Writing Summaries

Introduction to Summary Writing

Much academic writing requires some form of summary as an important method of development.  Research, examinations, and argumentation, for example, often incorporate summary to some extent—from brief paragraph length sections to extended summaries forming an entire essay.

In this handout, you will learn:

• the characteristics of an effective summary.
• active reading for composing summaries.
• the contents and organization of summaries.
• how to revise summaries.

Characteristics of a Summary

In a summary you are simply reporting the information that you have read to your reader without adding to or commenting on that information. An effective summary accurately reflects the ideas and the opinions of the author; it will not include your own interpretations, responses, or ideas.  However, the wording and style of the summary should be your own. Generally, a short summary will include only the author’s central idea and supporting main points; it will not include such information as supporting details or examples.

Reading for Summaries

Reading can be viewed as multi-layered: that is, we may move progressively toward a deeper level or layer as we read.  For example, we might read at first for a general impression, then for main ideas, then to prepare for discussion, then to paraphrase or summarize.  Finally, we may read for any number of specific purposes:  to compare and contrast, to analyze, to interpret.  Each level or layer of reading will add to and deepen the meaning you derive from a text.

Following some specific steps as you read will help you to write an effective summary more easily.  You will be making predictions about the material you are about to read will help you to engage be a more active reader.

1. Browse the Text.
   
   You want to get a quick “feel” for the text. What is the title? What does the title suggest? Titles are not always literal in meaning but give clues about the subject of the text and the author’s perspective. If any material introducing the text is provided, read that as well.
    
2. Connect to your Current Knowledge.  
   
   What do you already know about that subject? Scribble some notes or talk with another classmate.
    
3. Define Questions.
   
   What questions do you have about the subject? What questions do you hope that the author will answer?
    
4. Preview the text.
   
   Before you read the text straight through, quickly look over the entire piece paragraph by paragraph to note the general content (What is the paragraph about?) and the purpose or function of each paragraph (What is the author trying to do?  What is the purpose of the material?).
   
   Approaching a new text in this way will take a little practice.  Let your eyes move over an entire paragraph.  What key words “jump out at you”?  You will, of course, notice the content words (because they are frequently longer words); you may notice numbers or certain kinds of words (e.g., references to cities or locations, names, etc.).  Based upon this initial information, you can predict the general content and purpose of a paragraph.  Continue doing this for each paragraph.  Note that several paragraphs may each contain new content but may at the same time repeat or continue a dominant purpose (e.g., developing background of a problem).
   
   Keep track of what you notice by underlining or circling key words, annotating in the margin, or making brief notes on a sheet of paper.
   
   From this initial perusal of the text, you could actually sketch a rough draft of a summary.  For a thorough and accurate summary, however, you will want to go back over the text and read more carefully, checking your understanding of the material as you proceed. You will probably be surprised with how much easier the article is to understand after completing the first four steps mentioned above.
    
5. Inview
   
   Now you will read more closely to gain a deeper understanding of the text and close the gaps of your understanding.
    
   1. Examine the introductory paragraph(s).  What is the author’s thesis or central idea?  Is an overview included?
   2. Identify the main point of each paragraph; frequently, these will be indicated in a topic sentence, but not always. 
   3. Identify the transitions between paragraphs to help you determine relation between ideas or paragraphs.
   4. Note any important information or statements in the conclusion regarding the significance or relevance of the subject the author makes.

As you read, in the margin, you may want to mark sections which seem to express the author’s main points, indicate major divisions in the writing, or note words or passages which are unclear. (Use highlighting selectively, only to mark key ideas which you will want to locate when rereading or writing your summary.) You will also want to look up meanings of any unfamiliar words or allusions that are important for understanding.   

Guidelines for Drafting the Summary

Opening:  The opening sentence(s) of your summary should identify the full name of the author, the title of the selection, and the topic, central idea, thesis, or purpose of the text.

Main Ideas:  Briefly summarize each of the author’s main points, making sure that your summary is expressed in your own words and in your own style of writing. That is, do not simply replace the author’s words with synonyms while following the same basic sentence structure. As a general rule, “copy” no more than three consecutive words (e.g., a prepositional phrase) Be very careful at this point that you accurately represent the author’s ideas and meaning; do not change or “twist” them. Sometimes particularly effective wording or specific wording necessary to capture the author’s meaning may be included in quotation marks.  For the most part, however, use such quotations infrequently and only when necessary.

Attributions: Refer to the author throughout your summary at points of transitions. Identify material as belonging to the author by using signal phrases which clearly refer to the author of the selection. For APA style, you must use past tense for the reporting verbs in signal phrases, but all other verbs should be in present tense.

Guidelines for Revising the Summary 

• The first sentence introduces the article, author (by first and last name), and central idea.
• Summary completely covers the main supporting points without the details.
• There are periodic references to the author by last name with a signal phrase at key sections of the summary
• The summary follows a logical and clear order, (not necessarily the same order as the article), grouping the author’s related points.
• Transitional expressions or transitional sentences connect main points for the reader rather than just presenting a “list.”
• A final sentence gives a sense of closing.
• The summary remains objective throughout.
• Information requiring explanation is given more coverage.
• Categorizing words (“historically,” “economic, social, and political power,” “natural disasters”) are words that are not necessarily used in the text by the author but are words that you use to indicate a classification of ideas that were presented by the author.
• The summary is in your own words; quotations, if used at all, are infrequent.