SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT
A summary is a brief restatement of the content of a passage (a group of paragraphs, a chapter, an article, or a book). This restatement should focus on the central idea of the passage. In general, a summary may be as brief as one or two sentences (the central idea only) or one paragraph (the central idea and its supporting points), or as lengthy as several paragraphs (the central idea, its supporting points, and some important examples), depending on its purpose. In addition, summaries will not contain any of the student’s opinions. A good summary should be brief, complete, and objective.
For this essay, you will find one (1) article from a journal related to your topic. (You are free to choose the article, but choosing one that may lend itself to later inclusion in your research project might help you.) The article that you choose must be at least 15 pages long. Articles (this does not mean “websites”) must have a references list at the end. You will benefit from creating annotations for each section of the article, summarizing the main points in complete sentences. These should fit together as a single paragraph. Carefully noting the 10 parts of the scientific article as discussed in the lecture is required and will help you to identify these points. Quotations and paraphrases are not acceptable. You must use your own words. You will do your best to eliminate any mechanical errors.
LENGTH: 250 words (minimum and maximum non-negotiable; you may go no lower than 245 words and no higher than 255. The title and heading of your paper do not count toward this limit)
FORMAT: Please use MLA format with “Summaries” as the title.
TIPS AND REQUIREMENTS:
1. Effective summaries are complete, concise, coherent, and independent.
2. Take notes as you read; you are likely to write down the main ideas & significant supporting evidence.
3. You must account for all of the author’s major points.
4. You must re-state the thesis, hypothesis, and/or problem in your own words.
5. You must use proper sentence structure.
6. Use printed copies of the article. Make a key for your annotations of different sections so that your reader can clearly identify the annotation of that section.
One of the more difficult aspects of writing a summary is maintaining objectivity. A student should strive to be as objective as possible when summarizing. The level of objectivity achieved, however, may vary depending on the student’s background, experience, and knowledge of the piece being summarized. Although restating a central idea and the main points might sound like a simple task, a student may have something in his or her background that biases his or her summary of an article. A student may not have any knowledge of an article’s subject matter, which could affect his or her ability to distinguish the most important points of a piece. Remaining objective can be difficult for students, but practice at writing summaries will improve their ability to do so.
How to Read Critically
• Examine the context.
• Note the title and subtitle.
• Identify the main point.
• Identify the subordinate points.
• Break the reading into sections.
• Distinguish between points, examples, and counterarguments.
• Watch for transitions within and between paragraphs.
How to Write Summaries
• Read the passage carefully.
• Reread.
• Write one-sentence summaries of each stage of thought.
• Write a one- or two-sentence summary of the entire passage.
• Write the first draft of your summary.
• Check your summary against the original passage.
• Revise your summary.
