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'''Quote mining''' is the fallacy of undermining a proposition by taking words out of context from a supporter of that proposition.  

'''Quote mining''' is the practice of using the words of partisans against them to undermine support for the viewpoint held by the partisans.

Quote mining is a form of [[quote out of context|quoting out of context]], and it is similar to the fallacy of [[appeal to authority]].

Quote mining does not refer simply to taking a [[quote out of context]], as there is already a well-understood phrase for that.  Rather, the charge of "quote mining" reflects an objection to quoting someone for criticizing his own belief system, on the theory that if he still believes in the system then it is somehow unfair to quote his criticism of it.  

An objection sometimes made is that it is wrong to ignore evidence which supports a partisan viewpoint when evidence which disproves it is found. This is clearly an anti-scientific notion, as it violates the modern principle of [[falsifiability]]: no amount of evidence in favor of a scientific theory has merit if even a single counterexample can be found (see [[Thomas Kuhn]]).

Another objection sometimes made is that it is wrong to ignore evidence which supports a partisan viewpoint when evidence which disproves it is found. This is clearly an anti-scientific notion, as it violates the modern principle of [[falsifiability]]: no amount of evidence in favor of a scientific theory has merit if even a single counterexample can be found (see [[Thomas Kuhn]]).

[[Evolution]] proponents commonly object when their quotes are taken out of context and used against them. This is because scientific truth is determined from scientific evidence, not from authority, so any argument using merely quotations from authority (whether or not it is true), as opposed to the evidence in the scientific literature, is simply irrelevant. They have tried to make ''quote mining'' a [[pejorative]] term, but the neologism has yet to be recognized by major dictionaries.

[[Evolutionists]] are notorious for expressing objection when their quotes are used against them. This reveals the [[dogma]]tic nature of their [[faith]], because real scientists always welcome evidence which contradicts mainstream theories (see [[scientific method]]).

While the entire fields of law and politics encourage quoting an adversary to [[discrediting attack|discredit]] him, [[evolutionist]]s do not feel their quotes should be used to criticize evolution, and have invented the term "quote mining" to criticize that practice.

They have tried to make ''quote mining'' a [[pejorative]] term, but the neologism has yet to be recognized by major dictionaries

==Intelligent Design Journalist Denyse O'Leary on False Charges of Quote Mining ==

==Intelligent Design Journalist Denyse O'Leary on False Charges of Quote Mining ==