Editorial Policy
Famous Quotations Network has collected quotations since 1998. Our aim is simple: show each quote in the words its author actually used, credited to the right person, with the evidence on the page so you can check it yourself.
What a label means
A checked quote carries one of four labels: verified, paraphrased, disputed or misattributed. Their exact meanings are on Quote Origins. Every checked quote has its own page with the verdict, the source, links to the evidence and the date its source was last checked.
Our standards
- Primary sources decide. A quote is only verified when a published citation points to where the author wrote or said it. A later book or website repeating the quote isn't enough.
- A clear match, or no label. A label is only added when the wording clearly matches the source. Where the evidence is thin either way, the quote stays unlabelled rather than guessed.
- A second check before we say "not theirs". Every disputed or misattributed verdict is checked again against Quote Investigator; where it has researched a quote, its findings decide.
- Original wording. Where the popular version has drifted from the source, we restore the author's own words, and list the change in the corrections log.
- Originals and translations. For proverbs, mottos and scripture from other languages, we show the original text with its source and licence.
How the checking is done
Checks are run with software that compares each quote with the sources listed on Quote Origins, with AI-assisted research for harder cases. Random samples of the results are audited independently, and corrections from readers are reviewed by the editor.
Corrections
If you think a quote, author or label is wrong, use the Report button beside the quote or the correction form, ideally with where the right version is recorded. We review every report. When we change a quote, the change is listed with its date in the corrections log.
Independence
No one can pay to have a quote included, removed or labelled. If the site carries advertising, it is kept separate from the quotes and never affects a verdict.
Famous Quotations Network is created and maintained by Haythum R. Khalid.
Book links
Where a quote is sourced to a book, we link to that book on Amazon, and some author pages link to their books. These are affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. They never affect which quotes we show or how we label them.