1.3 Summarizing.pptx

1. Summarizing
Thomas McCormack
Adjunct Professor
Department of
Languages and Culture

2. What is summarizing?
• Summarizing is making a longer text
a shorter one.
• Summarizing teaches students how
to take a large selection of text and
reduce it to the main points for
more concise understanding.

3. Where can we use
this skill?
• In academia, we often summarize
journal articles. We do this to make it
easier to find information in a
database.
• It is also a useful research skill as you
will have to read lots of articles.
Summarizing each article makes it
easier to locate key information later.
• Finally, summarizing lectures and
readings should be done regularly as it
is an effective study tool for later.

4. Why is it important?
• summarizing helps students learn
to determine central ideas and
consolidate important details that
support them. It is a technique
that enables students to identify
key words and phrases that are
worth noting and remembering.
• Summarizing texts builds on prior
knowledge, helps improve writing,
and
strengthens vocabulary skills.

5. Criteria of a Good
Summary
1. It cites the source
2. It contains key information
3. It has the same meaning
4. It is short
5. It uses your words

6. Cites the Source
Acknowledges the author or source.
It uses reporting verbs and phrases to
remind the reader that you are
summarizing someone else’s ideas.
It follows citation rules (APA, MLA, or
Vancouver).

7. Key Information
You should include key information
such as…
• the topic of the article, i.e., the
author’s thesis or main point.
• The main supporting points needed
to explain the thesis/main point.

8. Same Meaning
• It is crucial to maintain the exact
same meaning of the source you
are summarizing.
• You may follow the same
organization of the original text, but
it is also acceptable to reorganize
the author’s ideas as long as the
meaning is the same.

9. Short
• A good summary is much shorter
than the original source.
• It could be as short as one sentence
(which contains the author’s thesis)
or may be a paragraph or longer, in
which case it will include the main
supporting points.

10. In Your Words
• Paraphrases any information taken
from the original source.
• Any language that comes directly
from the original source must be put
in quotation marks.
• Direct quotations should be used
minimally.

11. How to choose
appropriate Information?
Does it pass the CRAAP Test?

12. How to Write an Academic Summary
1. Make a citation
Use Scribbr APA Citation Generator
Just add the url of your article, and it
should produce an accurate citation.
Turns, A. (2023, September 6). The
gold jewellery made from old phones.
BBC Future.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2
0230904-how-the-royal-mintis-
turning-electronic-waste-into-gold

13. 2. Write a Summary
Sentence 1: provide a general
description of the article.
Sentences 2 to 6: Describe key details
that help summarize the article.
Sentence 7: state why this article is
useful for your problem-solution essay.
Your summary should be between 120
and 200 words.
Times New Roman, 12 font, single
spaced.

14. Example Summary

15. Final product
• Word count: 135 words
• Add this section to the end of your essay.

16. Cycling
• Do you go cycling regularly?
• Have you ever cycled to Uniandes?
• Is Bogota a good city for cyclists?
• Do you feel you have sufficient access
to quality cycle paths?
• Do you support Ciclovia on Sundays
and holidays?

17. Read
Smart bike system to
improve cycling
infrastructure | ASCE

18. Summary
Do you think this would be an effective
way to improve cycling in Bogota?
Make a citation using the generator.
Write a 7 sentence summary of the
article.
Try to keep your summary under 150
words.
Post your summary to the writing
board for feedback.

19. Paul Gauguin
French post-Impressionist artist Paul
Gauguin was an important figure in
the Symbolist art movement of the
early 1900s. His use of bold colors,
exaggerated body proportions and
stark contrasts in his paintings set him
apart from his contemporaries,
helping to pave the way for the
Primitivism art movement. Gauguin
often sought exotic environments and
spent time living and painting in Tahiti.