One of my pet peeves involves the way that many writers, bloggers, and others use quotations in their work. Quotations are great, but so is taking the time to track down the real source of the quote. “Martin Luther King once said” is somewhat helpful, but too often the quote has been altered since its creation, and taking the time to find a source (or at least clarify that the real source can’t be found) strikes me as an essential part of the process of creating content, both to honor the source of the quotation and to honor the time and attention of the reader. Even in cases where identifying the first use of a phrase is problematic, helping the reader to understand the context of the quote (the identity of the source, the overall context of their work, etc.) is very helpful in grasping the full meaning and, perhaps, to begin to understand the fullness of the intent of the words. 

So, as I do my work of writing and creating content, I sometimes come across a helpful quote that has been included in something that I am using as a source or inspiration. Generally, I try to track down the original source; when I find it, I include it here so that others might not need to duplicate my efforts. In some cases (i.e. Kevin Watson’s work on John Wesley quotes), I am simply directing you to others who have spent time on this kind of thing as well.

Enjoy, and I hope that this is helpful to someone out there. If you have corrections to any of this, please let me know!