Summarising, together with paraphrasing and quoting, refers to a way of incorporating another writer's idea(s) into your own writing.

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What is summarising?

Summarising means using the main idea(s) of a text and expressing them in your own writing style.

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When summarising, it is important to remember that:

1. A summary contains only the main points of the original text.

2. It is written in your own words.

3. The original source must be acknowledged.

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When summarising, you need to make sure that:

1. Your purpose is clear.

2. You have not copied any text.

3. You have not misinterpreted the original.

4. The length of your text is shorter.

5. The style of writing is your own.

6. You have acknowledged the source.

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How do I summarise?

• Skim the text that you want to summarise and ensure that you understand it thoroughly.

• Read the text again and highlight the main ideas that you want to use in your own text.

• Make notes of the main ideas using your own words. Remember paraphrasing at this stage will help you avoid committing plagiarism.

• Based on your notes, write the summary of the main ideas.

• After you have finished, compare your summary with the original text again to ensure that you have not altered the meaning of the original in any way and that you have expressed the main ideas accurately using your own words.

• Add an appropriate citation following the citation system that has been given to you by your instructor/supervisor.

• Finally, review your text for possible syntax, grammar or spelling mistakes.

 

An example:

Let’s imagine you wanted to summarise the following paragraph:

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• "In forming a mental representation of a moving object, a pictorial representation called a motion diagram is sometimes useful to describe the velocity and acceleration while an object is in motion. A motion diagram can be formed by imagining a stroboscopic photograph of a moving object, which shows several images of the object taken as the strobe light flashes at a constant rate".

• From: R. A. Serway and J. W. Jewett Jr, Physics For Scientists & Engineers with Modern Physics, 9th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Pub., 2016, p. 35.

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Student's sample answer:

"A motion diagram is used to represent the velocity and acceleration of a moving object as a stroboscopic photograph" [1].

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The student has:

1. Successfully captured the main idea of the original paragraph.

2. Used her/his own words.

2. Acknowledged the source.

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Where can I find more information on summarising?

• A, Wallwork, English for Writing Research Papers, 2nd ed. Heidelberg: Springer, 2016.

• S. Bailey, Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students, 5th ed. New York: Routledge, 2015.

• A. Gillett, A, Hammond, and M. Martala. Inside Track to Successful Academic Writing. Harlow, Essex: Longman Pearson Education, 2009.

• M. S. Robinson, F. L. Stoller, M. S. Costanza-Robinson, and J. K. Jones. Write like a chemist: a guide and a resource. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

• https://www.eapfoundation.com

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