This document provides guidance on writing effective summaries. It defines a summary as a shortened version that retains the essential ideas of the original text. The objectives are to improve summarization skills using techniques like paraphrasing, condensing ideas, and revising work based on feedback. Key steps include identifying the most important ideas, ignoring irrelevant details, integrating essential information, and restating content using synonyms. Examples demonstrate how to properly cite sources within a summary and paraphrase sentences while maintaining the original meaning.

1. Summary Writing
Module 1
Week 1.
October 10, 2020

2. Objectives
• Develop improvements in summary of texts by utilizing various techniques (such as
paraphrasing, condensing ideas or revisions of assignments after receiving
feedback).
• Discriminate the most important ideas in texts, ignore irrelevant information, and
integrate essential details in a meaningful way.
• Comprehend original ideas and their context.
• Reiterate information using other words (synonyms)
• Simplify information.

3. Summary
• What is a summary?
A summary is a shortened passage, which retains the essential information of
the original. It is a fairly brief restatement --- in your own words ---of the
contents of a passage.
 Can be understood without reference to the original;
 Is a faithful reproduction of, or contains only the ideas or information of,
the original; and easy to read.

4. Writing articles Summaries
Read Carefully and Closely
Your key to success in writing an article summary is your understanding of the article; therefore, it is
essential to read carefully and closely. The Academic Skills Centre offers helpful instruction on the
steps for critical reading: pre-reading, active and analytical reading, and reflection.
How to summarize
 Step 1 Read the entire text carefully. A good summary will require you to be very familiar with
the source material so you can draw out the key points
 Step 2 Identify the core theme of the text
 Step 3 Think about the most important ideas and identify the main points to be shared in your
own summary. Take notes if you need to
 Step 4 Rewrite the main points in your own words, do not include your interpretation/analysis
within the summary - make a clear distinction between your thoughts and someone else's
•Step 5 Reread your own text and be sure it is not too similar to that of the original. Change any
phrases possible that remain too closely matched

5. How to cite when summarizing
Here are some ways you can introduce your source at the start of a summary:
•According to research by the Social and Cultural Planning Office published in 2018, …
•In 2018, the Social and Cultural Planning Office released the results of a survey…
•In a 2018 study, the Social and Cultural Planning Office found…
•Vary how you introduce or attribute your sources, like "according to..." or "so-and-so
concludes that..."
•Always include a citation
Watch the video and take notes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTyRrGoY_FQ
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/

6. Example of multiple citations in one summary
A 2018 article published by Gallagher outlined how numerous researchers are exploring the
ways in which bacteria present in the gut – the microbiome – can influence human thoughts
and emotions, and thereby conditions such as autism, depression and neurodegenerative
disease. The pioneering study (Sudo et al., 2004, cited in Gallagher, 2018, para. 7–
9) conducted at Kyushu University found a significant disparity between mice that had never
come into contact with microbes and those that had, with “germ-free” mice producing twice the
amount of stress hormone. Since then, further research into the phenomenon has found, for
example, that clinically depressed patients often have less diversity in microbiota, and that
transferring microbiome from persons with Parkinson’s disease to mice significantly influenced
the animals’ symptoms and behavior. The findings in extant literature indicate a positive
direction for the future of both physical and mental health, with researchers now examining the
role of microbiome in various diseases, including allergies, cancer and obesity (Gallagher,
2018).

7. Structure of the Summary
A summary is written in paragraph form and generally does not include subheadings. An
introduction is important to clearly identify the article, the topic, the question or purpose of the
article, and its thesis or findings.
Guidelines for writing a summary of an article:
• State the main ideas of the article.
• Identify the most important details that support the main ideas.
• Write your summary in your own words; avoid copying phrases and sentences from the article
unless they’re direct quotations.
• Express the underlying meaning of the article, not just the superficial details.
• Your summary should be about one third of the length of the original article.

8. Your summary should include:
Introduction
• Start with a summary or overview of the article which includes the author’s name and the title of
the article.
• Finish with a thesis statement that states the main idea of the article.
Body Paragraphs
• The number of paragraphs in your summary depends on the length of the original article.
• Your summary should be about one third the length of the original article. For a one-paragraph
summary, discuss each supporting point in a separate sentence. Give 1-2 explanations for each
supporting point. For a multi-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in a separate
paragraph.
• Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence.
• Each paragraph focuses on a separate main idea and just the most important details from the
article.
• Put the ideas from the essay into your own words. Avoid copying phrases and sentences from
the article.
• Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas.
Concluding Paragraph
• Summarize the main idea and the underlying meaning of the article.

9. Examples of summarizing
For this example, we will use a feature article published by the BBC: “How bacteria are changing
your mood.” To fully understand how we have summarized the information, it would help to read
the complete article yourself.
Now, here is the summary:
A 2018 article published by Gallagher outlined how numerous researchers are exploring the ways
in which bacteria present in the gut – the microbiome – can influence human thoughts and
emotions, and thereby conditions such as autism, depression and neurodegenerative disease. The
pioneering study (Sudo et al., 2004, cited in Gallagher, 2018, para. 7–9) conducted at Kyushu
University found a significant disparity between mice that had never come into contact with
microbes and those that had, with “germ-free” mice producing twice the amount of stress
hormone. Since then, further research into the phenomenon has found, for example, that clinically
depressed patients often have less diversity in microbiota, and that transferring microbiome from
persons with Parkinson’s disease to mice significantly influenced the animals’ symptoms and
behaviour. The findings in extant literature indicate a positive direction for the future of both
physical and mental health, with researchers now examining the role of microbiome in various
diseases, including allergies, cancer and obesity (Gallagher, 2018).

10. Paraphrasing
• Paraphrasing is a skill a reader uses to translate an author’s words by keeping the same meaning
but using different words. Paraphrase –re-write using your own words while keeping the same
meaning –each of the sentences below.
• When paraphrasing it is important to keep the original meaning and to present it in a new form.
• - Underline key points
• - list main ideas
• Use alternative phrases or synonyms words
• Rewrite and reorder these ideas in your own words.
• Use a signal phrase the author´s name, dates…

11. Paraphrasing step by step examples (using synonyms)
Original Sentence: ‘Memory is the capacity for storing and retrieving information’ (Smith, 2017).
1: Choose key Words that can not be changed
Memory has the capacity for storing and retrieving information (Smith, 2016, p.21)
2: Find Synonyms for the other words
Memory is the capacity for storing and retrieving information.
Use Google or thesaurus.com to find a range of synonyms – like below

12. 3. Choose the words that are similar in meaning or change the form (storing to storage)
•b) Memory is the facility for storage and recovering data. [paraphrased sentence – ok
4. Change the grammar, word forms and structure
•c) Data recovery and storage are facilitated in the memory. [paraphrased sentence – good]

13. Examples
• Original text:
• Giraffes like Acacia leaves and hay and they can consume 75 pounds of food
a day.
• Paraphrase:
• A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of Acacia leaves and hay every day.
• Go to

14. Bibliography
• https://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/32813 (how include cites in your
summary)
• Article https://jamesclear.com/diderot-effect