What does the term (emphasis mine) mean?

Hello heinzelman-ga,

Both frde-ga and geof-ga gave you a good explanation of the standard
use of (emphasis mine) in academic writing. I?ve found several sources
from educational institutions that spell out the guidelines for the
appropriate use of ?emphasis mine? when highlighting a portion of a
quote.

I trust that these sources are sufficiently authoritative for your needs.

All the best.

~ czh ~


http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/punctuation/3_6.htm
Punctuation
3.6 Parentheses and Square Brackets 

When should I use parentheses()?
Parentheses and Quotations

4. If you have italicized or underlined any part of the quotation that
is not emphasized in the original, say so in the parenthetical
reference. You may use the phrases "my emphasis", "italics mine", or
"emphasis mine."

   Example:

      The nineteenth-century English novelist William Wilkie Collins is
      at last becoming more well-known; the editor of a recent reprint of
      The Evil Genius writes that the centenary of Collins's death
      occasioned "two new biographies, four book-length critical works, and
      at least half-a-dozen new editions of novels that had long been
      difficult to obtain" (Law, 8; my emphasis).

Note: This reference is to the Broadview Press's edition of The Evil
Genius, published in 1994.

--------------------------------------

http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm
LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY
Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy
  
A Style Manual for the Preparation of Research Papers, Seminar Papers,
and Honors Theses in the Department of History, Political Science, and
Philosophy

5. Italics
Italics are commonly used for emphasis, for foreign words and phrases,
for ship names, and for titles of books, works of art, musical
compositions, and the like. Thus, if someone offers to sell you the
U.S.S. Arizona or a copy of The City of God autographed by Saint
Augustine himself, always keep in mind the old rule of caveat emptor.
Italics may be omitted in the case of foreign words and phrases that
are found in common English usage (as indicated in Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary). If you choose for emphasis to italicize a
portion of a quotation, the fact should be cited in the endnote with
the notation "italics mine" or "emphasis mine" in parentheses. If your
word-processing program will not produce italics, indicate them by
underlining.

--------------------------------------

http://www.uwo.ca/kings/pdf/essay.pdf
King's College
Requirements for Essays Submitted in Economics Courses

Part I- General Requirements for Essays
Section VI - Quotations

Page 9
3. If you wish to emphasize a word or phrase in a quotation that was
not emphasized byunderliningor italicization in the original, you may
do so by underlining or italicizing it, andthen adding the expression
?emphasis mine? to the end of the parenthetical reference forthe
quotation.

--------------------------------------

http://www.sparknotes.com/writing/style/topic_109.html
Ultimate Style ? The Rules of Writing
Italics

Emphasis Added
If you want to add emphasis to a quotation, italicize the words you
wish to emphasize, and then add parentheses after the quotation in
which you say ?emphasis added,? ?italics mine,? or something similar.

? Paine wrote, ?Society in every state is a blessing, but government
even in its best state is but a necessary evil? (emphasis mine).


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grammar OR punctuation  "emphasis mine"
how to use  "emphasis mine"
style guide  "emphasis mine"

If you are quoting someone else and you highlight/bold/italic a word
or phrase then you add (emphasis mine) to indicate that the highlight
was not done by the original author.

When a comment like "my emphasis" is made by an editor etc and placed
within a quotation, the usual convention is to put it inside square
brackets - [ ] - rather than normal round brackets - (  ).

both comments qualify as an anser in my book, however it's clear as
mud how to give eitherof you credit?

Simple,

Czh-ga is a GA researcher

I and Geof-ga are mere members of the peanut gallery

- you can't tip the clowns