Guidelines for Summarizing Sources Most students do not realize that summaries require citations similar to those used for quotations. Learning how to summarize your sources properly will help you avoid "accidental" plagiarism. Moreover, you should use these guidelines when writing an Annotated Bibliography. What is a summary? A summary requires you to "condense an extended idea or argument into a sentence or more in your own words" (Aaron, Sole, & Martucci Lamarre, 2009, p. 298). Moreover, a summary should not change the meaning of the original source. When is a summary useful? You should summarize when… · you want to give an overview of a source's main ideas/points; · you can express a source's ideas or points in fewer words than the original text; · you need to give a brief synopsis of more than one source; · you want an authority on the topic to support your ideas How is a summary written? Before you write the summary… · Read the text once in its entirety, paying special attention to the main ideas. Put the text down and write what you remember. · Read the text a second time quickly, without taking any notes. Put the text down and add anything new that you might remember to the notes from the first reading. · Read the text thoroughly a third time. This is when you can circle words/phrases you do not know, take notes in the margins, and underline phrases/sentences. Put the text down and add any new information you remember to the second reading. · Read through your notes from the third reading, look up the words/phrases that you do not know, and make any appropriate changes to the information you jotted down. · You are ready to write a draft of your summary! Move on to the guidelines below. When you write the summary. . . · Introduce the source in a signal phrase. Here is a common formula you can use: In "[name of article]," [author] writes, [State the main point of the text first.] · Aim for a summary—in your own words and sentence structure—that is 1/10 of the original or three to seven sentences long. · Compare your version to the original. Make sure that your summary is clear and understandable to the reader. . · Avoid using quotations. A summary is not a paraphrase or a direct quote. If you must use the author's key words or phrases, always enclose them in quotation marks · Include a parenthetical citation in APA format. Summary Sample Original Source Pendergrast, M. (1999). Uncommon grounds: The history of coffee and how it transformed our world. New York, NY: Basic Books. Coffee is an extraordinarily delicate commodity. Its quality is first determined by essentials such as type of plant, soil conditions, and growing altitude. It can be ruined at every step along the line, from fertilizer and pesticide application to harvesting methods to processing to shipping to roasting to packaging to brewing. A coffee bean greedily absorbs odors and flavors from a host of nauseating companions. Too much moisture produces mold. ...

1. Guidelines for Summarizing Sources
Most students do not realize that summaries require citations
similar to those used for quotations. Learning how to summarize
your sources properly will help you avoid "accidental"
plagiarism. Moreover, you should use these guidelines when
writing an Annotated Bibliography.
What is a summary?
A summary requires you to "condense an extended idea or
argument into a sentence or more in your own words" (Aaron,
Sole, & Martucci Lamarre, 2009, p. 298). Moreover, a summary
should not change the meaning of the original source.
When is a summary useful?
You should summarize when…
· you want to give an overview of a source's main ideas/points;
· you can express a source's ideas or points in fewer words than
the original text;
· you need to give a brief synopsis of more than one source;
· you want an authority on the topic to support your ideas
How is a summary written?
Before you write the summary…
· Read the text once in its entirety, paying special attention to
the main ideas. Put the text down and write what you remember.
· Read the text a second time quickly, without taking any notes.
Put the text down and add anything new that you might
remember to the notes from the first reading.
· Read the text thoroughly a third time. This is when you can
circle words/phrases you do not know, take notes in the
margins, and underline phrases/sentences. Put the text down and
add any new information you remember to the second reading.
· Read through your notes from the third reading, look up the
words/phrases that you do not know, and make any appropriate
changes to the information you jotted down.
· You are ready to write a draft of your summary! Move on to
the guidelines below.

2. When you write the summary. . .
· Introduce the source in a signal phrase. Here is a common
formula you can use: In "[name of article]," [author] writes,
[State the main point of the text first.]
· Aim for a summary—in your own words and sentence
structure—that is 1/10 of the original or three to seven
sentences long.
· Compare your version to the original. Make sure that your
summary is clear and understandable to the reader. .
· Avoid using quotations. A summary is not a paraphrase or a
direct quote. If you must use the author's key words or phrases,
always enclose them in quotation marks
· Include a parenthetical citation in APA format.
Summary Sample
Original Source
Pendergrast, M. (1999). Uncommon grounds: The history of
coffee and how it transformed our world. New York, NY: Basic
Books.
Coffee is an extraordinarily delicate commodity. Its quality is
first determined by essentials such as type of plant, soil
conditions, and growing altitude. It can be ruined at every step
along the line, from fertilizer and pesticide application to
harvesting methods to processing to shipping to roasting to
packaging to brewing. A coffee bean greedily absorbs odors and
flavors from a host of nauseating companions. Too much
moisture produces mold. A too–light roast produces
undeveloped, bitter coffee, while overroasted coffee resembles
charcoal. After roasting, the bean stales quickly unless used
within a week or so. Boiling or sitting on a hot plate quickly
reduces the finest brew to a stale, bitter, mouth–turning cup of
black bile. In addition, it can be adulterated with an astonishing
array of vegetable matter, ranging from chicory to figs.
Student Version
In his introduction to Uncommon Grounds: The History of
Coffee and How it Transformed Our World, Mark Pendergrast
(1999) explains that coffee is an easy–to–manipulate—maybe

3. even temperamental—bean that requires special attention for the
duration of its lifespan, growth to consumption (p. xvi).
· The student version is properly summarized because it does
the following:
· It introduces the source in a proper signal phrase;
· It is about 1/10 the length of the original passage;
· It is clear and understandable to the reader;
· It is void of any quotations or paraphrases; √ It includes a
parenthetical citation in correct APA format.
Required Resources
Articles
1. Gordon, J. (2007). Planning research: A concise guide for the
environmental and natural resources. New Haven, CT: Yale
University Press.
· Chapter 2 (pp. 10-19)
2. Selhorst, A. L., & Lal, R. (2011). Carbon budgeting in golf
course soils of central Ohio. Urban Ecosystems, 14(4), 771-781.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11252-011-0168-5
· Focus on the introduction
Websites
1. Anderson, G. (2004). How to write a paper in scientific
journal style and format. Bates College Dept of Biology.
Retrieved
from http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writin
g/HTWtoc.html
· Introduction to Scientific Writing
· A Strategy for Writing the Paper
· How Do I Write the…Introduction
ProQuest

4. http://search.proquest.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/advanced?accountid=32521
Description:
Total Possible Score: 15.00
Uses Seven or More Scholarly Sources Located From ProQuest
For The Introduction
Total: 3.00
Distinguished -Uses at least seven or more scholarly sources
located from ProQuest. All sources are appropriate for the topic.
Summarizes Each Source and Explains How the Source Furthers
the Understanding of the Topic
Total: 3.00
Distinguished - Clearly summarizes each source and
comprehensively explains how the source furthers the
understanding of the topic.
Explains the Relationship Between Farming and Water Quality
Total: 3.00
Distinguished - Thoroughly explains the relationship between
farming and water quality. The explanation is clearly supported
by the scholarly sources.
Provides Rationale and Purpose for Studying the Effects of
Farming on Water Quality
Total: 3.00
Distinguished - Provides a clear rationale and purpose for
studying the effects of farming on water quality. The rationale
is concretely supported by scholarly sources.
Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Total: 2.00
Distinguished - Displays meticulous comprehension and
organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and
grammar. Written work contains no errors, and is very easy to
understand.

5. APA Formatting
Total: 1.00
Distinguished - Accurately uses APA formatting consistently
throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.