[header] How to take notes for your research paper [title] Report what an author has said. [step] Quote the material verbatim, that is, word by word. Direct quotations reproduce an author's exact words. 
This technique is used when the original wording is essential to understanding exact meaning, or otherwise interesting. That said, the author may be an expert or a key-figure in his/her area of expertise; therefore, he or she is quoted to avoid the possibility of misunderstanding.