Lisa Gielczyk (TCP) wrote: > I'm wondering if there's a name for this. An article quotes portions of an > original text, but does not use ellipses or any other means to show that it > was not a continuous quote. Because it looks like a single quote, the > meaning is altered. Is there a name for this? >
It depends. If you're talking about pull quotes--bits of the article text pulled out as display text to add visual interest to the page--it's just called a pull quote and there is no presumption that it is complete or accurate. Editors change words, conflate nonadjacent sentences, etc., all the time. No big deal. If, on the other hand, you're talking about a situation where a writer has assembled bits and pieces in a way that leads the reader to a misunderstanding of the original text (changing the meaning of the original speaker or writer or making that person appear less articulate or competent), it's a violation of the Berne convention, specifically of the original author's "moral right" to the original text, as defined in international copyright law. If the case is something in between--cleaning up the oral misfirings of an interview subject, for example, rather than transcribing every throat-clearing and slip of the tongue--then it's just good journalism. In other situations, it depends on the field. In literary or historical scholarship, for example, all errors of spelling, punctuation, and usage are preserved--even if they were typographical errors outside the control of the original author--unless there is an explicit note explaining what changes have been made for the benefit of the modern reader. What's the context? Dick ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
