1. Find the work
We identify the book, speech, letter, poem or other work in which the wording appears. Primary texts are preferred; reputable scholarly or library editions may support translation and context.
2. Match the wording
Editors compare punctuation, edition and translation. Paraphrases are not silently presented as exact quotations.
3. Check attribution and rights
The speaker, author and source work are recorded separately where needed. Public-domain or cleared material is preferred before publication.
4. Publish evidence and accept corrections
Each quote card links to the source used. Readers can report wording, author, source or rights concerns from the card.
Status labels
Only primary-source and reliable-secondary-source records appear publicly. Commonly attributed, unverified, rejected and draft records stay out of public collections.