Short answer
Select the exact words in the PDF, then choose Copy or Cite. Save a short note about why the passage matters. Reopen the linked page before you use the quote in your work.
When to use this method
Use this method when you need to remember who wrote a passage, which document contains it, and where to find it again.
Before you start
Add the PDF and check its title, author, year, and identifier when known. A quotation repeats the author's exact words. A paraphrase restates the idea in your own words. Both need a source record and a page locator, which tells you where the passage appears, such as a printed page number or its position inside the PDF.
Capture a quote with its context
Check the source record
Compare the saved title and authors with the PDF. You should see the same paper in the record and reader.
Select the exact passage
Select only the words you need. You should see them highlighted. If OCR supplied the text, compare every word with the page image.
Choose Copy or Cite
Choose Copy or Cite, then add why the passage matters. You should see the saved item in Citation History. A highlight marks text, a PDF note comments on that page, and a project note can cover a broader idea.
Return before final use
Open the saved Citation History item and return to its page. You should see the same passage. If no printed label was visible, keep the PDF position and mark the printed locator as unknown instead of guessing.
Evidence-capture risks
- Saving a quote without page information
- Letting optional OCR errors enter a quotation
- Confusing a semantic-search match or project note with the author's claim
Checkpoint: Quotation checks
- Compare exact wording with the source image or text.
- Store both PDF label and printed page number when they differ.
- Separate the author's claim from your note.
- Review the Citation History entry and selected citation style.
- Retain surrounding context and reopen the page before final use.
CiteFlow
Capture quotations with their source record, page context and a note that explains how the evidence will be used.