.  This 3-step approach offers your readers a deeper understanding of what the quote is and how it relates to your essay’s goals.

1. Step 1: Provide context for the source.  If you haven’t used it yet in the essay, tell us the source’s title and author (if known), and any other information that’s relevant, like the purpose of the organization that published it, for instance.
2. Step 2: Provide the quote itself.  Be sure to format correctly and use quotation marks around exact language.
3. Step 3: Provide a summary and/or analysis of what the quote says, and how it relates to the subject matter of your essay and your thesis.