bluebooking question Forum

[portaprokoss]

I'm looking at rule 5.1.a

If I have a quotation of fifty or more words IN A FOOTNOTE, do I 'block it" as I would if the quotation occurred in the body of the paper?

[Myself]

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[portaprokoss]

How do you format the block quote to keep the citation number from moving too?

[Myself]

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[ca$hmoney69]

im pretty sure you don't do block quotes in footnotes

[A. Nony Mouse]

I'm actually pretty sure you do.

[Myself]

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[Richie Tenenbaum]

im pretty sure you don't do block quotes in footnotes

The journal I'm on does. OP, my advice is to consider whether it is really necessary to include a quote of 50+ words. If you can summarize it and just include it in a parenthetical, that is probably better in most cases. If not, I would recommend the following format:

[FN]X. See X. [Introductory sentence to the quote]:
[Block quote]
Id.

[Myself]

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[shadow.]

I believe that the answer is in 5.1(a)(ii): "In law review footnotes, where the quotation is placed within a parenthetical, [a quotation of fifty or more words] should be enclosed in quotation marks and not otherwise set off from the rest of the text."

Thus, do not use block quotes in a law review footnote, unless your particular style guide calls for it.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I believe that the answer is in 5.1(a)(ii): "In law review footnotes, where the quotation is placed within a parenthetical, [a quotation of fifty or more words] should be enclosed in quotation marks and not otherwise set off from the rest of the text."

Thus, do not use block quotes in a law review footnote, unless your particular style guide calls for it.

Unless, of course, you're not putting the quotation in a parenthetical, and actually just quoting it. Also, that paragraph addresses paragraph structure, not indentation of the quote, so I think it's addressing what to do when your quote goes across paragraphs.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

im pretty sure you don't do block quotes in footnotes

The journal I'm on does. OP, my advice is to consider whether it is really necessary to include a quote of 50+ words. If you can summarize it and just include it in a parenthetical, that is probably better in most cases. If not, I would recommend the following format:

[FN]X. See X. [Introductory sentence to the quote]:
[Block quote]
Id.

He may be asking as an Article Editor of a journal.

If he is doing editing work for a journal, he should follow the convention that has been used by that journal consistently in the past. I will say I do not recall ever reading a parenthetical with a quote that looked like it was 50+ words (though I probably don't pay much attention to this), and I have seen multiple journals follow the format I just laid out.

(For the direct question of whether the bluebook permits a parenthetical with 50+ words: as the person above pointed out, it's allowed by the bluebook. But if you are including a substantive sentence (like the introductory sentence to the quote would be), then bluebook requires that quote of 50+ to be a block quote since substantive text in FNs should be treated like above the line text.)

[Myself]

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[Richie Tenenbaum]

Parenthetical are completely different and wouldn't be indented. They are, after all, within the parentheses. Not every quote in a footnote is necessarily in a parenthetical.

But if you are including a substantive sentence (like the introductory sentence to the quote would be), then bluebook requires that quote of 50+ to be a block quote since substantive text in FNs should be treated like above the line text.

[ph14]

Didn't read this thread but the official rule is that you block a quotation that is in a textual sentence and over 50 words, even if it is in a footnote. However, if it is in a parenthetical then you do not do block quotations, even if it is over 50 words.