Secondary Source
A later account that reports a quote, rather than recording it directly.
A secondary source is any record of a quotation that is not the original. A biographer quoting a subject; a journalist quoting a politician years later; a website quoting a print article — all are secondary.
Secondary sources are useful and often unavoidable. Many famous remarks survive only through secondary record. But each layer adds the possibility of slippage: a memoir written decades later may smooth, sharpen, or invent.
When you cite a secondary source, say so. The phrase 'quoted in' is one of the most honest signals in serious writing, because it admits the chain of transmission and invites the reader to make their own judgement.
“As King said in his dream speech, the nation had signed a promissory note.”
Keep reading the glossary
The original record of a quote — the book, letter, speech, or recording in which it first appeared.
A formal reference that lets a reader locate the source of a quote.
The act of naming the original speaker or writer of a quote.
Assigning a quote to the wrong person — the most common error in quotation.