How to Summarize an Article
Scan and highlight the article., Read the article thoroughly., Take notes in your own words., Summarize each section., Understand the purpose of your summary., Introduce the bibliographic information., Include the topic and thesis in the...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Scan and highlight the article.
Before sitting down to read the entire article, scan the article and highlight or underline the major points.
Write down or highlight the question asked or purpose of the article.
Take note of the thesis statement or hypothesis.
Highlight any supporting points.
Write or highlight the method used to perform the research, if included in the article.
Mark down findings, conclusions, or results. -
Step 2: Read the article thoroughly.
After marking down the basics, read the article sincerely, paying close attention to detail.
Consider reading each section a few times for an even richer understanding.
Ask yourself about the article as you read it.
Mentally track the progress of the article to determine if the results and conclusions drawn seem complete and sensible. , As you read the article for thoroughness, write down any significant facts or interesting details in your own words.
By writing the information in your own words, you minimize the risk of accidentally plagiarizing the article.
Do not simply "rephrase" exact statements by swapping a few words around.
Instead, completely rewrite the information and do not look at the text as you write.
If you have difficulty keeping things in your own words, focus on writing down short phrases instead of full sentences. , At the end of each major train of thought, pause to summarize the main point of the section in a single sentence.If the article unexpectedly begins to move into another main point, stop long enough to write the main point of the previous section before you continue reading. , A summary meant for your own personal notes should be approached from a different perspective than a summary you plan to include in your essay.
If writing a summary for your own benefit, include as much detail as possible so that you can get the most out of your notes later on.
If writing a summary you wish to include as part of an essay, focus the summary on information that deals specifically with your own thesis. , In the introduction of your summary, mention the full title of the article and the author's full name.
You do not need to mention the date of publication or the journal, book, newspaper, or magazine you found the article in.
This information will need to be included on your "References" or "Works Cited" page, however.
Only include publication dates and sources if they are applicable to your paper.
For instance, if one author wrote an article making one claim but wrote a second article refuting his earlier claims several years later, mention that one article came several years after the other. , Within the first paragraph of your summary, you should also mention the topic of the original article and the author's thesis or hypothesis.
Make the connection between the article and your essay apparent.
For example, if your essay is about a certain health condition and you summarize an article about a certain medication used to treat that condition, make sure that the reader knows that the medication in question is connected to the condition your paper is about. , Review your notes and rewrite any supporting details in the paragraphs to follow.
Mention all main points and any supporting details that are essential in understanding those points.
Only write information that is absolutely crucial in developing an understanding of the article's contents. , In your summary's conclusion, restate the conclusion drawn by the author of the original article.
Note that these conclusions can include results, analysis of research or ideas, and calls to action. , As you write your summary, continually restate the fact that the information you write comes from another source.
For example, include phrases like "Smith believes," "Smith finds that," and "Smith expresses disbelief about."
A summary should be written in your own words.
As a result, you should use direct quotations only when the information cannot be meaningfully rephrased in any other way.If possible, do not use any direct quotations in you summary. , The summary should be short, complete, true, and unbiased.
The text of your summary should be at least one-quarter the length of the original article, if not shorter.
Refer to the parameters of your assignment for further guidelines.
The summary must include all of the major ideas included in the article without repeating exact phrases.
The summary should accurately portray the thoughts and assertions portrayed in the original article.
The summary should not include your own analysis or opinion of the original article.
If you do decide to analyze the article's findings, do so in another part of your essay. , This is, in essence, the "topic" of the article.
Explain what the research was about and why the researcher felt inclined to research it.
Indicate if or how the researcher's purpose meshes with the purpose of your own essay as you introduce the article.
Briefly mention the authority of those performing the research to lend validity to the summary and the article. , In the introduction of your summary, mention what the researcher expected to find by the end of his or her research.
Do not hint around about whether the hypothesis was correct. , Mention who the subjects were.
Describe the design of the experiment.
This includes the timeline for the experiment, how subjects were split up, and what distinguished the experimental group from the control group.
Also describe the tasks or actions subjects needed to take during the duration of the experiment. , After describing the method used, state what the results of the experiment were.
Include percentages and rates if applicable.
Mention any irregularities in the results. , State what the researcher concluded based on his or her own results.
Do not include your own analysis in the summary.
If you do analyze the results, do so in another portion of your paper. , In your introduction, restate the thesis of the original article in your own words.
The thesis should be a single sentence that sums up the idea or belief the original author is attempting to make.
You can also provide brief context about how this thesis fits in with the topic as a whole or a brief summary about the topic in general, but this is not necessary if you already described the general topic in the introduction of your overall essay. , Explain each of the main points found in the article and include enough supporting detail to make sense of these points.
This part of the summary can be tricky.
The author of the original essay will include many details in an attempt to support his or her argument, and you need to pick through these details to determine which are essential and which can be skimmed over in the interest of brevity.
Focus on summarizing the biggest points and those that connect directly to your own essay.
If a point has nothing to do with your own essay, you might be able to skip it completely as long as the author's thesis is not completely dependent on that point. , Since argumentative articles are often arguing against another viewpoint, you should mention any evidence or ideas the article uses in an attempt to address opposing arguments.
If the article does not address any specific counterarguments, however, do not speculate about counterarguments the article could work against while writing your summary.
If you wish to speculate on such information, wait until the summary is complete. , Usually, this will mean restating the thesis in new terms.
Do not draw your own conclusions in the summary.
Only state the conclusions or ideas of the article's author. , In your pre-writing notes, mention all of the main events described in the news story.
The events in the article may not be written in chronological order.
As you write the main events down in your notes, write down each event as it is given to you and number them in chronological order before writing your summary. , If the news article was not written in chronological order, rearrange the events as you write them down so that they do fall in chronological order.
The summary of the original article is, basically, a summary of the story or event that took place.
While the article may focus on a specific element of that event, your summary should detail the full scope of the story. , If the individual news article is part of a larger chain of events, you should also explain how it connects to this chain of events.
This is especially important if it is the chain of events, rather than the actual individual article, that ties into your essay.
For example, if you are summarizing an article about a school banning students from bringing peanut butter sandwiches, you could consider mentioning other schools in the area doing the same thing. , If the journalist or editor writing the article reached a conclusion or has an opinion about the story, include that in your summary.
Do not state your own opinion or analysis of the article within the summary. -
Step 3: Take notes in your own words.
-
Step 4: Summarize each section.
-
Step 5: Understand the purpose of your summary.
-
Step 6: Introduce the bibliographic information.
-
Step 7: Include the topic and thesis in the introduction
-
Step 8: as well.
-
Step 9: Provide supporting details.
-
Step 10: State the conclusions.
-
Step 11: Use author tags as you write.
-
Step 12: Avoid direct quotations.
-
Step 13: Check the summary against the article.
-
Step 14: State the purpose of the experiment or research study.
-
Step 15: Explain the researcher's hypothesis.
-
Step 16: Describe the method used to find the results.In order to lend further credibility to the research article in question
-
Step 17: you need to describe how the experiment was set up in clear
-
Step 18: simple terms.
-
Step 19: Mention the results.
-
Step 20: Explain how the researcher analyzes those results.
-
Step 21: Identify the author's thesis.
-
Step 22: State each of the author's main points.
-
Step 23: Identify counterarguments the author uses to refute other arguments.
-
Step 24: State the author's conclusions.
-
Step 25: Note the main events.
-
Step 26: Arrange the main events in chronological order.
-
Step 27: Provide context for the story
-
Step 28: if applicable.
-
Step 29: Mention any editorial opinions or conclusions.
Detailed Guide
Before sitting down to read the entire article, scan the article and highlight or underline the major points.
Write down or highlight the question asked or purpose of the article.
Take note of the thesis statement or hypothesis.
Highlight any supporting points.
Write or highlight the method used to perform the research, if included in the article.
Mark down findings, conclusions, or results.
After marking down the basics, read the article sincerely, paying close attention to detail.
Consider reading each section a few times for an even richer understanding.
Ask yourself about the article as you read it.
Mentally track the progress of the article to determine if the results and conclusions drawn seem complete and sensible. , As you read the article for thoroughness, write down any significant facts or interesting details in your own words.
By writing the information in your own words, you minimize the risk of accidentally plagiarizing the article.
Do not simply "rephrase" exact statements by swapping a few words around.
Instead, completely rewrite the information and do not look at the text as you write.
If you have difficulty keeping things in your own words, focus on writing down short phrases instead of full sentences. , At the end of each major train of thought, pause to summarize the main point of the section in a single sentence.If the article unexpectedly begins to move into another main point, stop long enough to write the main point of the previous section before you continue reading. , A summary meant for your own personal notes should be approached from a different perspective than a summary you plan to include in your essay.
If writing a summary for your own benefit, include as much detail as possible so that you can get the most out of your notes later on.
If writing a summary you wish to include as part of an essay, focus the summary on information that deals specifically with your own thesis. , In the introduction of your summary, mention the full title of the article and the author's full name.
You do not need to mention the date of publication or the journal, book, newspaper, or magazine you found the article in.
This information will need to be included on your "References" or "Works Cited" page, however.
Only include publication dates and sources if they are applicable to your paper.
For instance, if one author wrote an article making one claim but wrote a second article refuting his earlier claims several years later, mention that one article came several years after the other. , Within the first paragraph of your summary, you should also mention the topic of the original article and the author's thesis or hypothesis.
Make the connection between the article and your essay apparent.
For example, if your essay is about a certain health condition and you summarize an article about a certain medication used to treat that condition, make sure that the reader knows that the medication in question is connected to the condition your paper is about. , Review your notes and rewrite any supporting details in the paragraphs to follow.
Mention all main points and any supporting details that are essential in understanding those points.
Only write information that is absolutely crucial in developing an understanding of the article's contents. , In your summary's conclusion, restate the conclusion drawn by the author of the original article.
Note that these conclusions can include results, analysis of research or ideas, and calls to action. , As you write your summary, continually restate the fact that the information you write comes from another source.
For example, include phrases like "Smith believes," "Smith finds that," and "Smith expresses disbelief about."
A summary should be written in your own words.
As a result, you should use direct quotations only when the information cannot be meaningfully rephrased in any other way.If possible, do not use any direct quotations in you summary. , The summary should be short, complete, true, and unbiased.
The text of your summary should be at least one-quarter the length of the original article, if not shorter.
Refer to the parameters of your assignment for further guidelines.
The summary must include all of the major ideas included in the article without repeating exact phrases.
The summary should accurately portray the thoughts and assertions portrayed in the original article.
The summary should not include your own analysis or opinion of the original article.
If you do decide to analyze the article's findings, do so in another part of your essay. , This is, in essence, the "topic" of the article.
Explain what the research was about and why the researcher felt inclined to research it.
Indicate if or how the researcher's purpose meshes with the purpose of your own essay as you introduce the article.
Briefly mention the authority of those performing the research to lend validity to the summary and the article. , In the introduction of your summary, mention what the researcher expected to find by the end of his or her research.
Do not hint around about whether the hypothesis was correct. , Mention who the subjects were.
Describe the design of the experiment.
This includes the timeline for the experiment, how subjects were split up, and what distinguished the experimental group from the control group.
Also describe the tasks or actions subjects needed to take during the duration of the experiment. , After describing the method used, state what the results of the experiment were.
Include percentages and rates if applicable.
Mention any irregularities in the results. , State what the researcher concluded based on his or her own results.
Do not include your own analysis in the summary.
If you do analyze the results, do so in another portion of your paper. , In your introduction, restate the thesis of the original article in your own words.
The thesis should be a single sentence that sums up the idea or belief the original author is attempting to make.
You can also provide brief context about how this thesis fits in with the topic as a whole or a brief summary about the topic in general, but this is not necessary if you already described the general topic in the introduction of your overall essay. , Explain each of the main points found in the article and include enough supporting detail to make sense of these points.
This part of the summary can be tricky.
The author of the original essay will include many details in an attempt to support his or her argument, and you need to pick through these details to determine which are essential and which can be skimmed over in the interest of brevity.
Focus on summarizing the biggest points and those that connect directly to your own essay.
If a point has nothing to do with your own essay, you might be able to skip it completely as long as the author's thesis is not completely dependent on that point. , Since argumentative articles are often arguing against another viewpoint, you should mention any evidence or ideas the article uses in an attempt to address opposing arguments.
If the article does not address any specific counterarguments, however, do not speculate about counterarguments the article could work against while writing your summary.
If you wish to speculate on such information, wait until the summary is complete. , Usually, this will mean restating the thesis in new terms.
Do not draw your own conclusions in the summary.
Only state the conclusions or ideas of the article's author. , In your pre-writing notes, mention all of the main events described in the news story.
The events in the article may not be written in chronological order.
As you write the main events down in your notes, write down each event as it is given to you and number them in chronological order before writing your summary. , If the news article was not written in chronological order, rearrange the events as you write them down so that they do fall in chronological order.
The summary of the original article is, basically, a summary of the story or event that took place.
While the article may focus on a specific element of that event, your summary should detail the full scope of the story. , If the individual news article is part of a larger chain of events, you should also explain how it connects to this chain of events.
This is especially important if it is the chain of events, rather than the actual individual article, that ties into your essay.
For example, if you are summarizing an article about a school banning students from bringing peanut butter sandwiches, you could consider mentioning other schools in the area doing the same thing. , If the journalist or editor writing the article reached a conclusion or has an opinion about the story, include that in your summary.
Do not state your own opinion or analysis of the article within the summary.
About the Author
Nicholas Richardson
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: