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• How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples

How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples

Published on November 23, 2020 by Shona McCombes . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Summarizing , or writing a summary, means giving a concise overview of a text’s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the original text.

There are five key steps that can help you to write a summary:

• Read the text
• Break it down into sections
• Identify the key points in each section
• Write the summary
• Check the summary against the article

Writing a summary does not involve critiquing or evaluating the source . You should simply provide an accurate account of the most important information and ideas (without copying any text from the original).

Table of contents

When to write a summary, step 1: read the text, step 2: break the text down into sections, step 3: identify the key points in each section, step 4: write the summary, step 5: check the summary against the article, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about summarizing.

There are many situations in which you might have to summarize an article or other source:

• As a stand-alone assignment to show you’ve understood the material
• To keep notes that will help you remember what you’ve read
• To give an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review

When you’re writing an academic text like an essay , research paper , or dissertation , you’ll integrate sources in a variety of ways. You might use a brief quote to support your point, or paraphrase a few sentences or paragraphs.

But it’s often appropriate to summarize a whole article or chapter if it is especially relevant to your own research, or to provide an overview of a source before you analyze or critique it.

In any case, the goal of summarizing is to give your reader a clear understanding of the original source. Follow the five steps outlined below to write a good summary.

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You should read the article more than once to make sure you’ve thoroughly understood it. It’s often effective to read in three stages:

• Scan the article quickly to get a sense of its topic and overall shape.
• Read the article carefully, highlighting important points and taking notes as you read.
• Skim the article again to confirm you’ve understood the key points, and reread any particularly important or difficult passages.

There are some tricks you can use to identify the key points as you read:

• Start by reading the abstract . This already contains the author’s own summary of their work, and it tells you what to expect from the article.
• Pay attention to headings and subheadings . These should give you a good sense of what each part is about.
• Read the introduction and the conclusion together and compare them: What did the author set out to do, and what was the outcome?

To make the text more manageable and understand its sub-points, break it down into smaller sections.

If the text is a scientific paper that follows a standard empirical structure, it is probably already organized into clearly marked sections, usually including an introduction , methods , results , and discussion .

Other types of articles may not be explicitly divided into sections. But most articles and essays will be structured around a series of sub-points or themes.

Now it’s time go through each section and pick out its most important points. What does your reader need to know to understand the overall argument or conclusion of the article?

Keep in mind that a summary does not involve paraphrasing every single paragraph of the article. Your goal is to extract the essential points, leaving out anything that can be considered background information or supplementary detail.

In a scientific article, there are some easy questions you can ask to identify the key points in each part.

If the article takes a different form, you might have to think more carefully about what points are most important for the reader to understand its argument.

In that case, pay particular attention to the thesis statement —the central claim that the author wants us to accept, which usually appears in the introduction—and the topic sentences that signal the main idea of each paragraph.

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Now that you know the key points that the article aims to communicate, you need to put them in your own words.

To avoid plagiarism and show you’ve understood the article, it’s essential to properly paraphrase the author’s ideas. Do not copy and paste parts of the article, not even just a sentence or two.

The best way to do this is to put the article aside and write out your own understanding of the author’s key points.

Examples of article summaries

Let’s take a look at an example. Below, we summarize this article , which scientifically investigates the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Davis et al. (2015) set out to empirically test the popular saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples are often used to represent a healthy lifestyle, and research has shown their nutritional properties could be beneficial for various aspects of health. The authors’ unique approach is to take the saying literally and ask: do people who eat apples use healthcare services less frequently? If there is indeed such a relationship, they suggest, promoting apple consumption could help reduce healthcare costs.

The study used publicly available cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were categorized as either apple eaters or non-apple eaters based on their self-reported apple consumption in an average 24-hour period. They were also categorized as either avoiding or not avoiding the use of healthcare services in the past year. The data was statistically analyzed to test whether there was an association between apple consumption and several dependent variables: physician visits, hospital stays, use of mental health services, and use of prescription medication.

Although apple eaters were slightly more likely to have avoided physician visits, this relationship was not statistically significant after adjusting for various relevant factors. No association was found between apple consumption and hospital stays or mental health service use. However, apple eaters were found to be slightly more likely to have avoided using prescription medication. Based on these results, the authors conclude that an apple a day does not keep the doctor away, but it may keep the pharmacist away. They suggest that this finding could have implications for reducing healthcare costs, considering the high annual costs of prescription medication and the inexpensiveness of apples.

However, the authors also note several limitations of the study: most importantly, that apple eaters are likely to differ from non-apple eaters in ways that may have confounded the results (for example, apple eaters may be more likely to be health-conscious). To establish any causal relationship between apple consumption and avoidance of medication, they recommend experimental research.

An article summary like the above would be appropriate for a stand-alone summary assignment. However, you’ll often want to give an even more concise summary of an article.

For example, in a literature review or meta analysis you may want to briefly summarize this study as part of a wider discussion of various sources. In this case, we can boil our summary down even further to include only the most relevant information.

Using national survey data, Davis et al. (2015) tested the assertion that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and did not find statistically significant evidence to support this hypothesis. While people who consumed apples were slightly less likely to use prescription medications, the study was unable to demonstrate a causal relationship between these variables.

Citing the source you’re summarizing

When including a summary as part of a larger text, it’s essential to properly cite the source you’re summarizing. The exact format depends on your citation style , but it usually includes an in-text citation and a full reference at the end of your paper.

You can easily create your citations and references in APA or MLA using our free citation generators.

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Finally, read through the article once more to ensure that:

• You’ve accurately represented the author’s work
• You haven’t missed any essential information
• The phrasing is not too similar to any sentences in the original.

If you’re summarizing many articles as part of your own work, it may be a good idea to use a plagiarism checker to double-check that your text is completely original and properly cited. Just be sure to use one that’s safe and reliable.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words. Want to make your life super easy? Try our free text summarizer today!

A summary is always much shorter than the original text. The length of a summary can range from just a few sentences to several paragraphs; it depends on the length of the article you’re summarizing, and on the purpose of the summary.

You might have to write a summary of a source:

• As a stand-alone assignment to prove you understand the material
• For your own use, to keep notes on your reading
• To provide an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review
• In a paper , to summarize or introduce a relevant study

To avoid plagiarism when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules:

• Write the summary entirely in your own words by paraphrasing the author’s ideas.
• Cite the source with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.

An abstract concisely explains all the key points of an academic text such as a thesis , dissertation or journal article. It should summarize the whole text, not just introduce it.

An abstract is a type of summary , but summaries are also written elsewhere in academic writing . For example, you might summarize a source in a paper , in a literature review , or as a standalone assignment.

All can be done within seconds with our free text summarizer .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, May 31). How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 16, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-summarize/

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How to Summarize a Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve ever written (or read!) a research paper, you know they are long . And you also know it’s not always realistic to read every research paper that pertains to your work or field of study. This is why many people turn to research paper summaries.

As a student, you might be wondering how to summarize a paper effectively. As with any other kind of summary, the key to summarizing a research paper is keeping it concise, objective, and focused on the original paper’s main points rather than its details.

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What is a research paper summary?

A research paper summary is a short overview of a research paper. Generally, a research paper summary is about 300–400 words long, though with longer papers, they’re usually no more than 10 percent the length of the original paper.

Research paper summaries play an important role in academia. Because research papers can be quite long and dense, often ranging between fifteen and twenty-five pages, it just isn’t always efficient for everybody to read the whole thing. This is where summaries come in—when readers and collaborators need to know a paper’s key points but not necessarily all its details, a summary brings them up to speed.

You’ll find research paper summaries in a variety of documents, such as literature reviews and academic journals. A paper’s abstract is a specific type of summary that’s often part of a research paper. It’s not uncommon for individuals to read a paper’s summary for their own understanding or to prepare for academic discussions about the paper’s subject.

When you write a research paper summary, be sure to summarize , not paraphrase . Paraphrasing, or presenting a shortened version of the text verbatim, is often confused with summarizing. Other common mistakes include oversimplifying the paper’s subject, failing to properly credit the paper’s author, and including personal opinions, all of which we’ll discuss further in a moment.

Understanding research paper summarization

Whether it’s for a news article, book, case study, research paper, or any other type of writing , a summary is a concise overview that highlights the original’s main points . The difference between a research paper summary and other types of summary is its source material.

Summarizing a paper effectively is an important skill to develop as a student. If you pursue an advanced degree, a career in academia, or a scientific career, you will likely continue to use this skill regularly because academic and scientific papers can be long, dense, and complex.

When you’re doing research or searching for academic sources to cite, summaries make it easy to quickly discern which papers are relevant to your work and which aren’t. When you summarize academic papers , you’re helping other researchers navigate these papers for themselves. You also make it easier to discuss papers with collaborators, especially through written communication like email.

Preparing to summarize a research paper

Before you start writing a research paper summary, it’s important that you read the paper in its entirety and understand its purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions. If you’re summarizing your own research paper, this is easy—you’re the one who did the research!

However, if you’re summarizing somebody else’s work, this step can take some time. This is especially true when the paper is from a different research field than yours. Before diving into the paper, read its abstract, introduction, and conclusion. These sections include the paper’s thesis statement and overviews of the work, which present key information like:

• The researcher’s hypothesis
• How the research was conducted
• When it was conducted
• The results of the research
• Findings from the research

Take notes on these subjects to guide your understanding as you read the paper itself. Don’t skip this latter part—although your summary is essentially a highlight reel of the paper, fully comprehending all of its components positions you to write a stronger summary.

Identify the research paper’s structure

As you read the research paper, you’ll find context for the main points in its structure. Typically, a research paper begins with an introduction, followed by an explanation of the research methodology used, the results, and a conclusion section. You’ll find the paper’s thesis statement in its introduction, which should act as the foundation for your summary. In other words, the other points you include, such as important details about the research and an explanation of its findings, should tie back to the thesis statement in an obvious way.

Understanding the author’s research question, the hypothesis they tested, and the theoretical framework they worked in can help you determine the key points to include in your summary. In fact, they could even be the key points in your summary.

Steps to summarize a research paper effectively

With a research paper summary, it’s important to include the paper’s highlights. These generally include:

• Data collected
• Research question
• Purpose of the research

Although it may be tempting to include your interpretations or opinions about the implications of the data, don’t. Like any other piece of academic writing, a research paper summary needs to be objective.

With your notes from the paper, it can be helpful to write an outline before you write your summary. In an outline, you can organize the paper’s key points and determine where to include each piece of supporting evidence. You can also see the summary’s flow through the outline structure, which can make it easier to write it.

Be sure to include citations where necessary, including citations for any generative AI assistance you used. Proper citations in your work are important for maintaining academic integrity and can help you avoid plagiarism . Cite any time you include specific data, a direct quote from the original, or a direct quote from generative AI.

Lastly, make sure the writing is in your own words. In this regard, summarizing research papers can be uniquely challenging because they often deal with complex, jargon-heavy subjects that you might not be well-versed in enough to discuss without borrowing from the experts. To handle this, try explaining the subject in the most basic terms possible. Pretend you’re explaining it to somebody who has no experience with the subject and write down a few different versions of your explanation. Opt for plain language, not jargon; when jargon cannot be avoided, find a way to define it through context or a brief explanation. This will likely result in a somewhat clunky first draft, but don’t worry—you’ll polish it up through the revision process .

Tips for effective research paper summaries

When you’re summarizing a research paper, it’s important that you maintain the same objective, academic tone the author used in their work. Though you shouldn’t aim to mirror their voice, your summary should be free of personal bias and use the type of vocabulary found in academic works.

Your summary also shouldn’t be long. Keep it below four hundred words, or if you’re summarizing a fairly long research paper, about 10 percent of the original’s word count.

Avoid plagiarism by citing relevant sources when necessary. For example, you might need to cite the author of the original paper by name in your summary or the name of an author whose work the original cites. Similarly, do not simply repurpose the original author’s words as your own—this is plagiarism.

Example of a research paper summary

See a summary of a research paper example below. Keep in mind that, while this is one example of a research paper summary, ultimately the format of the summary should be tailored to suit the specific context and purpose of the research paper while effectively communicating the study’s main points and contributions.

This research paper conducts a comparative analysis of the basketball careers and legacies of Michael Jordan and LeBron James, two of the most prominent figures in the history of the NBA. Through an examination of their respective achievements, accolades, and contributions both on and off the court, this paper aims to provide insights into the ongoing debate surrounding their status as the greatest basketball player of all time. The paper begins by outlining Jordan’s unparalleled success during his career, including his six NBA Championships, Olympic gold medals, and numerous NBA All-Star Game appearances. Additionally, Jordan’s lasting impact on the sport of basketball is highlighted through his records and achievements. Furthermore, the paper examines James’s achievements outside of basketball, such as his roles in film and his historic financial milestone. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion on the enduring question of who is the better player, offering arguments in favor of Jordan based on his unparalleled impact on the game and cultural significance.

Tools and resources for summarizing research papers

Using Grammarly’s free summarizing tool can make summarizing research papers easy. You can also use Grammarly’s free citation generator and plagiarism checker to ensure you don’t inadvertently plagiarize the paper or any others you cite in your work.

Research paper summarization FAQs

What is summarization.

Summarization is the process through which a writer condenses a research paper (or other text) into a short overview of the original.

How do I ensure my paper summarization is unbiased and objective?

To ensure your paper summary is unbiased and objective, write it using neutral, professional language. Do not include any of your own interpretations or opinions of the original or its topic; just note its thesis statement and any other relevant points.

How do I avoid plagiarism when summarizing?

Avoid plagiarism when summarizing a research paper by writing your own words rather than restating the original words and citing the original’s title and/or author any time you reference specific data or points from it. Use Grammarly’s plagiarism checker to easily detect plagiarism in your text.

How can I use AI to summarize papers?

Grammarly’s free AI summarization tool can make it easier to summarize papers. Paste the text you’d like to summarize into the field, then instantly generate an accurate summary.