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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/37936
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/37936
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Speaking as a college professor, If "Work A" quotes "Work B", you should verify this is true in "Work B", and then reference "Work B" directly.

If you cannot find "Work B", reference "Work A" and in the footnote or citation, put "[_'Ten Points'_, Izutsu 1965, p. 146, quoting _'The role of faith'_, Johnson, 1848, not available at this writing.]".

(I made up those titles and Johnson, and 1848, btw. Usually your reference includes the title).

Your references and footnotes only have to be "cookie cutter" if they fit into the mold; for unusual circumstances, accuracy of attribution is more important than fitting the mold. Usually your _path_ to finding a work to quote is unimportant and you cite only the original, but if the path stops before you _get_ to the original, you cite it indirectly using the oldest reference you can actually find. This is a problem shared in Mathematics; some well known results from centuries ago have no originals, or were expressed in private letters or verbal communication.

If you wish to paraphrase, I'd put the full original quote in your paper, and _then_ your paraphrase or generalization:

The formatting here on SE isn't up to it (or I am not up to learning it), but:

> We see in Johnson, discussing Islamic faith:
> 
> > "_But what he wants to emphasize is that shar‘a can be active and effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has already acquired knowledge of God, belief in God, and the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute reliability of the Prophet._" [Johnson, 1848, p 93]
> 
> We can broaden Johnson's idea to faith in general: Faith can be active and effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has already acquired knowledge of God, belief in God, and the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute reliability of the Prophet.

(Although if you wish to broaden it, I'd replace 'the Prophet' with something else to indicate an infallible source; e.g. in Christianity it would be The Bible or perhaps Jesus, but in general I'd say something like "the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute reliability of the Founders of their faith".)

Unless you are continuing to write about Islam; then I'd change the final paragraph to read:

> We can broaden Johnson's idea beyond just shar'a to faith in general: Faith can be ...

Original score: 3